Story Basics
100: What is the full title of the story?
(The Paper Menagerie)
100: What magical thing did Jack’s mother make for him as a child?
(Paper animals that come to life)
100: Who is the protagonist of the story?
(Jack)
100: What do the paper animals symbolize?
(Jack’s connection to his mother and his Chinese heritage)
100: What is the central theme of The Paper Menagerie?
(Cultural identity and family)
200: Who wrote The Paper Menagerie?
(Ken Liu)
200: What does Jack do as he gets older regarding his cultural identity?
(He rejects his Chinese heritage to fit in with American society)
200: What is Jack’s mother’s nationality?
(Chinese)
200: What type of figurative language is used in the sentence: "The tiger prowled the floor like it was alive"?
(Simile)
200: What time period does the story take place?
(1980s–1990s)
300: What genre does this story belong to?
(Fantasy, Magical Realism, Family Drama)
300: What event marks the climax of the story?
(Jack fully rejects his mother when she becomes ill)
300: What is the main conflict Jack faces throughout the story?
(His struggle with cultural identity and rejecting his heritage)
300: What is the metaphor in the sentence: "The past was a paper dragon, and I was afraid to touch it"?
(The past represents Jack's cultural heritage, which he is afraid to explore)
300: What is the lesson or moral of the story?
(To value your family and cultural heritage before it’s too late)
400: When was The Paper Menagerie first published?
(March 5, 2011)
400: What does Jack find after his mother’s death?
(A message in one of the paper animals)
400: How does Jack's view of his mother change by the end of the story?
(He feels regret and sorrow for not appreciating her and her culture sooner)
400: Identify an example of irony in the story.
(Jack only realizes the value of his heritage and mother’s love after she dies)
400: What social issue is highlighted in Jack’s rejection of his heritage?
(The struggle of first- and second-generation immigrants to fit into a new culture)
500: In what magazine was the story first published?
(The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction)
500: What is the resolution of the story?
(Jack regrets pushing away his mother and her culture after discovering her final message)
500: How is the father characterized in the story?
(Distant, not very involved, American)
500: How does the use of magic (the paper animals coming to life) serve as a symbol in the story?
(It symbolizes the fragile yet deep connection between Jack and his cultural roots, as well as his mother's love)
500: How does Ken Liu’s background influence the story?
(As a Chinese-American, he explores themes of immigration, cultural identity, and the conflict between heritage and assimilation)