Read the first paragraph of Ralph Ellison’s novel Invisible Man. What parallels are there between Ellison’s writing and the opening page of We Cast a Shadow? Read up on the plot of Ellison’s novel and discuss the ways in which it may have inspired Ruffin.

Analyze the character of Dinah Viet Dinh. How does her arc illustrate the experiences of different non-white groups in the world of We Cast a Shadow?

Throughout the novel, the narrator often hyper-focuses on instances of light and dark imagery. Select three of those images to discuss in detail. What do they say about the narrator’s mindset?