The Ministry of Utmost Happiness Reading Guide & Discussion Questions

Book Club Discussion Questions

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For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, The Origins of the Kashmir Dispute and our BookBrowse Review of The Ministry of Utmost Happiness.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. The novel opens with a vignette describing the mysterious death of vultures—and how "not many noticed the passing of the friendly old birds" (page 5). How does this occurrence set the stage and tone for the rest of the novel with regard to the state of India's society and the unrest that the characters experience within themselves and with the outside world? How does that mood transition into the graveyard setting of the first part of the book?
2. Discuss the complications of Aftab's upbringing and his parents' reactions to their child's gender. What does the family dynamic suggest about the role that biology plays in determining one's true family versus an individual's ability to create or choose one's family?
3. Anjum is told that a Hijra is "a living creature that is incapable of happiness . . . The riot is inside us. The war is inside us" (page 27). To what extent do you see this manifest in Anjum's character throughout the book, and in what ways does she defy that definition?

Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of Vintage. Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.