If you haven't finished the book yet, don't worry, I don't think these questions will reveal too much to you.
If you want to comment -- sign in to your Gmail account, find the comment button, at the end of this entry or the other entries, and fill in your comments. If you don't have a Gmail account you will have to create one in order to sign in (I think), but you can create one after you have clicked the comment button, just scroll down and look for the instructions. If you have problems let me know via email and I will try to help you.
Lisa See's questions - modified and added to:
- As the narrator, is Lily portrayed as the heroine or the villain? What are her flaws or strengths? Did you identify strongly with one character in the story? How did you feel about that?
- Do "old sames" still exist today? Do you have an "old same"?
- If men knew that nu shu existed, why do you think they ignored it or allowed it to continue? What purpose did it serve in the household/community?
- How would this story differ if it were told from Snow Flower's perspective? Would she have felt the need to clarify/resolve anything with Lily?
- Do you think the author was describing a sexual relationship either ongoing or not, in the story or that it was in fact sexual in nature? Was it important to the storyline? Why do you think the author included that in the story?
- If the traditions and ramifications of not footbinding still existed do you think you would participate in foot binding? Would your daughter with or without your support? Do we have any similar traditions that bind us?
- The word for mother was described as meaning pain and love. Do you as a daughter or mother see that as still being very true? How so?
- This was a story of pain and regret, but was it also a story of atonement?
- The narrator talks about the Chinese women as weak and powerless, do you agree with that conclusion? Why or why not?
- When you think about the communication vehicle that nu shu provided - what do you in text messages and email that might actually have some of the same potential for misinterpretation/ambiguity?
- Madame Wang was a foot bound woman, but she also did business directly with men. What was her status/role in the community and do you think she was respected, feared, trusted, or considered merely a "necessary evil."
Posts
2 comments:
I completely believe that Old Sames still exist today, but I don't agree with the exclusion of all other relationships. I was struck by the freedom Snow Flower felt to recreate her world versus the extreme rigidity that Lily felt to exist within the rigid confines of hers. The establishment of the new friends allowed Snow Flower to find some happiness in life, but for Lily, being constrained in her box, stole her chance for happiness from the amazingly rich and restorative world of friendships.
As the narrator, is Lily portrayed as the heroine or the villain? What are her flaws or strengths? Did you identify strongly with one character in the story? How did you feel about that? I think Lily is neither heroine nor villain; she is simply human trying to live life as best she can. She has flaws and virtues like anybody else. I did not identify strongly with any one character but can relate to Lily in that all she really wanted was to be loved for who she is. I think Lily wanted her mother to give her the unconditional love she desired but knowing and learning that was not possible. She was comforted to enter into the old same agreement with Snow Flower expecting her need to be fulfilled rightly or wrongly.
Do "old sames" still exist today? Do you have an "old same"? I do think old sames still exist although they are rare. I do have a close friend from when I was 13 years old that I could consider an old same.
If men knew that nu shu existed, why do you think they ignored it or allowed it to continue? What purpose did it serve in the household/community? I think men ignored / allowed nu shu because they didn’t think it meant anything. I think the men of the time belittled women’s communications as unimportant. As if women couldn’t possibly discuss among themselves anything important.
How would this story differ if it were told from Snow Flower's perspective? Would she have felt the need to clarify/resolve anything with Lily? I was going to say that I couldn’t say how the story would be different but then I thought that it would have maybe been more interesting and depressing at the same time. We see Lily rise in social status without much difficulty in life except for her time on the mountain. However, Snow Flower’s life is filled with lots of ups and downs that would have made for a more interesting story. I’m not sure. I am not sympathetic to Snow Flower and feel that she did do wrong to Lily. I am not sympathetic to Lily either and in her ambivalence and status quo attitude did not really listen and hear Snow Flower. They were both lacking.
Do you think the author was describing a sexual relationship either ongoing or not, in the story or that it was in fact sexual in nature? Was it important to the storyline? Why do you think the author included that in the story? I have mixed feelings about this, actually my feelings are not mixed. I do not really like this type of storyline especially when it really goes nowhere. Why does every story that illustrates a close relationship between two women have to be sexual in nature? If a sexual relationship between them added anything to the story then sure but I don’t think it did.
If the traditions and ramifications of not footbinding still existed do you think you would participate in foot binding? Would your daughter with or without your support? Do we have any similar traditions that bind us? The traditions and ramifications of footbinding DO still exist today just in a different form. Or have you never worn stilletos? I was watching an interview with the actors of a tv show that takes place in the 1500’s. They asked the actress if she would wear a corset in her daily life. She said no but the actor said “what do you think spanx are?” I thought that really ironic because the barbaric items women have used for centuries to beautify themselves have evolved but are still present today.
The word for mother was described as meaning pain and love. Do you as a daughter or mother see that as still being very true? How so? Yes. Mothers have to do things for their children that at the time may seem cruel but are necessary.
This was a story of pain and regret, but was it also a story of atonement? The story does go full circle. Perhaps that is what the matchmaker was hoping for, to change the destiny of Snow Flower or her children by linking the two girls. It just took a little longer.
The narrator talks about the Chinese women as weak and powerless, do you agree with that conclusion? Why or why not? I do not agree with that statement because they can influence men in various ways. In the Chinese culture of the time the mother of the first son is the most important woman of the household. She has influence the most influence over her son, look at Snow Flower’s mother in law. However, a wife can influence her husband in ways too.
When you think about the communication vehicle that nu shu provided - what do you in text messages and email that might actually have some of the same potential for misinterpretation/ambiguity? Any written message has the potential for misinterpretation because emphasis and emotion are removed.
Madame Wang was a foot bound woman, but she also did business directly with men. What was her status/role in the community and do you think she was respected, feared, trusted, or considered merely a "necessary evil." This is a hard one. As a matchmaker she was necessary to the community and had to be trusted because she held the future of both sides of the match, both the boy and the girl. But I would expect that ultimately it was her own future that she was most concerned with.
Post a Comment