1. Pearl's narration is unique because of its level, calm tone
throughout- even when the events she describes are horrific.
One is reminded of Wordsworth's reference to "emotion
recollected in tranquility." It is almost as if Pearl is
writing in a diary. What was Lisa See trying to accomplish in
setting up this counterpoint between her tone and
her narrative?
2. Pearl is a Dragon and May is a Sheep. Do you think the two
sisters, in their actions in the novel, are true to their
birth signs?
3. Which sister is smarter? Which is more beautiful?
4. Each sister believes that her parents loved the other sister
more. Who is right about this? Why?
5. Pearl says that parents die, husbands and children can leave,
but sisters are for life. Does that end up being true for
Pearl? If you have a sister, to what extent does the
relationship between Pearl and May speak to your own
experience? What's the difference between a relationship that's
"just like sisters" and a relationship between real sisters?
Is there anything your sister could do that would cause an
irreparable breach?
6. Z.G. talks about ai kuo, the love for your country, and
ai jen, the emotion you feel for the person you love.
How do these ideas play out in the novel?
7. Shanghai Girls makes a powerful
statement about the mistreatment of Chinese immigrants in the
United States. Were you surprised about any of the details in
the novel related to this theme?
8. How would you describe the relationship between Pearl and
May? How does the fact that both are, in a sense, Joy's mother
affect their relationship? Who loves Joy more and how does she
show it?
9. Pearl doesn't come to mother-love easily or naturally. At what
point does she begin to claim Joy as her own? How, where, and
why does she continue to struggle with the challenges of being
a mother? Do you think this is an accurate portrayal of
motherhood?
10. There are times when it seems like outside forces conspire
against Pearl-leaving China, working in the restaurant, not
finding a job after the war, and taking care of Vern. How much
of what happens to Pearl is a product of her own
choices?
11. Pearl's attitude toward men and the world in general is
influenced by what happened to her in the shack outside
Shanghai. To what extent does she find her way to healing by
the end of the novel? Did your attitude toward Old Man Louie
change? How do you feel about Sam and his relationship with
Pearl and Joy? Did your impression of him change as the novel
progressed?
12. The novel begins with Pearl saying, "I am not a person of
importance" (p. 3). After Yen-yen dies, Pearl comments: "Her
funeral is small. After all, she was not a person of
importance, rather just a wife and mother" (p. 246). How do
you react to comments like these?
13. Speaking of Yen-yen, Pearl notes: "When we're packing,
Yen-yen says she's tired. She sits down on the couch in the
main room and dies" (p. 246). Why does Pearl describe
Yen-yen's death in such an abrupt way?
14. After Joy points out the differences in the way Z.G. painted
her mother and aunt in the Communist propaganda posters, May
says, "Everything always returns to the beginning" (p. 267).
Pearl has her idea of what May meant, but what do you think
May really meant? And what is Pearl's understanding of this
saying at the end of the novel?
15. Near the end of Shanghai Girls, May argues
that Pearl and Sam have withdrawn into a world of fear and
isolation, not taking advantage of the opportunities open to
them. Do you agree with May that much of Pearl's sadness and
isolation is self-imposed? Why or why not?
16. How do clothes define Pearl and May in different parts of the
story? How do the sisters use clothes to manipulate
others?
17. How does food serve as a gateway to memory in the novel?
How does it illustrate culture and tradition both in the novel
and in your own family?
18. What influence-if any-do Mama's beliefs have on Pearl? How
do they evolve over time?
19. Pearl encounters a lot of racism, but she also holds many
racist views herself. Is she a product of her time? Do her
attitudes change during the course of the story?
20. What role does place-Shanghai, Angel Island, China City,
and Chinatown-serve in the novel? What do you think Lisa See
was trying to say about "home"?