When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine

There are a number of different rituals present in the story. Identify some of these rituals and discuss how they function. What motivates the characters’ participation in these rituals? How do they benefit? How might these rituals and the characters’ benefits relate to the themes in the text? Finally, compare and contrast your response from the Personal Connection Prompt with the rituals from the story.

Teaching Suggestion: Throughout the novel, the sharing and consumption of food are comforting rituals for Lilia, her parents, and Mr. Pirzada. As referenced in the title, Mr. Pirzada visits Lilia’s home in order to share food, and, likewise, he shares candy with Lilia on every visit. Food is a source of comfort which Lilia’s parents share with Mr. Pirzada as the situation in Dacca begins to deteriorate. Finally, Lilia uses food in order to show solidarity with Mr. Pirzada, using her ritual of eating candy before bed as a part of her prayer for the safety of Mr. Pirzada’s family. This Prompt links with the third Scaffolded Essay question.