Character Traits
Who changes from confident to arrogant to humble?
The Monkey King
What do many characters who struggle with identity have to do to resolve their conflicts?
Accept who they are
What is wrong with this theme from chapter 8?
"Friendship and heartbreak"
This isn't a theme; it's a couple of topics. Themes need to be lessons you could apply to almost anyone's life.
What is a symbol in literature?
A symbol is an abject, action, or other thing in our world that represents deeper meaning, like love, growth, or death
Is satire supposed to make you laugh AT the subject? Like, if there is a satire about stereotypes, does the author want you to find stereotypes funny?
NO!
THE WHOLE POINT IS TO POINT OUT A PROBLEM!
Who changes from uncomfortable to embarrassing to aggressive?
Chin-Kee
What is a common cause for multiple characters to second guess their self-worth?
The opinions of others (the gods, Timmy, the other students)
What's wrong with this theme from chapter 7?
"Be yourself; it doesn't matter what others think."
It is too simple/basic
What do the shoes represent in the Monkey King's chapters?
Trying to become something we are not by modeling after others
Why does the author use the parody of an American sitcom?
To show how American media has perpetuated stereotypes about Chinese people
This character is an example of how the internal battles a person fights can hurt those they love
Wei-Chen
How does Jin (not Danny) deal with other students and teachers applying negative stereotypes and racial slurs to him?
Jin shuts down and becomes silent, losing all confidence in himself.
What's wrong with this theme from chapter 8?
"If you let your friends take advantage of you, eventually they will take something you truly care about."
This is from Wei-Chen's perspective; themes are told from the protagonist's point of view.
What does the toy given to Wei-Chen by the Monkey King represent?
- the transformation MK and Jin/Danny undergo to "improve" themselves
- as a monkey and a human and the toy that brought Jin and Wei-Chen together, it could be a symbol for our connected humanity despite our differences
Why does the author show BOTH Wei-Chen as a Chinese person learning English AND Chin-Kee's accent?
To show that the accent portrayed by Chin-Kee and Chinese people in American media (historically, by white actors) is not an authentic representation of a Chinese accent
By openly talking about their struggles with feeling like an outcast due to their race, this character serves as a FOIL (opposite) character to Jin and the Monkey King
Suzy Nakamura
Chin-Kee beats Danny up instead, proving that stereotypes cannot be ignored or eradicated
What's wrong with this theme from chapter 7?
"If you are trapped by your own stubbornness, you must let go of your anger."
It gives no resolution; themes need to tell you WHY.
What does the "smell of monkey fur" represent in the first chapter of the Monkey King?
Something about ourselves that we only dislike after someone ELSE disparages it, and how that leads to hating who we are
The author uses caricature to emphasize and distort the features of a Chinese person to create Chin-Kee. What effect does this have on the reader's perception of him?
He could look comical or monstrous, but he certainly doesn't look human.
This character demonstrates that at the core of racial stereotypes is bigotry/racism.
Timmy
How does the resolution of the Monkey King's story in the final chapter add to the understanding of his character growth?
The Monkey King humbles himself and accepts his true self at the end of chapter 7. By the end of the novel, he has used his growth to improve himself and the lifes of others
What's wrong with this theme from the end of book?
"When we fight against stereotypes we fear define us, we end up ruining our lives."
This sounds SO good to start that is makes you WANT to pick it. You FEEL it!... but the end...? It's vague and doesn't really fit what happened to Jin because he changed.
What does the Coke that Chin-Kee peed in represent?
Honestly, I have no idea. I hope you didn't overthink this.
Maybe the dangers of sugary drinks? Nah...
The author uses irony in the final scene of the book to develop the topic of losing part of our identity. Did you catch it?
When Jin, a Chinese-American raised by two first-generation Chinese parents in Chinatown cannot read any Chinese and orders "Cash Only".