"Shanghai Girls" -- Some Questions I've Wondered About

Shanghai Girls is understandably one of Lisa’s most beloved novels.  Its richness and historical context raise all sorts of questions for readers.  Here are some things I’ve wondered about.  What questions has SG raised for you?

Near the end of Shanghai Girls  May argues that Pearl and Sam have withdrawn into  a world of fear and isolation, not taking advantage of the opportunities open to them.  Is May right that much of Pearl’s sadness and isolation is self-imposed?

How much of Pearl’s attitude toward men and the world in general is influenced by her horrible memories of being raped by the Japanese soldiers and watching her mother being raped and killed?  To what extent does she find her way to healing by the end of the novel?

Sam's relationship with Pearl and Joy is rich and complex.  How do reader attitudes toward him change as the novel progresses?

The novel begins with Pearl saying:  “I am not a person of importance.”   After Yen-yen dies, Pearl comments:  “Her funeral is small.  After all, she was not a person of importance, rather just a wife and mother.”  What do these quotes say about major themes of the novel?

Speaking of Yen-yen, Pearl notes:  “When we’re packing, Yen-yen says she’s tired.  She sits down on the couch in the main room and dies.”  I caught my breath when I first read this.  Why does Pearl describe Yen-yen’s death in such an abrupt way?

How to understand the complex relationship between Pearl and May?  How does the fact that both are in a sense Joy’s mother affect their relationship toward each other?

Shanghai Girls is very different in many ways from Lisa’s previous novels.  One of them is the way China is treated.  In her previous books China is a main character in the narrative.  This is less true in Shanghai Girls, partly because so much of the action takes place on Angel Island or in Los Angeles.  How does this change of focus affect the novel?

Although she considers herself wise, especially in contrast to May, Pearl misinterprets a large number of things.  What are the most important ways in which Pearl comes to discover that she has been wrong about essential things?

I've always been fascinated by the role of Pearl as unreliable narrator. Given this point of view, how should the reader understand May and her motives?

 In the final fiery confrontation between the two sisters, Pearl lashes out at May because of her “betrayal.”  In what critical ways does May betray Pearl?

Lisa beautifully portrays Pearl and May’s mother.  How do readers feel about her?  How is she like other Lisa characters? 

Each sister believes that her parents loved the other more.  Who is right about this?

Like On Gold Mountain, SG makes a powerful statement about the mistreatment of Chinese immigrants to the US.  I previously had little understanding of this.

Originally Lisa did not plan to write a sequel to SG, but her publisher and readers strongly encouraged her to do so.  If Lisa had not written Dreams of Joy and SG had ended as it does, how would a reader's reaction to Shanghai Girls change?

All Lisa’s novels – including SG – are filled with deep pain and great suffering.  How to readers react to the pain and suffering Pearl and May experience?

Lisa’s novels passionately depict and oppose the oppression of women.  How is this theme treated in SG and in Lisa's other novels?

The fact that Pearl and May are or have been Beautiful Girls is referred to several times in the novel.  What is the importance of this role for each of the sisters?

Are Pearl and May true to their astrological signs?  Pearl seems to be a woman of great endurance, but she often fails to display the fiery Dragon spirit.  May, on the other hand, is much more aggressive in seeking out opportunities in the new world.  In so doing she does not seem much like a Sheep.

 Late in the novel May tells Pearl that she turned Sam and her in to the authorities for their own good. She seems to be sincere in this.  On the other hand, is there a darker motive for her actions?  
 
Ideally should we read On Gold Mountain before reading SG or does it matter?

Because Lisa’s novels always have a rich historical context, readers have differing views regarding how important background information to her work is.  For example, one thing I wish I had known before reading SG was a little about the Battle of Shanghai.  Is there other such context that would enhance a reading of Shanghai Girls?