Girl In Translation

Kim has romances with two very different boys: Matt and Curt. What does each boy provide to Kim in terms of a relationship? Why does she choose one over the other? How might things have played out differently had she made a different choice?

Many characters that Kim interacts with regularly (Annette, Curt, her teachers) have blind spots when it comes to Kim's experience as an immigrant. What are some interactions in the novel that reveal those blind spots? Why might those blind spots exist? How might Kim's actions affect the persistence of those blind spots?

The author presents many ways to define and approach success. Examine the definitions and approaches for Kim, Ma, Aunt Paula, Curt, and Matt. How are they different? Which characters approach success in similar ways?

As immigrants, the Changs belong to a very specific kind of working poor. Why does Kim go to such great lengths to hide both her socioeconomic status and her employment from her peers? What does she stand to lose by letting this become common knowledge?

In what ways are Kim and Ma's experiences as immigrants specific to their story? Why might these experiences be specific to the Changs? What might be some common experiences or discoveries of an immigrant to the United States?

Kim seems acutely aware of people's appearances. Focus on three characters in the novel whom Kim characterizes in large part based on their physicality. How do her descriptions characterize each of them?

At the end of the novel, Kim explains that she felt she "hadn't had a choice, it was simply who I was" (284). What does she mean by this?

What is the effect of the literal translation of Chinese idioms? What is the effect of the phonetic translation of English phrases? How does Kim's relationship to both languages change over the course of the novel?