Essay Questions

What is the haram?

In the novel, the main character has a best friend named Hassan, who happens to be a Muslim. Hassan’s main characteristic is that he is always obsessed with the idea of haram. In the Islam religion, the term haram refers to anything that it is considered forbidden by the religion. The term refers to practices that may be considered as being sinful or it may refer to a practice considered as being sacred and to the people seen as being impure to perform the sacred ritual or action. Haram refers to practices that are considered as being sinful and forbidden in any context and it refers to the highest status of prohibition.

What is Tourette syndrome?

After Colin hit his head, he stayed in the graveyard with Hassan and Lindsey, talking about various things. When Lindsey’s boyfriend and his friends came to them, Colin and Hassan pretended to be foreigners and also Colin pretended to have Tourette syndrome. The syndrome refers to certain tics, verbal or physical a person may develop and do uncontrollably. The syndrome is quite common, affecting approximately 1% of people.

What is the difference between a genius and a prodigy?

In the novel, Colin is obsessed with the difference between what it means to be a prodigy and what make a person a genius. To understand the novel, it is also necessary to understand the difference between the two terms. The term prodigy refers to an extremely young person who manifests extraordinary qualities for his age. A prodigy is born that way and it is clear from the beginning that the child is extremely intelligent. a prodigy also differs from a genius in the sense that a prodigy usually excels in more than one domain in life. A genius is also an extremely intelligent person but for a genius, the quality is not necessarily innate and may be actually the result of hard work. Also, people who are considered as being geniuses excel in only one area in life.