Behold the Dreamers

Content Warning: This section of the guide contains discussion of substance use, addiction, death, and emotional abuse.

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. What distinguishes Mbue’s portrayal of the American Dream from other immigrant narratives you’ve encountered like The Leavers by Lisa Ko? How does Behold the Dreamers compare to classics like The Jungle by Upton Sinclair or more contemporary works that examine the promises and perils of pursuing prosperity in America?

2. In Mbue’s novel, two families from vastly different backgrounds find their fates intertwined through economic necessity and class differences. How effectively does the author use this dual narrative structure to illuminate the different ways the 2008 recession affected Americans across racial and economic lines?

3. Which family’s struggles resonated more powerfully with you as you read? What aspects of either the Jongas’ immigrant experience or the Edwards’ privileged unraveling felt most authentic or compelling to your understanding of contemporary American life?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Jende and Neni make tremendous sacrifices to pursue their vision of success in America, reminiscent of characters in works like John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath who endure hardship for the promise of a better life. Have you ever had to make difficult choices between immediate comfort and long-term dreams? 

2. What role does education play in Neni’s sense of identity and hope for the future? How does her experience navigating college as an immigrant mother compare to the educational challenges you’ve observed in pursuing advancement or reinvention?

3. How did you react to Neni’s decision to blackmail Cindy for money? What does this moral compromise reveal about the lengths people will go to protect their families and dreams?

4. Cindy struggles with imposter syndrome despite her wealth and success. Have you encountered situations where achievement didn’t bring the security or confidence that was expected? 

5. The Jongas ultimately choose to return to Cameroon with their American earnings rather than continue fighting to stay. How do you weigh their decision to preserve family stability against Neni’s dream of remaining in America? What factors would influence your own choice in a similar situation?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. What does the novel reveal about how the 2008 financial crisis affected different communities in America? How does Mbue contrast the consequences faced by Wall Street executives like Clark with those experienced by working-class people like Jende and Leah?

2. The American immigration system emerges as a major obstacle to the Jongas’ dreams despite their hard work and determination. What critique of immigration policy does Mbue offer through Jende’s experience with Bubakar and the asylum process? How does this portrayal challenge or confirm your understanding of how the system works?

3. How does the novel explore the relationship between race, class, and access to the American Dream? What does the contrast between Winston’s success and the Jongas’ struggles suggest about which immigrants are most likely to thrive in America?

4. Economic pressure strains marriages and family relationships throughout the story. When you consider Jende and Neni’s conflicts over major life decisions, what insights do their disagreements offer about balancing individual dreams with family unity?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. How does Mbue use different New York neighborhoods and landmarks to represent various aspects of American opportunity and inequality? What symbolic weight do places like Harlem, Columbus Circle, and the Hamptons carry in the story?

2. Jende’s transformation from an optimistic dreamer to someone willing to give up on America represents one of the novel’s most striking character arcs. What specific events and pressures contribute to this change in his perspective? How does Mbue show the psychological toll of fighting an unwinnable battle?

3. What significance does Barack Obama hold as a recurring symbol throughout the novel? How does his presence in the narrative reflect the Jongas’ hopes for racial progress and their own potential acceptance in America?

4. The limousine becomes a space where class differences are most visible and where crucial revelations occur. How does Mbue use this confined setting to explore power dynamics between the families? What does Jende’s role as observer and secret-keeper reveal about the relationship between employer and employee?

5. How do gender expectations shape the choices available to Neni and Cindy throughout the story? What parallels does Mbue draw between these women’s struggles despite their vastly different economic circumstances?

6. How does Mbue’s biblical allusion in the title work throughout the story to both reinforce and undermine the mythology of America as a land of opportunity?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. Write an alternate ending in which Vince stays in New York instead of fleeing to India after his mother’s death. How might his presence have changed the trajectory of his father’s grief and the family’s healing process? What role could he have played in helping Mighty adjust to life without Cindy?

2. Write a letter from Neni to Fatou six months after their return home. What realities of life back in Limbe might she describe, and how might these compare to their expectations?

3. What if Cindy had survived her overdose and decided to seek treatment for her addiction? Write a scene exploring how a recovering Cindy might have approached her relationship with Clark differently. What impact could her healing have had on the family’s dynamics with the Jongas?

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