About the Author
Two Kinds and Important Goal
Characters
Themes
100

This is where the author's parents emigrated from. (be specific)

What is Beijing, China?

100

She learns to play the piano

Who is Jing-mei?

200

This is where the author attended college.

What is the University of California at Berkley?

200

These are the two kinds of daughters that exist according to the main character's mother.

What are obedient daughters and disobedient daughters?

200

He is the main character's deaf piano teacher.

Who is Mr. Chong?

200

This theme represents when Jing-mei tells her mother "you want me to be someone that I'm not." "I'll never be the kind of daughter you want me to be."

What is be who you are, not who others want you to be?

300

This is where the author was born.

What is Oakland, California?

300

These are the two sides of personality that main character sees in herself when looking in the mirror.

What are the ordinary side and the prodigy side?

300

She is the main character's mother's friend, her Aunt by reference, not by blood.

Who is Aunt Lindo Jong?

300

This theme represents Jing-mei believes "I am not a genius" after she played the piano for people.

What is abandoning hope?

400

This is where the author completed her high school education.

What is Montreux, Switzerland?

400

These are the two songs that the main character plays.

What are "Pleading Child" and "Perfectly Contented?"

400

She is "Chinatown's Littlest Chinese Chess Champion."

Who is Waverly Jong?

400

This theme represents when Jing-mei begins to play the piano again.

What is never giving up?

500

These are the names of the author's two best-selling and critically acclaimed novels.

What is "The Joy Luck Club" and "The Kitchen God's Wife"

500

This is the specific focus of the author's books.

What is the emotional relationship between a Chinese-born mother with a strong personality and her American-born daughter?

500

This is the actor that the main character's mother thought she could be the Chinese version of.

Who is Shirley Temple?

500

This theme represents when Jing-mei supports the little girl on TV by saying "she's not the best, but she's trying hard."

What is having hope?

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