Investigate the causes of anti-Semitism. Why were the Jews so persecuted in Europe for hundreds of years?

Why have Jews fared better in the United States than in Europe, as far as persecution is concerned? Is there anti-Semitism in the United States? If so, what form does it take?

In the novel, Denny, the American, expresses contempt for other races and classes—for everyone who is not like him. Are attitudes like Denny's still common in America? Why do people so often despise people who are different than they are? What are the results often produced by this kind of thinking? What can be done to combat these seeds of racism?

Are the passengers on the Vera representative of the whole range of humanity? If not, what is missing? Is the author too pessimistic about human nature, or is she merely being...