You got a friend in me:
Who is Priscilla Alden?
Priscilla Alden is a character from a narrative poem that Jean like to read and Jeans imaginary friend who comforts her.
What does MK stand for/What is an “MK”
An MK stands for missionary kid and a missionary kid is someone who lives and attends school in a different country (often an international school)
Where does Jean live in the beginning of the story?
Jean lives in Wuhan China (Jean tells us the story of her as a child)
When Jean is attending the American school her roommate tells her that she “looks like an MK” how can she tell?
Jean does not have the same style of dressing that Americans do. Later Jean lets her roommate cut her hair in an effort to fit in with the American style at the time.
What word does Jean use to describe her American classmates and why?
Ignorant, because they ask her superfluous questions to poke fun rather than to learn
Conjecture a reason that Jean would rely on Priscilla
Jean finds Priscilla reliable because Priscilla, like Jean, has made a journey to America and must have felt nervous.
Why does the America flag conjure strong feelings for MK?
She has not been to America and it makes her feel excited
Why is the image of the rickshaw included in the story?
To help the reader visualize their escape (rickshaws are not common enough to be instantly known and are included in the footnotes).
Jean finds out that she is going to the American school instead of back to Wuhan, how does she feel at this point?
Excited! Jean is looking forward to the opportunity to practice being American before actually going to America while at the Shanghai American school
Jean stops talking when people ask her about her hometown, why do you think she does this?
She does not want to be asked anymore silly and potentially insulting questions
What does Jean mean by “visited with” Priscilla Alden?
Jean imagined talking to her
There are 3 schools mentioned in the story name all of them and where they are.
The British school in Wuhan, The American School in Shanghai, the American school in America (Pittsburg)
Why must Jean leave Wuhan?
The army is coming towards where Jean and her family live and they are in danger.
When Jean arrives at the school how does she feel? Give an example.
Jean feels disappointed because she still does not feel like a real American, she sees the cheerleaders practicing and does not understand what the fuss was over.
What was a central idea throughout the story?
Jean desperately wants to feel like a “real” American
How does Priscilla feel about adjusting to life in America?
Priscilla says that she will try and will make the best of it no matter what
How do MK’s usually address family friends?
“auntie” and “uncle” despite having no relation
How does Jean feel about leaving her home to go to shanghai?
Jean is nervous and states that “so far from America, I did not feel like a real American. Nor would I, I thought, until I had put my feet down on American soil.”
Jean doesn’t want her mother to realize how happy she is to be a boarder at the Shanghai American school, instead she fakes some tears… what does she say about this?
“sometimes its okay to deceive your parents if you love them”
At the End of the story Jean finally feels American because…
She realizes that she can be both American and from China because there is no “right” way to be american. She finally has a family that she can call her own and she has seen all of America at once splashed across the windows of the train.
At one point in the narrative Jean agrees to cut her hair, why do you think she did this?
Jean wanted to feel more American and decided looking like an American would help, but it did not.
What does Jean tell the reader that a lot of MK’s devote their lives to?
Education
Why does Mrs. Barrett call Jeans greeting inadequate? What does inadequate mean? How do you know?
Mrs. Barrett is used to Jean calling her auntie Barret and thinks that Jean is acting too grown up, inadequate means not enough or not sufficient. I know this because “in” means not.
When finally setting foot on American soil Jean paints a picture that the soil won't sit still beneath her feet, she states: "I lurched about as I had been the past three weeks” what is she trying to convey to her readers?
That she has not had an easy journey on the boat and is still unsteady
Describe the mood of the last paragraph of MK (use your books) and explain your answer.
The mood becomes hopeful for her new life in America because she feels like it is a new beginning.