A Guardian and a Thief

Examine the novel’s setting of Kolkata. How is the city described? In what ways is it similar to Kolkata of the real-life present day, and in what ways has it been transformed into a futuristic, dystopian setting?

Various characters, such as Ma, Baba, Boomba, and Dadu, wrestle with the idea of home and belonging. How do these characters conceive of home and belonging, and what is the wider significance of these conceptions in the text?

Analyze how the novel examines wealth inequality and the nature of socioeconomic barriers. How do different characters experience the city and the crisis differently depending on their class? How does the novel explore the nature and impact of poverty more generally?

Examine the novel’s structural elements, such as the alternation between “Day” and “Phone” chapters and the way the narrative alternates between following the perspective of different characters. How does the novel’s structure impact the plot, pacing, and/or characterization in the narrative?

Consider the motif of hunger in the text. How does the novel depict and explore different types of hunger—hunger for food, hunger for comfort, hunger for connection? How do these various forms of hunger intersect or clash with one another?

How does gender impact the story? How are gender dynamics depicted, and how do they shape the characters, such as Ma, Dadu, and Boomba, and their behavior?

How does the novel explore the tensions between altruism and a survivalist instinct? What are the strengths and limitations of each in the narrative, and how do characters’ perspectives on these tensions change—or fail to change—over the narrative?

Compare and contrast A Guardian and a Thief with another futuristic novel dealing with a major crisis for humanity, such as Mary Shelley’s The Last Man. How are the two texts different or similar in how they depict humanity’s response to a global crisis? What key ideas and concerns do the two texts share?