House of Sand and Fog pp.172-217

pp172-217

1. In what way is Behrani’s family still vulnerable to Lester’s threats? (172)
2. Kathy makes a remark about Lester’s appearance. How is this related to what Behrani’s philosophy of personal respect? (175)
3. Kathy believes Nick’s addictions were related to his failure as a musician. How do you interpret this? Apply this to real world musicians. (176)
4. “The question was so ugly inside me…I was afraid it would come to life between us with fangs and claws.” (179) What is Kathy referring to here? How has the author to used this image rather than stating the fact? (181)
5. Despite all her flaws, Kathy says that sleeping with Lester and losing her dad’s house had been “…the final shove in a long drift to the edge.” (181) If you were Kathy’s therapist, how would you react to this news?
6. What mistake has Lester made to arouse Behrani’s lawyer’s suspicions of Lester’s visit? How does the lawyer follow up on this mistake? (183)
7. How does the colonel react to the officer who is investigating Lester? Is this something you would have expected? Explain. (185-186)
8. Behrani reveals he had a weapon in Iran that had a cowboy on a rearing horse etched on the grips. Relate this to his vision of the American dream. (186)
9. Nadi asks Kathy if her friend left any of his tools. What does this reveal about her understanding of Kathy’s conflict with the colonel? (189)
10. “You could be the twin of Soraya.” How does Kathy react internally to Nadi’s remark? (192)
11. What is the motivation behind the purchase of a tire iron at the hardware store? (193)
12. In his encounter with Kathy outside the house, how is Behrani repeating a pattern of physical and emotional abuse of women? Explain. (194)

13. What prevents Kathy from taking immediate legal action against Behrani’s attack? At what point and from whom could she have gotten help? (199)

14. How does Kathy’s brother Frank react to her news about Nick? What prevents her from telling him about the house? What does she expect from him that she is not getting? (197-198)

15. Describe Kathy’s desperate plan for dealing with the house. What events have driven her to this? (204-6)

16. Kathy’s discovery of Lester’s gun is probably a major turning point in this novel. Explain this in terms of what you know of the story so far.(207)

17. “For two days [Soraya] cried, though at the end she told to us she was very happy a broken angel had come to bless our house.” To what incident in the past is Behrani referring? How does he relate this to his encounter with Kathy ? (217)

18. At the end of Part I, Kathy is described as “. A sad drunken bird I found outside the door, a beggar angel asleep in our son’s room. How does this statement reveal a change in Behrani’s attitude towards Kathy? Do you think he is sincere?