Girl in Translation
by Jean Kwok
Discussion questions
1. Throughout Girl in Translation, the author uses creative spelling to show Kimberly’s mis-hearing and misunderstanding of English words. How does the language of the novel evolve as Kimberly grows and matures? Do you see a change in the respective roles that English and Chinese play in the narrative as it progresses?
2. The word "translation" is in the title of the novel and learning to translate between her two languages is key to Kimberly’s ability to thrive in her new life. Does she find herself translating back and forth in anything other than language? Can you cite instances where this occurs, and why they are significant to the story as a whole?
3. What American customs and traditions give Kimberly and Mrs. Chang pause? How do they react to them? When they cause problems, how do they solve them?
4. Mrs. Chang warns Kimberly not to become too American, meaning that she should retain the moral code of her childhood in Hong Kong. How does Kimberly become American in her attitude? Are there ways in which Mrs. Chang is influenced by living in the United States as well?
5. In many ways Kimberly takes over the position of head of household after her family moves to New York. Was this change in roles inevitable? How do you imagine her mother feels about it? Embarrassed? Grateful? In which ways does Mrs. Chang still fulfil the role of mother?
6. On her first Christmas, Kimberly realizes there is no Santa Claus, just her mother, but says that it’s enough. How do you interpret this statement? Do you agree with her?
7. Kimberly often refers to her father and imagines how her life might have been different and easier if he had lived. Do you think she is right?
8. Annette is a lifeline for Kimberly, her one true and constant friend throughout school. Why does Annette befriend her? How are they two girls similar?
9. Annette never seems to grasp the depths of Kimberly’s poverty. What does this say about her? What lesson does this experience teach Kimberly? Is Kimberly right to keep the details of her home life a secret?
10. Kimberly believes that devoting herself to school will allow her to free her family from poverty. Does school always live up to her expectations? Where do you think it fails her? How does it help her succeed? Can you imagine the same character without the academic talent? How would her life be different? Is Kimberly right to believe that all of her potential lies in her talent for school? Must qualities like ambition, drive, hope, and optimism go hand in hand with book smarts?
11. What do you think of Kimberly’s first teacher, Mr. Bogart? What are his expectations of her? How could the school have assisted her in making the transition easier?
12. What are Kimberly’s expectations of Harrison, the private prep school she attends? What are the school’s expectations of her? Do you think she is treated differently because of her race or because she’s an immigrant?
13. Kimberly has two love interests. How are the relationships that Matt and Curt offer different? Why do you think she ultimately chooses one boy over the other? What does that choice say about her? Can you see a future for her with either of them? What would change?
14. Why does Curt come to Kimberly’s defense when she is accused of cheating? How does their relationship develop? Do you think he is ever in love with her? Why does the prosperous suburban life Kimberly yearns for seem like a dead end to him?
15. What do you think of Matt’s behavior towards Kimberly and Vivian? Is he merely using Vivian all along since he believes he cannot have Kimberly? Kimberly is always very aware of him at the factory; is he equally aware of her?
16. Kimberly decides to have her baby but does not tell Matt. Even when they meet again 12 years later, she lets him think she had an abortion. Should she have told him the truth when she was 18 and had just been accepted at Yale? At 30, when she is a successful cardiac surgeon? Is she justified in keeping her son’s existence a secret?
17. Think about other immigrant stories. How is Kimberly’s story universal? How is it unique? How does Kimberly’s Chinese-American story compare to other immigrant stories? Would it change if she were from a different country or culture? The book is set in the 1980s; Do you think immigrant experiences are much different today than 30 years ago?
18. Kimberly lives in extreme poverty. Was anything about her circumstances surprising to you? How has reading Girl in Translation affected your views of immigration?
19. What are your feelings towards Aunt Paula and Uncle Bob? Is it better or worse that the sweatshop is run by people of the same nationality as the underpaid employees? What could be done to improve their working conditions?
About the author
Jean Kwok was born in Hong Kong and immigrated to Brooklyn with her parents and six older siblings when she was five. While living in a roach-infested apartment without central heating, she worked in a Chinatown clothing factory for much of her childhood. She attended Hunter College High School, a public school for intellectually gifted students. She received a BA in English from Harvard University, working as many as four jobs at a time to support herself. After graduation she moved to New York City and worked as a professional ballroom dancer in New York to support her writing efforts, later earning her Master of Fine Arts in fiction from Columbia University. After moving to the Netherlands she taught English and was a Dutch-English translator at Leiden University. She continues to live in the Netherlands with her husband and two sons, and now writes full-time.
Girl in Translation (2010), her debut novel, was a New York Times bestseller. It has been published in 15 countries and translated into 13 languages. Her stories have also been published in Prairie Schooner and Story magazine.