Waiting for the Barbarians

J. M. CoetzeeFiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1980

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Summary

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Tools

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Discussion Questions

Essay Topics

The opening image of the novel is the sunglasses that Colonel Joll is wearing. What effect does this image have on how we acclimate to the text as it unfolds?

How would you explain the Magistrate’s personality as he portrays himself at the beginning of the novel?

How would you evaluate the Magistrate’s reliability as a first-person narrator? Does he present himself as a hero, and if so, is this portrayal accurate?