What Is The What

Deng spent an extraordinary amount of time in the refugee camp before finally being given passage to America. Why did he have to wait longer than the rest of his friends? What qualities or choices may have contributed to this?

How does Eggers use the presence of Michael, Julian, and the members of the club as a rhetorical device to tell the story? Is this effective? Why does Deng direct his story at characters who are not physically listening to him? 

Deng conjures thoughts of his perfect day, during his walk to Ethiopia and Kenya to comfort himself. What other techniques does he use to survive his ordeal? How does he retain both his physical and mental health during his trials?

Compare and contrast the views of race in the book. Does Deng see black people in America as different from himself? How so? What similarities do they have, if any? How does the media affect his views? Does this media portrayal align with his reality?

In the Dinka creation myth, God gave the Dinka a choice between stability or the unknown “what.” How do the Dinka contrast with the Arabs in the creation story? How does looking through the lens of the creation myth inform the political and religious tension present in Sudan?

Are Deng’s experiences in America reflective of his experiences in Sudan? Why or why not? How do his experiences with the police, the robbers, and the hospital compare with what he went through on his journey? How does the picture of America he was given as a child compare with the reality?

What did the SPLA do to recruit young soldiers to its cause? How do they operate underneath the watch of the UN? Is the SPLA any better or worse than the other forces involved in the fighting? What are the root political, cultural, and religious causes of the war?

There is a lot of storytelling in the book, in which Deng will break from his central narrative and tell stories to give examples of his points. How do these stories help tell the overall narrative? What rhetorical use does storytelling have? Why does Deng feel it’s important to continue telling his story to anyone who will listen?