Chinese 503 (OSU)

Zhu Tianwen

-from the collection of the same name
-daughter of the well known Taiwan writer, Zhu Xining, she is also one of the dedicated followers of Zhang Ailing in Taiwan

Questions:

1. How would you characterize the style of this story? Does this style have to do with the theme of the story

2. What does Mia do for a living? What is the nature of her life? How does she see herself, define herself?

3. What kind of comment about Taiwan society do you think Zhu Tianwen is making through the character of Mia?

4. Is this an attack on global commodity culture? Or does it embrace that culture in a more positive way? Is there a nostalgia behind this story? A nostalgia for something lost to consumerism?