The Challenges and Achievements of Immigrating to America
19. How is the text related to what you already know?
In A Free Life, the reason why Pingping and Nan moved to the U.S. was because of the massacre in Tiananmen Square in 1989. During the time after the massacre innocent Chinese people were killed by soldiers and afraid that they were going to be killed as well, they fled China with hopes in being able to start a new life as Americans with their son TaoTao. The Tiananmen Square massacre is the protest led by student demonstrations that ended in many casualties on citizens of China when troops were sent to Tiananmen Square with assault rifles and tanks. This made the people of China afraid to leave their house, but there is one incident where a man actually walked outside and stood in front of a tank, who was never seen again after that. The massacre is also known as the June Fourth Incident, the day the massacre actually occurred, but the protest began on April 15 and lasted for one month, two weeks, and six days then the troops came in, the number of casualties is still unknown ranging from about five hundred into the thousands.
8. What is ________'s opinion of_________?
Nan's opinion on helping and donating to the people in the Chinese mainland, is that he doesn't believe that he should help them since they have never done anything for him. Nan believes that in order to truly become a American he must forget his country and make America his country, he also takes steps to improve his English and study it as much as he can. He almost seems obsessed with becoming American that he tries to speak in English all the time and making a new life with his wife and son. When a man and woman came to Nan and Pingping's restaurant, the Gold Wok, and asked him to donate money to help the people in the Chinese mainland, he said he didn't want to donate to help them since they have never done anything for him so why should he help them out. After a long argument, it was only until Pingping told him to donate at least a little money and send them on their way, that he compromised and gave them the money.
4. How does ________'s character change?
Pingping's character changes after she has a miscarriage with her second child. At the time Pingping is nearly 40 years old when she finds out that she is pregnant with her second child, a girl. She is very scared about having the baby because of her age, but Nan seems very happy at the thought of having another child which even causes his attitude to change towards her, making him more nurturing and loving towards Pingping. Nan and Pingping have never been the type to express there emotions towards each other only saying that they love each other every now and then, they don't even but present for each other since they see no need to buy gifts for each other because they would only be spending each others money. TaoTao, their son, at first seems reluctant and angry at the idea of having a sister believing that this new child will become the center of attention of his parents, but as the time goes by he becomes excited and likes the idea of having a sibling. But, after a couple of months, during a checkup, they learn that Pingping had a miscarriage and after that Pingping becomes even more demure. She seems almost dead inside, I believe this is because she hasn't coped with the loss of the baby since she began to enjoy the thought of having another child.
1. What would happen if _______ had been changed?
I think if had changed Nan ever dating his ex-girlfriend Beina, he would love Pingping a lot more and would be more loving towards her. Through out the book there are many times where the thought of Beina wanders into Nan's thoughts which causes him to not be able to love Pingping like he should as her husband. I believe that if Beina hadn't broke up with Nan and used him, and he knows she's using him, he would still be with her and allow her to continue to use him knowing that she would never truly love him the way he wanted her to. Ironically, the same thing Beina did to him he's doing to Pingping, she loves Nan but she knows that he doesn't love her the way she loves him. Albeit lately in the book, he hasn't been thinking of her since they moved to Atlanta and started their restaurant. Since him and Pingping have been so busy running the Gold Wok and paying the final payments of their mortgage. I believe if Jin changed the relationship between Beina and Nan and they had never met, Nan and Pingping would show their emotions towards each other more and their family wouldn't seem so dysfunctional and detached.
In A Free Life, the reason why Pingping and Nan moved to the U.S. was because of the massacre in Tiananmen Square in 1989. During the time after the massacre innocent Chinese people were killed by soldiers and afraid that they were going to be killed as well, they fled China with hopes in being able to start a new life as Americans with their son TaoTao. The Tiananmen Square massacre is the protest led by student demonstrations that ended in many casualties on citizens of China when troops were sent to Tiananmen Square with assault rifles and tanks. This made the people of China afraid to leave their house, but there is one incident where a man actually walked outside and stood in front of a tank, who was never seen again after that. The massacre is also known as the June Fourth Incident, the day the massacre actually occurred, but the protest began on April 15 and lasted for one month, two weeks, and six days then the troops came in, the number of casualties is still unknown ranging from about five hundred into the thousands.
8. What is ________'s opinion of_________?
Nan's opinion on helping and donating to the people in the Chinese mainland, is that he doesn't believe that he should help them since they have never done anything for him. Nan believes that in order to truly become a American he must forget his country and make America his country, he also takes steps to improve his English and study it as much as he can. He almost seems obsessed with becoming American that he tries to speak in English all the time and making a new life with his wife and son. When a man and woman came to Nan and Pingping's restaurant, the Gold Wok, and asked him to donate money to help the people in the Chinese mainland, he said he didn't want to donate to help them since they have never done anything for him so why should he help them out. After a long argument, it was only until Pingping told him to donate at least a little money and send them on their way, that he compromised and gave them the money.
4. How does ________'s character change?
Pingping's character changes after she has a miscarriage with her second child. At the time Pingping is nearly 40 years old when she finds out that she is pregnant with her second child, a girl. She is very scared about having the baby because of her age, but Nan seems very happy at the thought of having another child which even causes his attitude to change towards her, making him more nurturing and loving towards Pingping. Nan and Pingping have never been the type to express there emotions towards each other only saying that they love each other every now and then, they don't even but present for each other since they see no need to buy gifts for each other because they would only be spending each others money. TaoTao, their son, at first seems reluctant and angry at the idea of having a sister believing that this new child will become the center of attention of his parents, but as the time goes by he becomes excited and likes the idea of having a sibling. But, after a couple of months, during a checkup, they learn that Pingping had a miscarriage and after that Pingping becomes even more demure. She seems almost dead inside, I believe this is because she hasn't coped with the loss of the baby since she began to enjoy the thought of having another child.
1. What would happen if _______ had been changed?
I think if had changed Nan ever dating his ex-girlfriend Beina, he would love Pingping a lot more and would be more loving towards her. Through out the book there are many times where the thought of Beina wanders into Nan's thoughts which causes him to not be able to love Pingping like he should as her husband. I believe that if Beina hadn't broke up with Nan and used him, and he knows she's using him, he would still be with her and allow her to continue to use him knowing that she would never truly love him the way he wanted her to. Ironically, the same thing Beina did to him he's doing to Pingping, she loves Nan but she knows that he doesn't love her the way she loves him. Albeit lately in the book, he hasn't been thinking of her since they moved to Atlanta and started their restaurant. Since him and Pingping have been so busy running the Gold Wok and paying the final payments of their mortgage. I believe if Jin changed the relationship between Beina and Nan and they had never met, Nan and Pingping would show their emotions towards each other more and their family wouldn't seem so dysfunctional and detached.