Waiting for the Barbarians Essay Questions

How would you describe Colonel Joll's position in relation to the ambiguous Third Bureau? Is he a man taking orders from higher up? Or is he an independent agent of evil? Analyze and critique Joll's role in the Empire.

During the weeklong period when Joll and his men are torturing their first group of prisoners, the magistrate stays away from the barracks. He visits the inn and sleeps with the young, pretty prostitute. He drinks with his friends. He sleeps like the dead. What do you make of his reaction to the torture happening in the barracks?

When the magistrate is first arrested by Joll and Mandel, he expresses a giddy feeling. Examine this passage and discuss his reaction to going to jail. How do you account for his feelings during his initial incarceration?

Examine the magistrate's emotions over the course of his time with the nomad woman, particularly his change of mood during their journey together. Analyze the nature of his affection for her. Does he fall in love?

When the magistrate first sees Mandel behind his desk, he imagines Mandel in bed with a woman. Is it the magistrate's principles of justice that are threatened by Mandel and the Third Bureau, or is it his masculinity? Discuss the connection between male sexuality and power as it is portrayed in Waiting for the Barbarians.