58 pages • 1 hour read
Behold the Dreamers
A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Essay Topics
Discuss the historical setting, 2007-2008, years in which the US elected its first African-American president and during which the country suffered a financial crisis. How does the setting shape the plot and lives of the novel’s characters?
Cindy blames Clark’s absence as a father and husband for the unhappiness of the Edwards family. Do you agree with her? Support your answer with evidence from the novel.
Discuss the role of American Dream mythology on the characters. Based on the events of the novel, is the American dream still viable?
Discuss the role of New York as a symbol for America.
Compare and contrast the perspectives on gender held by Clark, Cindy, Neni, and Jende. How are these perspectives shaped by differences in class, race, and nationality?
Vince criticizes both Clark and Cindy for their materialism and America in general for the unfairness of its capitalist system. Does he have a point, and what evidence from the novel supports your response to this question?
The American immigration system plays an important role in the novel. How does the outcome for Neni and Jende shape your perspective on that system?
The characters in the novel struggle to come up with adequate ways to measure the meaning of success. By the end of the novel, which characters have achieved success, and which characters are failures? What is the measure of success or failure for each character?
Compare and contrast Neni and Cindy. Do you view them as more similar or more different from one another?
Research the role of the collapse of Lehman Brothers in the Great Recession. How accurate is Clark’s perspective on the guilt of the company? Were executives like Clark ever punished for their roles, and (if they were not), should they have been held accountable?
Unlock all 58 pages of this Study GuidePlus, gain access to 8,800+ more expert-written Study Guides.
Including features:
