Before Night Falls

Arenas credits his grandmother and his childhood in the countryside with instilling a sense of magic and creativity within him. How does Arenas’s account of his childhood foreshadow his life and personality as an adult? In what ways does his childhood continue to inspire him?

Consider the relationship between literature and power in Before Night Falls. In what ways does Arenas use literature as a form of dissent? How does his approach to literature contrast with the Castro regime’s approach?

As an exile, Arenas is surprised to discover that many Western intellectuals support Castro. How does Arenas depict these supporters and their ideology? What role—if any—does the Cold War play in shaping these outsiders’ views of Cuba?