Essay Questions

What is common between the characters Bassam Aramin and Rami Elhanan?

Both Bassam and Rami are fathers who lose their lovely daughters in the streets of Israel. The two daughters who die in the streets of Israel are Smadar and Abir. Smadar is blown into pieces and dies when Palestinian suicide bombers blow themselves off. A decade later Abir is shot dead when she is walking down the street where Smadar died. She is shot by the Israel police who say that they were shooting at protesters. Bassam and Rami are sharing their experiences with the world to condemn the futile war between the Israelites and Palestinians which has claimed the lives of many innocent citizens from the two countries.

Discuss the theme of hostility and death in Apeirogon by Colum McCann.

The entire book narrates the violence between Israel and Palestine. The two countries have had a history of war and many innocent people from both sides have been killed. Abir is a Palestinian while Smadar is an Israelite and they both die in the street of Israel due to the hostility between the two countries. The death of these two girls is mentioned throughout the book. Bassam tells his story on how he has been brutalized by the Israel soldiers. Bassam has been mistaken as a terrorist severally and this has subjected him to torture. Rami also reveals that when he was in the army, he used to be part of the tanker unit that killed many Palestinians.

How do soreness, anguish, and healing strengthen the bond between Bassam and Rami?

Bassam is a Palestinian while Rami is an Israelite but they have come together because they share similar pain and grief. They first meet in a charity summit and they realize that they both lost their daughters in the street of Israel. They come together to share their experiences with the rest of the world. By sharing their experiences, they get healing. Their friendship grows stronger and they make up their minds to rally the world to condemn the war between Israel and Palestine.