Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance

Using evidence from the memoir, discuss the role of dreams and dreaming as motifs in the novel. How do dreams and dreaming reflect important themes of the memoir?

Obama and his family members live in and travel to various places over the course of the narrative. Discuss the relationship between identity and place in the book, taking care to discuss in detail how Barack Obama's experiences in each location shape his identity.

As the child of a white, American mother and a black, Kenyan father, Obama is at times forced to embrace the culture and ideals of one of his parents. Discuss Obama's perspective on the culture of each parent and how (if at all) he attempts to reconcile his location in two cultures. Does Obama embrace a multiracial identity, or does he choose to identify as African American?