In the American Society

Compare and contrast the different ways Mr. and Mrs. Chang approach American culture. Discuss the ways each is both a success and a failure in their new land.

The narrator is Callie, an adolescent girl in America with immigrant parents. How does her experience with her family compare and contrast with yours, either now or when you were a child? If you were an immigrant or a child of immigrants, take that into consideration. If both you and your own parents grew up in America, consider how the similarities and differences between your life and the Changs may have been influenced by American culture.

Discuss some of the secondary characters in the short story. You might choose to discuss Mrs. Lardner, Jeremy Brothers, or Booker. How do the actions of each of these characters affect the Chang family? Are they primarily sympathetic or apathetic to the family?

There are numerous conflicts in this novel. Two of these are self (or family) versus culture and self versus self. Explain these two conflicts and how the main characters attempt to navigate them.

A primary aspect of most fiction is a change in one or more of the main characters. What are the primary changes you recognized in the novel? Focus specifically on Mr. and Mrs. Chang, although you can also explore secondary characters where appropriate.

There is no specific year given for the setting, but it was written in the 1980s. Research some basics about Chinese culture in the 1980s. How was business conducted? What were some primary values? How were people expected to conduct business? Then research 1980s American business customs and culture and compare/contrast. How is what you learned reflected in this short story?

Consider and discuss some of the cultural indicators in the short story. Culture is determined by a people and is often represented through customs, language, clothing, interior design, and the way interpersonal relationships are conducted. What pieces of Chinese culture are discussed in this short story? In what ways do these differ from American customs?

Consider some of the success symbols described in the short story. Which ones are the Changs able to achieve? Which are still outside of their grasp and why? Who are some of the gatekeepers that keep them outside?