The Expatriates

The Hong Kong setting is filled with characters of many different nationalities. The three narrators, however, are all Americans. How might the novel be different if Lee used a narrator from a different culture? How would this affect the novel’s themes and symbols?

Lee chooses to narrate the novel through the voices of Mercy, Hilary, and Margaret. Each of these women has different perspectives due to their varied backgrounds. How does she use the narrative voices to develop the characters, especially in their views of each other? For example, how does Hilary’s narration influence Margaret or Mercy’s characterization?

Throughout the novel, Lee uses Margaret’s apartment to symbolize her grieving process. Look at some of the novel’s descriptions of her apartment, as well as those of the Reade family home. How does Lee use descriptions and details to develop this symbol and connect it to the novel’s ideas and themes?

Characters in The Expatriates live in various neighborhoods in Hong Kong, and residents judge people based on where they live. What are the stereotypes associated with the different neighborhoods described (Repulse Bay, Happy Valley, the Mid-levels)? How do these judgments relate to the novel’s commentary on privilege in the expatriate community?

Mercy worries that she has bad luck. However, Mercy’s mother tells her that she can change her fate and points out that her own divorce was an attempt to do this. What does the novel have to say about fate? Is Mercy able to control her destiny, or is she at the mercy of fortune?

Throughout the novel, characters comment on the insularity of the expat community, where people often only socialize with their countrymen. What explanations do Hilary and Margaret offer for this phenomenon? How does this insularity connect to the novel’s themes of identity and belonging?

Like many expats in the novel, Hilary and Margaret are wealthy and relatively privileged. Mercy comes from a less affluent background. How does each character’s economic and social class shape their choices and experiences?

Though Margaret and Hilary’s “helpers,” such as Puri, are very present in the narrative, readers don’t encounter their voices directly. Lulu Wang’s TV adaption of the novel alters this by having an episode from the point of view of the women who work in Hilary and Margaret’s homes. If Lee added a similar chapter to her novel, how might it change the characterization of Margaret and Hilary?