Discussion Questions for  “A Handful of Dates” by Tayeb Salih List the events in the story

Discussion Questions for  “A Handful of Dates” by Tayeb Salih

1. List the events in the story. Mark those that you consider to be most important  - those events that affect the main character in a significant way. Briefly state the reasons why you’ve chosen each event.  

2. How and why do the boy’s feelings towards his grandfather change throughout the story?   Support your ideas with at least three pieces of evidence (quotes) from different parts of the story. 

3. Describe ONE of the three main characters (the boy, the grandfather and Masood) using adjectives.  Use at least three adjectives, and, for EACH adjective, analyze at least one quote to back you up. (Three adjectives, at one quote each = three total quotes used.) 

4. Which characters in this story does the author of the story portray most  sympathetically?  In other words, who does the author want us to like or care about? Support your interpretation with evidence from the story.