51 pages • 1 hour read
Eileen Chang, Transl. Karen S. KingsburyLove in a Fallen City
Fiction | Short Story Collection | Adult | Published in 1943A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Essay Topics
Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of domestic violence.
Compare and contrast the female protagonists in at least three of the stories from Love in a Fallen City. What characteristics or motivations do they have in common? How do they differ?
How does Eileen Chang use operatic elements or references in her stories? Cite at least three specific instances from different stories in the collection.
Characters like George Qiao and his half-sister in “Aloeswood Incense” and Wang Jiaorui in “Red Rose, White Rose” demonstrate the multicultural and cosmopolitan cultures in Shanghai and Hong Kong. What challenges do pan-international characters face in these stories?
How are plants used as symbols in Love in a Fallen City? Cite at least three examples from different stories in the collection.
Analyze the role of the framing devices used in the novellas. How do the content and structure of the framing devices convey the collection’s thematic concerns?
What are the different attitudes of men toward women in Love in a Fallen City? Compare and contrast the attitudes of George Qiao in “Aloeswood Incense,” T’ung Shih-fang in “The Golden Cangue,” and at least one other male character from a different story.
Consider the role of physical and emotional violence in Love in a Fallen City. How does this violence shape the dynamics of relationships across the collection? How does violence interact with gender expectations?
Analyze the differences between Eileen Chang’s translation of “The Golden Cangue” and the English translations of her other stories and novellas by Karen Kingsbury. What are the relative strengths and weaknesses of each approach?
Analyze the clothing of at least three characters from three different stories in Love in a Fallen City. How does their wardrobe reflect their class, personality, motivations, or other aspects of the story?
What is the role of servants and waitstaff, such as amahs, in Love in a Fallen City? How are they portrayed, and what insight do they give into the protagonists?
