Consider the characters’ relationships with blood feuds. Which characters find revenge satisfying? Which do not? How does the concept of revenge fit into the pervasiveness of the feuds? Compare and contrast your answers with your response from the Personal Connection Prompt.

Teaching Suggestion: This Discussion/Analysis Prompt invites students to recontextualize their response from the Personal Connection Prompt within Kadare’s text. Gjorg’s inner monologue reveals that seeking revenge is not personally satisfying, but rather a duty he must fulfill as a part of his community. As his community’s standards are tightly bound to the Kanun, Gjorg is left with no choice but to follow the code if he wants to stay with his family. Mark’s narrative highlights the necessity of blood feuds from a financial perspective, hinting that—while revenge may not be satisfying for the involved parties—it supplies a reliable source of income to the wealthy administrators of the High Plateau region. To increase engagement, you might ask students to create a visual representation of the characters’ relationships to blood feuds, using evidence from the text to support their choices; this could help demonstrate their understanding of the text while incorporating creativity and analysis.