How are women dealt with in Ali and Nino?

How do Iljas Beg and Seyd Mustafa differ in their evaluation of Westernization?

How do legends and poetry unite and divide the people of Caucasia in this novel?

Is petroleum a blessing or a curse to Baku?

Ali claims to be a practicing Shiite. Does his depiction of his religion help readers appreciate and understand it better?

Is Iljas Beg correct: Ali has an obligation to survive the war to serve another day? Are there irreplaceable individuals?

How is the Sharia—Islamic Law—portrayed in the novel?