Shanghai Girls

How does Joy differ from her parents? Why is this so? How much is the result of her youth, upbringing, or personality?

The Chinese zodiac is mentioned at multiple points in the novel. Explain its basic premise. Which characters correspond to their signs? Which don’t?

Old Man Louie is perceived in different ways depending on the observer. How is he defined by his acquaintances in Hong Kong? How is he defined by the members of his family? How is he defined by white Americans?

Pearl undergoes a transformation in terms of her cultural identity. How does her view change throughout the novel? Does she hold the same beliefs and values in the 1950s that she held in the 1930s? Why, or why not?

What choices does May make that are different from her sister’s? In your opinion, is she more or less successful than Pearl in realizing her ambitions? What makes this possible?

Discuss the motif of cover girls as it relates to Pearl’s and May’s relationship with one another. How does their role as cover girls function to drive the novel’s plot?

Mrs. Chin is a traditional Chinese wife. In what ways do her actions contradict this stereotype?

Describe the Chinese district of Los Angeles. How does it mirror the identity crisis that its residents face? How does it mirror the expectations of white Los Angeles residents?