51 pages • 1 hour read
Stacey LeeUnder a Painted Sky
Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2015A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Essay Topics
Why is the novel called Under a Painted Sky? What is the title’s connection to the themes of the novel?
Samantha has a gift for both language and music. Discuss the relationship between these skills and anti-Chinese prejudice in the novel.
Several characters in the novel engage in activities that are illegal, such as Annamae running away from an enslaver or Samantha killing in self-defense. How does Lee represent legality in the novel?
How does Lee construct the character of Isaac, particularly in relation to the death of the baby?
While the girls disguise themselves and “pass” as boys, they cannot hide their ethnic and racial identities. Discuss examples of racism and prejudice that they experience in the novel. How is it different for Andy as an African American compared to Sammy as a Chinese American?
Explore how Lee uses Chinese zodiac signs to construct elements of character in the novel.
Analyze Lee’s presentation of West’s possible homosexuality in the novel.
Consider the roles of luck and fate throughout the novel. How does Lee explore these concepts in relation to Andy’s Christian faith? What does it mean when Sammy rejects fate toward the end of the novel?
What is the effect of leaving the end of the novel ambiguous or open-ended?
How does the novel explore the facts of this period of American history?
