Theme

The main themes of the story “Do Not Pass Go” by Jeffrey Archer are immigration and asylum, and survival instinct. The writer’s message with this short story is that life is constantly changing and people should not expect stability, but always be prepared for change. Hamid trusted that he would succeed in his government role in Iraq, but he ended up being dismissed and becoming a refugee. He was also convinced that he would never set foot in Baghdad again, but he ended up in the Baghdad airport because of external circumstances. He was also convinced that he was going to get caught, yet he managed to escape with the help of the French and American flight crews.

The story is also very political as it is set in a realistic context, during Saddam Hussein’s dictatorial regime in Iraq and it conveys aspects about it, as well as about American politics regarding the Mid…

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Immigration and asylum

The theme of immigration and asylum is explored through the main character, Hamid, and his wife. In the story, Hamid and his wife flee their country, Iraq, after he is dismissed as the Minister of Agriculture, because he fears for his life.

The story presents the way he exits his country using buses and a smuggler network, reaching Turkey…

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Survival instinct

The theme of survival instinct is explored through the protagonist of the story, Hamid. Although rather naïve and too optimistic, Hamid also has a strong survival instinct. He accepted the position of Minister of Agriculture in Iraq although he was warned against it, believing Saddam Hussein considered him a friend, which…