The Fourth Daughter

Explore the different manifestations of trauma in Liv and Yi-ping. How does the novel juxtapose Liv’s PTSD with Yi-ping’s prolonged, historical grief to develop a broader argument about how trauma is experienced, suppressed, and healed across generations?

Analyze Wang Po-wei and Ang-Li Huang as character foils who represent competing models of masculinity and fatherhood within the patriarchal context of their era.

Silence operates in multiple forms throughout the narrative, including patriarchal suppression, political intimidation, and protective secrecy. Examine how these distinct types of silence function differently and how they contribute to the novel’s argument about the power of connection.

How does the author use literary techniques such as visceral sensory details and temporal shifts to portray Liv’s panic attacks? How does the novel’s portrayal of these moments serve as a counterpoint to its external, plot-driven exploration of historical suffering?

Discuss how The Fourth Daughter uses the intimate, domestic sphere of the Wang and Huang families to dramatize the broad political anxieties of Taiwan’s White Terror period.

Analyze Yili’s part in the novel, beyond her role as the catalyst for the plot. How does she function as both a character and a symbol?

Discuss Butler’s use of the multi-generational family saga structure to personalize the history of Taiwan’s martial law period and explore the relationship between individual identity and collective memory.

In a world defined by patriarchal control, the novel presents a complex network of female relationships. Analyze how the alliances and conflicts among Yi-ping, Ziyi, Abu, and Clare challenge, subvert, or reinforce the oppressive power structures they navigate.