Why do you think Eggers begins his book about Zeitoun with a description of fishing in Syria and details about Zeitoun’s family?

1. Why do you think Eggers begins his book about Zeitoun with a description of fishing in
Syria and details about Zeitoun’s family?
2. What impression do you have of Syria from the news and other sources? How might Egger’s
description of Zeitoun’s life in Syria affect that impression?
3. What does Kathy’s description of her husband tell us about him? (p 8 or 18). How does the way Zeitoun “courts” Kathy and later defends her against insult add to our knowledge of his
character?
4. What does Zeitoun’s decision to keep the symbol of the rainbow as his company’s logo say about
him? What does the general response to the symbol tell us about the culture of Louisiana?
5. Describe scenes that Eggers uses to illustrate the kind of worker Zeitoun is. Be sure to clarify
what the scenes say about Zeitoun.
6. How important is Islam in Zeitoun’s life? Give examples of the way his religion influences
his decisions.
7. At one point Zeitoun asks, “Why, sometimes, did Americans fall short of their best selves?” (p 37 or 47). What does he mean by that statement? What are Zeitoun’s general feelings about America?