Sugar

Sugar has a complicated relationship with her name, but ultimately ends up loving it. Describe this evolution using examples from the text.

In what ways do Sugar, Billy, and Beau pave the way for intercultural relationships at River Road? How does Jewell Parker Rhodes use these three characters to comment on generational differences in Sugar?

Describe the significance of the stories, songs, prayers, and chants shared between the Black workers and Chinese workers in Sugar. In what ways do the characters use these parts of their cultures to uplift each other?

Compare and contrast the characters of Mister Beale and Master Liu. In what ways are their leadership styles the same? In what ways are they different?

How do Mister and Missus Wills change over the course of the novel?

How does Billy’s view on the role of overseer change after he begins to work alongside Sugar and the other workers?

Describe the significance of the moment when Beau teaches Sugar how to write her name in Chinese.

How does the ending of the novel (Mister Wills being forced to sell River Road) reflect the historical context of Sugar? Consider the question in regard to race relations, economics, and how the Reconstruction era affected younger and older generations differently.