95 pages • 3 hours read
Immaculée IlibagizaLeft to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust
Nonfiction | Autobiography / Memoir | Adult | Published in 2006A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Essay Topics
Consider the early chapters of the book, before the genocide begins, and events such as the “ethnic roll call” in Chapter 2. Discuss the ways Immaculée saw the conflict manifesting, before the genocide.
Consider the political climate of Rwanda in 1994, as Immaculée describes it in Left to Tell. How does propaganda influence certain characters and the various plot lines? Explain in terms of the book’s theme relating to cyclical violence perpetuated throughout history.
The 1994 Rwandan genocide is a civil war, meaning that the warring factions are both internal populations. Keeping in mind themes of religion and forgiveness, compare this civil war to the American Civil War in the 1860s. What are the key similarities and differences?
Pastor Murinzi is a complex figure in the book. Though he is Hutu, he provides shelter for Immaculée during the genocide. However, he still harbors prejudiced beliefs about Tutsis, as we see in Chapter 12. Analyze the character of the pastor and explain how he contributes to the major themes of the book.
Chapter 13 is called “A Gathering of Orphans,” and in it Immaculée tells of all the children who have been left without parents—including herself—after the genocide. Explain how orphans tie into the theme of cyclical violence.
Language is an important sub-theme in Left to Tell. Examples of this sub-theme include Immaculée’s desire to learn English in Chapter 14 and her saying that she is the only one “left to tell.” What are the different roles of language throughout the book?
Immaculée’s faith is crucial to understanding the way she conceives of “forgiveness.” Drawing on her notion of God and forgiveness, particularly looking at Chapters 11 and 24, describe how these two concepts interact with each other and contribute to the book’s overall message.
Examine the scene in Chapter 23 where Immaculée feels a sudden swell of hatred for the Hutu killers who slaughtered her family. What does this mean for our understanding of Immaculée’s concept of “forgiveness”? Does it relate to any other themes in the book?
In Chapter 24, Immaculée forgives the gang leader that killed her family in a face-to-face meeting with him. Examine this scene carefully and discuss how the larger theme of forgiveness manifests in this pivotal scene.
