Beautiful Country: A Memoir

Explore the patriarchal structure of Qian’s family and culture. How does this structure contribute to experiences of the characters in Wang’s memoir?

Identify at least two people who contributed to Qian’s betterment and the achievement of her dream. Explain how their actions differed from the other people and organizations she encountered in the United States.

What does Qian Julie Wang’s memoir reveal about immigration? What can readers infer from Qian’s childish perspective that she does not fully grasp?

How does generational trauma influence the characters in Wang’s memoir? How do the figures Wang describes break free or not break free from these cycles of trauma?

Analyze the role reading and writing play in Qian’s life. How does literacy contribute to the achievement of her dreams? How does it inhibit other characters from achieving theirs?

Describe the many identities which Qian takes on throughout the memoir. Why does Qian feel the need to switch who she is? How do her experiments with identity help her? Harm her?

What challenges did the Wang family experience after moving to the United States? Using their experiences as examples, describe how the United States might better support immigrants.

How and why is Qian’s voice silenced throughout the memoir? Who silences it? How does she find it again?