10 questions on plot, characters, and themes. Free to take, so you can see exactly what to review before class.
1. Why does Jing-mei agree to travel to China at the beginning of the novel?
2. What strategy does Lindo Jong use to escape her arranged marriage?
3. What tragic event from Ying-ying's past continues to haunt her in America?
4. How does Lena St. Clair's marriage reflect a deeper problem in her relationship?
5. What does Rose Hsu Jordan's inability to make decisions stem from?
6. What does An-mei's mother's suicide teach An-mei about how to live?
7. What is the central emotional conflict that drives Jing-mei's story throughout the novel?
8. How do the mothers in the novel generally express their love for their daughters?
9. What does Waverly Jong's story reveal about the relationship between a mother's pride and a daughter's freedom?
10. What does the novel suggest about the role of silence in family relationships?
0 of 10 answered
How this guide is built
This guide is built from the original text to help you get oriented fast. It is designed for recall, paper planning, and getting unstuck, but it is still a paraphrased guide, not a substitute for the reading itself. Double-check anything important before you turn in formal work.
