Monday, September 30, 2013

Discussion Questions: China Mieville



China Mieville: The City

1) Who is the true Tyador Borlu? Why does he keep the anonymous caller a secret from everyone, including his own colleagues? Do you think his attitude changes toward Ul Qoma and its people after his visit there? What do you think happens to Borlu after he becomes a Breach agent?

2) What model do the cities of Beszel and Ul Qoma fall into?

3) How does the structure of Beszel and Ul Qoma fit into the city state model we discussed in class?

4) Why do the two cities have disputes with each other?

5) How are the cultures of Bezel and Ul Qoma different but at the same time very similar? How does that lead to their status as separate city states??

6) Discuss the culture of each of the cities--Ul Qoma and Beszel. What impact does the culture have on the characters of the novel? How does it motivate them and how does it derail their lives?

7) What modern ultranationalist or militant groups does “breach” resembles? (Taliban, al qaeda, al shabaab, lashkar e tiba)

8) The American corporation stole artifacts from an archeological site. How is this indicative of how multinational corporations behave today?

9) How is the border between Beszel and Ul Qoma described in the book? Why is it so significant? What is orciny?

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