Ties That Bind, Ties That Break

Examine Tao Ailin’s character. Describe her personality and how readers might relate to her. Is she an admirable character? Why? What makes her that way? Provide textual examples.

Look closely at the relationships Ailin has with the women in her family as well as the men. How are Ailin’s family relationships indicative of Chinese values and traditions at this time? And how does this affect her destiny?

This story takes place in a tumultuous time in Chinese history, when the Qing dynasty was being toppled as a result of its ineptness in dealing with foreign aggression and new, more republican ideals were taking hold of the population. How did these events contribute to the culture to which Ailin is born?

Foot binding was an integral part of Chinese culture for a millennium. Can you explain how the practice became such a significant part of the culture? How would you have reacted to the practice? Be thoughtful in your answer and look at it both through the lens of the modern day and that of history.

In this narrative, Western and Eastern values are sometimes in conflict. Does this need to be the case? How are the cultural values similar? How are they different? How does Ailin eventually find common ground with the Warners?

Investigate the historical context of Ailin’s arrival in America. What was happening with the Chinese American population the U.S. during this time? What opportunities and obstacles would someone of Ailin’s background have had to deal with in working and living in San Francisco’s Chinatown in this era?

Show some examples of different types of prejudice and misunderstanding present in this narrative. How does power play into these incidences?

The gender imbalance in Ailin’s family and also within the Chinese culture plays a large role in Ties That Bind, Ties That Break and the idea of tradition is often used to forestall any resistance to the status quo. Is “tradition” at fault here? What is valuable about adhering to tradition, and what is harmful?