American H.S. Students’ Critical Thinking Questions: Karl May’s Schamah

1)  If you have a religious faith, how does it affect your life? Grasping the novel’s very positive portrayal of biblical heroes like Gideon, why did German Nazis not ban and burn Karl May’s books for being pro-Jewish?  (Ryan Roe)

2)  This novel’s characters include believers from three major religions: Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.  Sometimes, people of one religion may think they are better than those of a different faith. In the past and in the present, have there been other issues where people have wrongly held a “superior” mind-set?  (Kristin Williams)

3)  Mohammed Bustani’s  brother was banished from the family because he had converted to Christianity. How would you feel if you were outcast because of what you did or didn’t believe? Can you think of an historical event where this has happened?  Could it happen today?  (Jake Ediger)

4)   The eleven year old Muslim boy is named Thar, meaning “blood-feud and vengeance.” His beautiful young Christian cousin is named Schamah, meaning “forgiveness.”  Do their names fit their personalities? Do you believe God can give signs to you, but you may not recognize them right away? (Vidhi Shah)

5)  What is Karl May’s belief about racial equality and human rights? (Austin Schauer)

6)  Why does Karl May describe the ancient laws of blood-for-blood, eye-for-an-eye, and a-tooth-for-a-tooth as “ridiculously laughable? (Ashley Banks)

7)  Mustafa Bustani has dreams that seem to tell him of true events and prophesies. Do you think this could happen today? (Jewel Dean)

8)  “Compared to this same time yesterday, it’s even more beautiful, a thousand times lovelier. You know, this kind of deep appreciation comes from inside of us.” What are some things you most appreciate?  (Tai Duncan)

9)  Knowing that Mustafa Bustani’s is a merchant, does his profession affect his family’s outlook on Islamic, Jewish, and Christian cultures? (Logan Gasper)

10)  In attempts to keep his dad’s mind off his deceased wife, Thar entertains his father. How would you comfort a friend or family member who has just lost a loved one?  (Joel Coon)

11)  Thar’s parents, friends, and teacher sometimes refer to this eleven year old as “The Chosen One.”  Does he deserve that title?  (Trey Bradshaw)

12)  Since Thar is a Muslim boy, why does he know Bible stories so well, and why does he choose to assume dramatic roles of Jewish heroes?  (Logan Brase)

13)  In the novel, Muslims call the Patriarch Abraham the “Friend of Merciful Compassion.” Why?  (Francis Finehout-Vigil)

14)  Before Mustafa’s wife died, what did he promise her? Did he willingly honor her wishes? (Emily Madden)

15)  In today’s society, would Thar’s practical jokes and pranks be punished instead of laughed at?  (Bennett Oliver)

16)  In talking about Hebron’s residents, why does Mr. Epstein question what city and church officials have designated as off-limits to Jews and Christians? “If the faith of these people were pure and noble, then they would not find it necessary to keep others away from their shrines.”

17) When Karl May writes about his own life’s struggles in the work Mein Leben und Streben, does his autobiographical advice also apply to these lines?  “So it seems that life always takes care of things. If we are somehow denied some external, material wish, or if an unexpected grief gets in the way of the joy we were hoping for, our ignorance does not hesitate to quarrel with destiny.”

18) Is there merit to Effendi’s belief that one should be sensitive to unexplainable feelings?  “Our souls are linked to an entirely different world than our bodies. This connection is do deeply intimate, that no reasonably sane man would ever doubt what we call our ‘inner voices.’”

19)  Did Thar’s mother intuitively know that Thar would help his father long after she had died? (Eva Rajewski)

20) In Thar’s pretending, he takes on the role of Jewish heroes. How would the novel change if Thar portrayed Muslim leaders? (Michael Turk)

21) Why do you think Thar believes himself to be such a hero? Why does he act like one? For attention, perhaps, or is his reasoning bigger and more genuine than that? (Katrina Goering)

22)  In Mustafa’s dream, his banished brother prophesied: “I’m dead, but I live.” How can this be a true statement?  (Shelby McMurphy)

23)  Effendi explains that it was a “coincidence” that he and his wife stumbled upon Mustafa on their way to the Mount of Olives. Is he being truthful? (Allen Ent)

24)  Can what you are born to do and what you are told to do ever conflict? Which is more important? Think of Thar’s artistic talents in his Islamic culture. (Mandy Fritsch)