Consider what “civilization” means. Kanai, Piya, and Fokir spent their childhoods in wildly different places. What would civilization mean to each of them? Would they consider each other’s definition of civilization to be valid? Why or why not?

When villagers kill a tiger by setting it on fire, Piya is distraught, while Fokir participates in the killing without being troubled. Do you think the villagers were morally justified in killing the tiger? Explain your reasoning.

Animals are vitally important to this book. Pick one animal—crabs, dolphins, tigers, or another of your choosing—and trace its use throughout the novel. What might this animal represent? What does it tell the reader about the world of the Sundarbans or the novel’s characters?