Blog #1

Listed below are three discussion questions based off of your reading of the first portion of the book (Fate), pages 1-85.  Respond to one of the three discussion questions expressing your thoughts and opinions on the matter.  Your response should be a minimum of 500 to 750 words.

1. In what ways are Pearl and May limited by the traditional expectations placed upon them as daughters in Chinese culture?  Why do their parents allow them to ignore many of the cultural expectations that Chinese girls would normally comply with?  How do many of the cultural and social expectations of today's society limit you and those with whom you associate?

2. In the book, Pearl and May experience a transformation from living relatively carefree lives to struggling in poverty and having to fight for their lives.  How do they cope with these changes brought upon by their father's debt and the war?  Have you had to overcome any obstacles in your own life?  Compare the way in which you coped with these experiences to the manner in which Pearl and May cope with their challenges.

3. Pearl and May grow up in a higher level socio-economic class and as a result become desensitized to the poverty present in their city, justifying it as the way in which their society is constructed.  However, when their father gambles away their money they are no longer able to avoid the problems and difficulties associated with poverty, because they now face those once-distant obstacles head on.  How do their attitudes towards poverty change after their own descent into a life without wealth?  Contrast the adaptations and growth they exhibit in response to this obstacle with the reactions and personal development that many of us experience as a result of a similar life without wealth, brought upon us by the financial strains of college.