Measuring Up

Compare and contrast Cici and Miranda. How do their stories converge and diverge? In what ways are they both similar and different?

How is Cici able to reconcile her father’s warning that she will always be treated differently because she is Taiwanese with the relationship she has with her friends? How does her relationship with her American peers change throughout the novel?

Write an essay analyzing Cici’s transition to the United States. How does she balance her identity as Taiwanese with her life in America? How does this change over the course of the novel?

Which characters are round in the novel, meaning that they change from beginning to end? Which characters are flat or static, meaning that they don’t change? Cite examples from the text.

What does Measuring Up convey about the relationships between parents and children? Compare and contrast Cici and Miranda’s relationships with their fathers. How are they similar? How are they different?

What does rice symbolize? Use examples from the text to support your argument.

How does Cici’s relationship with her mother change throughout the course of the novel?

Are the judges of the competition good judges? Analyze their decisions in each round and make an argument for one side or the other.