Zoo City

Because of Sloth, others view Zinzi as a criminal. Are they right in their assessment? Is Zinzi an honorable or dishonorable person? Does Sloth hinder or help her to do what is right?

How do animalled celebrities influence people’s view of mashavi in general? How do these celebrities, and the fame they attain, cause others to culturally appropriate the mashavi? Why did Dave believe Zinzi should write about her own life as a mashavi rather than about pop culture? 

This novel takes place in South Africa, and some of the characters are refugees and immigrants from other African nations. What do mashavi have in common with refugees? How does life as both a mashavi and a refugee make Benoît especially vulnerable?

How does the novel comment on capitalism and on the legacy of colonialism, namely apartheid? Consider the jobs that Zinzi, Mark, and Amira perform for money. Why do they choose work related to their magical powers rather than ordinary jobs?

What are the effects of prejudice against mashavi? Consider the novel’s references to the quarantine, torture, and execution of mashavi, as well as the ways mashavi are forced to live separate from society, even in more tolerant nations like South Africa.

Consider the three cryptic replies to Zinzi’s phishing emails. How do the messages relate to the murders Zinzi discovers? How do they comment on the broader themes of the novel?

Discuss the role of dreams and visions in the plot. How do visions lead Zinzi to Song and the murdered mashavi? Are these visions mostly of the past, or of the present? Why must Zinzi confront her past to discover the fates of the missing?

Odi Huron hates his own mashavi identity. How does his self-loathing lead to the novel’s climax? How does Odi contrast with Benoît, who accepts his Mongoose and his mashavi identity?