Preparation For The Next Life

In Section 412 of the Patriot Act, it is stated that the attorney general has the power to arrest or detain immigrants if there are “reasonable grounds” to believe that that person is involved in “activity that endangers national security”. Early in the novel, Zou Lei is detained and incarcerated after an “immigration sweep” but is never officially charged with committing a crime. How does this impact her initial view of the United States as a land of freedom and opportunity?

Only one chapter in the novel is told from the first-person point of view. Why do you believe the author decided to choose that chapter in particular? What is important about the chapter?

In Chapter 17, Lish states that Skinner “didn’t know enough to be as scared as he should have been, or he might have gone to the VA” after depicting Skinner’s increased distress (150). What does this comment suggest about the relationship between the VA, veterans, and mental health?

How do Jimmy’s chapters change your understanding of the novel’s main plot? What new ideas are introduced through Jimmy’s perspective?

What is the function of the two scenes in which a male character sees photos of disfigured women and is asked to sign a petition to stop this violence? How do these scenes serve to characterize Skinner and Jimmy? What do they suggest about the violence and misogyny of the culture in which they live?

Violence takes many forms in this novel. In what ways does the author emphasize the cyclical nature of violence? How does violence breed more violence, and what does that imply about violence’s relationship with trauma?

The novel includes detailed descriptions of the streets of New York City, especially of the working-class and immigrant neighborhoods of Queens. What role does this detailed setting play in the story?

The title of the novel Preparation for the Next Life appears on the doorway to a mosque and is a phrase used by the Mullah, who claims that those who live “sinful” lives can’t embrace God. How does this concept relate to the plot and themes of the novel?