Essay Questions

Why did Henri Alleg decide to write the book The Question?

The primary reason why the author decided to write The Question is to share with the world the agony and sufferings that prisoners go through while in the detention centers. Alleg is accused of the crime he did not commit but he is being tortured by the police so that he can speak and give information on something that he is not aware of. From Alleg's experiences, the reader can comprehend that many people are wrongly detained for the crimes they never committed. The military men are brutal to prisoners because they not only abuse the prisoners but also humiliate them.

Is persecution emerging as the main theme in the autobiography The Question?

The narration is all about the anguishes and persecution that Alleg goes through in the hands of the military men in prison. Alleg is detained for the crime he never committed and he is forced to be in prison for over thirty days without any charges being pressed against him. According to Alleg, he is the victim of circumstances because he is paying the price of the wrongs he did not commit. The military is persecuting him and mistreating him to speak but he chooses to remain quiet because he has nothing to say regarding the crime is being accused of. Therefore, persecution emerges as the main theme in the autobiography The Question.

Why is Alleg being let free from prison after spending one month of torture?

Alleg is arrested by the French soldiers in Algeria and sent to prison. The soldiers believe that Alleg is a criminal and they are ready to press charges against him. However, they need information from him to authenticate their suspicion before presenting him to court. However, Alleg is innocent because he did commit the crime that is being accused of. After rigorous torture and interrogation, Alleg gives no information at all because he knows that he is innocent. Since the soldiers have no evidence of the crime they arrested Alleg for, they release him after a month.