2. Without Wood (pp. 206-221)

Questions and tasks:

1. Why did Rose Hsu always have bad dreams in her childhood? How can you interpret her dreams?

2. Why did Rose Hsu tell different stories to her friends and to her psychiatrist?

3. Why was it arduous for Rose to make the right decision?

4. Comment on the words of Rose Hsu’s mother: “A girl is like a young tree…” Do you agree with her?

5. What is the symbolic significance of their neglected garden?

6. Speak about Rose Hsu meeting with her husband. Give your characterization of Ted.

7. Comment on Rose Hsu’s dream.

Lesson IV

1. The Red Candle (pp.42-64)

Questions and tasks:

1. How and when was Lindo John’s marriage arranged?

2. How did her mother treat her since she was betrothed to her future husband?

3. What happened when the heavy rains came?

4. Describe Lindo’s life in the Huang’s house. How did the Huangs almost wash their thinking into her skin?

5. Describe the wedding ceremony. What role did the red candle play in the ceremony?

6. Why wasn’t Lindo able to bear a child into the family?

7. How did Lindo manage to escape from the family and at the same time not to break her promise?

8. Give the symbolic interpretation of the title.

9. What’s your attitude to matchmaking?

2. Double Face (pp. 288-306)

Questions and tasks:

1. What did Lindo Long teach her daughter? What did she fail to teach?

2. Why was Chinese thinking best in her opinion? What do you think of it?

3. Comment on Lindo Long’s opinion of Americans.

4. Describe Lindo Long’s appearance and speak about her mother’s interpretation of it.

5. What did Lindo Long have to do in order to stay in the USA?

6. Speak about the way Lindo Long got married to her second husband.

7. Why did Lindo Long give her children these names: Winston, Vincent, and Waverly?

Lesson V

2. Rules of the Game (pp. 89-103)

Questions and tasks:

1. Describe the place Waverly Jong lived in and its surroundings.

2. Speak about the annual Christmas party at the Baptist church.

3. How did it happen that Waverly Jong got a strong desire to learn to play chess?

4. How did she learn to play?

5. How did she become a Chess Champion?

6. How did her life at home change after she had become famous?

7. How did it happen that her mother got offended at her?

8. Read the last sentence. Can you predict what will happen next?

9. Why do you think the misunderstanding between the daughter and her mother occurred?

10. Read the extract about “Chinese torture” (p. 92). What is meant by “torture”? Do you think the mother’s words acquire some different meaning by the end of the story?

11. Read the extract about “American rules” (p.95). What are these rules in the mother’s understanding? How is it connected with the title?