At its heart, is this a novel about racism, or is a novel about the apocalypse? What would you say is the “deepest,” most important idea in the novel, and what would you say is there merely in order to develop character or move the story along? I would be especially impressed if you were to include mention of any other works this semester that contain ideas like those in this book.2. What do you believe is the event in the novel that has caused such alarm and panic? Though it is not named outright in the story, critics and readers of Alam’s novel have drawn on various details in the book to say exactly what they believe the event is. In your essay, make an argument for what the major event is, and base this on what you believe would make it the most relevant novel of 2020. You must support your argument well with details including plot, character, and imagery. By the way, I am not looking for any one “correct” hypothesis, but rather at your ability to say how this novel finds something to say about this American moment.