1. Dina hates the word ‘Dad’, what does that say about her relationship with her father?
2. Does the death of her mother and her relationship with her father make who Dina is now?
3. Why does Dina refuse to go with Heidi to the funeral? Does she seem to regret this decision?

1. Why did Dina feel hesitant about playing the trust game? Explain what it reveals about her.
2. How does the death of Dina’s mother effect who and how Dina is?
3. What is Dina’s view on death? Are those her true feelings?

1.  What’s ZZ Packer trying to tell the audience and who does this message pertain to mostly ?
2. Why does the Dina alienate herself from the world around her and hides? Does it have to do with the color of her skin?
3. As a Yale student, where the majority of the student are Caucasian, does her African American identity play a role in her isolation?

1.) How do the contrasting characterizations of Dina and Heidi reflect Packer’s of idea of being different, especially for those who are already marginalized.

2.) How does Dina’s narration expose the struggles of African American culture

3.) How does the title,”Drinking Coffee Elsewhere,” connect with the many different coping mechanisms Dina goes through?

1) In the beginning of the article, Dina refuses to put her trust in anyone even for a trust fall. Will this change later on and how will it impact her identity?

2) What type of relationship did she share with her father due to the information she shares about him? Could he be the incident in her life that impacted her trust?

3) How does the therapist help Dina find her true identity and help break down her barrier towards others?

1. Why didn’t the narrator attend the Heidi’s mother’s funeral?

2. Why did the narrator feel displaced when she arrived at Yale? What factors made her feel that way?

3. What is the significance of Heidi’s mother’s death? How does it make Dina feel?

1. Dina chose the revolver, what was the reason behind why she chose the revolver?

2. Looking further into the title of the article, what did the author mean by the title “Drinking Coffee Elsewhere”, what is the significance of this title?

3.  How does the therapist help Dina? In what ways does the therapist help?

Rahat Khan

1) What was the significance of the article?

2) Did Dina feel displaced in some way?

3) How did Dina deal with the problems in her life?

1. Why did Packer titled the article Drinking Coffee Elsewhere?

2. How does sexuality and race function in this article?

3. How does “pretending” plays a role in Dina’s life?

1) What is the relationship between Dina and her father? Why does she seemingly dislike him? Does her apparent mistrust root from the experiences she’s had with her father?

2) What is the relationship between Dina and her mother when compared with the relationship with her father?

3) What is Heidi’s significance in the story? What role does she play?