1) Why do you believe the barbarians never strike back? 2) Does the C.P. Cavafy poem (also titled "Waiting for the Barbarians") suggest why their absence is more powerful than their attack? 3) Is Coetzee's narrative following the poem, or does it take liberties? If so, why? 4) Are all novels of oppression, e.g., this work, 1984, and Heart of Darkness fundamentally similar in their protagonist's character development? 5) Why is Coetzee's prose so world-weary yet so lyrical? Is there something tragically aesthetic about trauma and imperialism?
2) Does the C.P. Cavafy poem (also titled "Waiting for the Barbarians") suggest why their absence is more powerful than their attack?
3) Is Coetzee's narrative following the poem, or does it take liberties? If so, why?
4) Are all novels of oppression, e.g., this work, 1984, and Heart of Darkness fundamentally similar in their protagonist's character development?
5) Why is Coetzee's prose so world-weary yet so lyrical? Is there something tragically aesthetic about trauma and imperialism?