West with the Night

Analyze how Markham conceives of her femininity and the gender roles of her time and place. How does Markham conform to, or diverge from, these gender roles and expectations? How does her gender affect how others perceive or treat her?

Research one or two of the tribes mentioned in the memoir. How does Markham depict the tribe members and tribal cultures more generally? In what ways are her depictions accurate? In what ways are they limited or inaccurate?

Analyze Markham’s self-presentation in her memoir. How does Markham characterize herself? What does a close reading reveal about the qualities, values, and experiences Markham wishes to emphasize? What are the strengths and weaknesses of this self-portrait?

Markham learned to fly at a time when aviation was still in its early decades. What does West With the Night reveal about early aviation? How do Markham’s experiences as a pilot illustrate some of the memoir’s key themes and ideas?

How does Markham describe the wildlife and terrain of Africa? How does she create contrasts between nature and urban life, and what role do these contrasts play in the text?

Compare and contrast West With the Night with another famous memoir about colonial African life, such as Karen Blixen’s Out of Africa (1937) about Blixen’s life in Kenya. What themes, ideas, and/or narrative techniques do the two works share? How are they different or similar?

While Markham depicts herself as closely tied to the peoples and cultures of Africa, she is herself a white colonialist. What does Markham’s memoir reveal about colonial culture, the colonial lifestyle in African countries, and/or some of the assumptions colonialists had toward Africa?

Analyze one of Markham’s depictions of a man she worked with closely, such as her father, Arab Ruta, Tom Black, Blix, or Lord Carberry. How does Markham characterize this figure? What is his role and wider significance in the text?