Such a Long Journey

Discuss the role of superstition in the novel. How do belief and disbelief in superstition affect the decisions of the main characters?

In Such a Long Journey, characters perform rituals in the name of both religion and superstitious belief. Compare and contrast religion and superstition in the novel through at least three of the book’s protagonists.

Is Tehmul primarily a comic or a tragic figure, and why? What is his primary function in the novel?

The women in Mistry’s novel range from Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to the prostitutes at the House of Cages. Referencing the main female characters, discuss the roles of women in the novel and how they might have changed (or are changing) in the society the novel represents.

India’s political situation and 1971 war with Pakistan form the novel’s backdrop. What effects do politics and war have on the novel’s main characters? How do Gustad, Dilnavaz, and Dinshawji feel about current events compared to younger characters like Sohrab?

Gustad and his family are Zoroastrian Parsis, and therefore are part of a minority group in India. How do you see this minority status reflected in the characters’ lives? How does it impact their lives and/or their political beliefs?

Mistry’s characters are often more complex than they first appear. How does your understanding of Miss Kutpitia and Dinshawji change throughout the novel? How does Mistry further develop these characters?

How are the dynamics of the Khodadad Building community reflected in the novel’s larger society? Do you think the dynamics among the tenants could exist in another culture? Why or why not?