49 pages 1 hour read

Ha Jin

The Bridegroom

Fiction | Short Story Collection | Adult | Published in 2000

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Essay Topics

1.

In “After Cowboy Chicken Came to Town,” the narrator claims that he likes “Peter better than Peihai” (188). Providing examples, explain why you think the narrator prefers the more American Peter to the Peihai of his Chinese youth?

2.

“Saboteur” depicts railroad policemen harassing a citizen and then charging him with a crime. What are the policemen’s motivations to act this way? How do their actions relate to larger themes in the collection?

3.

Guhan marries a woman in “Alive” after only meeting her once. Others celebrate them later as a model couple. In your opinion, do they make a happy couple? Why or why not? Use evidence from the text as support.