Symbolism
This is what Jing-Mei's half-sisters symbolize
What is the disconnect between family and heritage?
Identify the literary device: "I see the sun shining on the green hills and the fields of yellow flowers."
What is imagery?
The character who accompanies Jing-Mei on her trip to China
Who is Jing-Mei's father?
Suyuan Woo leaves China for this country, leading to Jing-Mei's complex relationship with her Chinese heritage
What is the United States?
Identify the theme: Jing Mei's trip to China
What is her journey of self discovery?
This is what the train symbolizes
What is the journey of self discovery/the passage of time?
Identify the literary device: "The train shudders and groans as it pulls away from the station."
What is personification?
The character who dies due to a blood vessel in their brain bursting
Who is Jing-Mei's mother? (Suyuan Woo)
This theme refers to the moment when Jing-Mei realizes her connection to her heritage and the significance of her family history
What is self discovery?
Identify the theme: Jing Mei's resentment towards her mother because of the high expectations she had for her daughter
What is Mother-Daughter Relationships?
This is what the pair of tickets symbolizes
What is Jing-Mei's connection to her family?
Identify the literary device: "I am returning to the place where I was born, but I have never been."
What is irony?
The name of Jing-Mei's father
Who is Canning Woo?
Jing-Mei feels this way about her Chinese heritage at the beginning of the novel, reflecting the internal conflict she faces between her upbringing and her cultural roots
What is disconnection?
Identify the theme: The tension between traditional Chinese values and western (American) values
What is generational conflict?
This is what the Chinese language symbolizes
What is a cultural divide between Jing-Mei and her mother?
Identify the literary device: "Something in me is beginning to change."
What is foreshadowing?
The character who refuses to tell Jing-Mei's half sisters that their mother is dead
Who is Lindo Jong?
Jing-Mei's trip to China symbolizes the transformation of her identity from feeling disconnected to experiencing this realization about herself
What is a sense of belonging?
Identify the theme: The discovery of her half-sisters and her eventual understanding of her mother's life show the power of familial bonds.
What is family?
This is what Jing-Mei's mother's photograph represents
What is her mother's memory/the image of what she expected her mother's past to be?
Identify the literary device: "I am not a stranger. I am my mother's daughter."
What is allusion?
Explanation: The quote alludes to both the cultural and familial ties that connect June to her Chinese heritage.
The names of Jing Mei's long-lost twin sisters
Who are Chwun Yu & Chwun Hwa?
The moment when Jing-Mei realizes the importance of her mother's past and begins to embrace her Chinese roots
What is her arrival in China and meeting her half sisters?
Identify the theme: Jing-Mei feeling disconnected from her Chinese heritage but reconnecting with her cultural roots during her trip to China
What is cultural identity?