1. What role does silence or omission (what is not said) play in understanding the characters and their relationship? 

2. How do power dynamics emerge through their conversation? Who seems to be in control, and how is that shown subtly? 

3. How do you interpret the man’s insistence that he just wants Jig to be happy? 

Requirement: At least 5 sentences per question for full credit. 

1. How does the story reveal humanity's tendency to exploit, misunderstand, or reject what is unfamiliar? Be sure to focus on a character in your response and use at least one piece of evidence.

Requirement: At least 5 sentences per question for full credit. 

1. What does the act of chasing one’s younger self represent? Is it about regret, nostalgia, or something else? What does the story suggest about the passage of time?

2. How does the story explore the idea of reinvention? Is the protagonist’s final decision to move on a form of loss or liberation? Explain your thought process in your response.

Requirement: At least 5 sentences per question for full credit. 

1. "Shopgirl" is written in the second person. How does this choice affect your connection to the protagonist? Does it create intimacy, distance, or something else? 

2. How does the story explore the tension between cultural heritage (her memory of Jamaica) and adaptation to a new environment? 

Requirement: At least 5 sentences per question for full credit. 

1. What evidence suggests that the narrator is unreliable? Does he knowingly deceive the reader, or is he deceiving himself? 

2. Choose one symbol from the story and analyze its significance. What might this symbol represent, and how does it contribute to the overall story.

Suggestions for Interpretation

• The black cat(s)

• The white spot (gallows shape)

• The missing eye(s)

• The noose

• The cellar

• The wall

• The fire and/or the burned house

Requirements: Answer each question with at least 5 sentences and references to the text to receive full credit. 

1. How does the story’s structure (shifts in time and memory) affect the reader’s understanding of Jack’s relationship with his mother? Choose at least two memories to compare in your response.

2. How does Jack’s limited perspective as a child affect his understanding of his mother’s sacrifices? How does the reader’s understanding differ from Jack’s? Find a moment where the reader can see the situation clearer than Jack.

3. How can we see the paper animals (or any one in particular, say, Laohu for example) as symbol in the story? If you are stumped, you can think about how the paper animals may be connected to Jack's conflict with his identity or mother.

Requirements: Answer each question with at least 5 sentences and references to the text to receive full credit. 

1. Exploring how Tan's mother is treated because of her English, how does the way we speak—or the way others perceive our language—shape both our self-identity and the way we are treated by society? 

2. Tan mentions that standardized tests and academic advisors pushed her toward math and science rather than writing. Why do you think these stereotypes exist about Asian American students and other immigrant groups? 

Requirements: Answer each question with at least 5 sentences and references to the text to receive full credit. Be sure to directly address the prompt in your response. 

1. What are the key points Mayor Wu makes about the role of immigrants in Boston and the U.S. as a whole? 

2. Extra credit: What evidence does Wu use to make one of the key points and what is she suggesting it means?