Desert Flower: The Extraordinary Journey of a Desert Nomad

Dirie’s Resilience and Determination play a huge role in her changed circumstances, as does the unpredictable element of luck. What role did each of these factors play, and which had a greater impact on her life?

Was Dirie’s decision to steal the fraudulent passport from her friend Marilyn unethical, or does the end result, including her part in the Bond film and her subsequent modeling career, justify the means? Support your answer with textual evidence.

Of her FGM, Dirie writes, “I don’t blame my parents […] My mother had no say-so in my circumcision, because as a woman she is powerless to make decisions” (225). Assess the role that Dirie’s mother played in her FGM versus the role that larger systemic issues played. Does Dirie’s perspective on her mother’s role make her blameless, or is she so somewhat accountable for the pain and distress experienced by Dirie?

Dirie suggests that a life with fewer conveniences and technological developments is simpler and therefore leads to greater peace and contentment. Using evidence from the text and personal experiences, assess Dirie’s perspective on the relationship between technology and happiness.

Dirie characterizes Nigel as an unstable and controlling antagonist. How does Dirie use characterization and literary devices to shape this portrayal? Is there any room for sympathy for Nigel, or is he a purely unlikeable character?

Aman refuses to elaborate on the details of her FGM procedure to her sister, and the family does not acknowledge or discuss Halemo’s death from FGM. Similarly, family friends say nothing about the missing, obviously dead girls in their communities. In Dirie’s memoir, what role does silence play in perpetuating FGM?

Is Haji’s family’s silence about his attempted sexual assault of his cousin, Dirie, expected or unexpected within the context of the cultural norms Dirie articulates? Justify your answer using textual evidence.

Desert Flower was published in 1997. How have discourse, activism, and statistics surrounding FGM changed since the book’s publication? Are there other major books or films focused on the topic? What narrative strategies do these texts use? Are they similar to or different from Dirie’s memoir?