Cobalt Red: How the Blood of the Congo Powers Our Lives

Compare and contrast the mines that Kara visits in his field research. To what extent are the working conditions the same across sites? To what extent do they differ?

Analyze author Siddarth Kara’s role as the primary figure in Cobalt Red. To what extent are his Congolese subjects secondary or static figures? How does this structure advance the narrative? Why might this structure be problematic?

Who is the intended audience for Cobalt Red? How does Kara address this audience? What is he hoping to convince them to do?