King of the Wind

Identify specific moments in the text when Henry makes authorial decisions that diverge from historical evidence and analyze how these choices shape the story’s mood, characterization, and overall meaning.

Sham is marked by the opposing symbols of the white spot and the wheat ear. How does Henry use these symbols to provide foreshadowing, create mood, and advance Sham and Agba’s relationship?

In what ways are Agba and Sham’s identities shaped by the theme of Perseverance Through Displacement and Adversity? What obstacles do they face, and how do they cope with and overcome these challenges?

The novel’s cast hails from multiple cultures and offers a cross-section of different societies from sultans and kings to an enslaved stableboy. What social commentary does Henry offer in this story?

How does the author utilize Agba and Sham’s relationship to illustrate human and animal relationships? Cite specific text support to show how these two characters demonstrate their mutual loyalty.

The wind serves as a motif of The Role of Divine Will in Personal Destiny. How does the motif develop the theme? What message does Henry suggest about the relationship between faith, destiny, and human perseverance?

The novel uses a frame narrative, opening with one of Sham’s descendants and presenting the main storyline as a flashback. How does this structural decision impact the novel’s overall meaning, provide historical context, and establish themes and narrative parallels?

How does this novel compare to other equine classics like Anna Sewell’s Black Beauty (1877) and Michael Morpurgo’s War Horse (1982)? Consider the texts’ historical settings, the horses’ personalities and relationships with humans, and the authors’ treatment of the theme of perseverance.