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52 pages 1 hour read

Monique Truong

The Book of Salt

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2003

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Essay Topics

1.

Binh’s father converts to Catholicism and clings to that faith, while his mother is a Catholic in name only. How does the Catholic Church affect Binh’s family and their relationships? How does Binh perceive his father’s religion?

2.

Food is an important part of the novel, and cooking for others takes on a deeper dimension: For instance, Stein finds the idea that Toklas’s hands have prepared her food sensual. Compare and contrast different ways that cooking takes on more meaning in The Book of Salt.

3.

How does the author’s slipping back and forth in time affect how the reader understands the events of Binh’s life?

4.

How does the author’s decision to include real historical figures such as Gertrude Stein, Alice B. Toklas, Ho Chi Minh, and Paul Robeson affect the novel?

5.

The last time Binh sees his brother, Anh Minh asks Binh, “How can I save you now?” Discuss Binh’s relationship with his brother.

6.

Is Binh’s father sympathetic? If yes, why? If not, why not?

7.

Binh’s first-person point narration is often unreliable. However, in some passages, the novel slips into second person, directly addressing Lattimore. Discuss Truong’s use of first- and second-person narration. How does it affect the plot and characterization?

8.

Discuss Truong’s treatment of same-sex attraction in the book. How does sexual orientation affect plot and character?

9.

Binh says, “Words, I will grant you, are convenient, a handy shortcut to meaning. But too often, words limit and deny” (117). How is language a benefit in the novel, and how is it a handicap?

10.

One’s station in life, due to circumstance, race, or colonialism, plays a key part in the novel. What characters must struggle in servanthood, and how do they approach those in charge? How do those who benefit from colonialism or unearned privilege treat those without such standing?

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By Monique Truong