The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of death and violence.

Mara is the only significant female character in the book. How does Mara’s role within the novel contradict or challenge the typical expectations of women in this time and place in history?

Choose one historical, literary, or mythological allusion within the novel and research it. How does this allusion expand the world and setting of the novel? What does it symbolize and how does it interact with the characterization of the character that used it?

Discuss the novel’s treatment of religion. Samir’s relationship with religion is playful and casual, but how is it treated overall within the novel? Does Monkey seem to take it seriously, or is this also a front for the audience? What does this say about the novel as a whole?