After Reading Comprehension Questions for American Born Chinese

Please include page numbers as often as you can.

Chapter One- The Monkey King

1. What was the Monkey King born of?

2. What kingdom did the Monkey King rule?

3. What are the four major heavenly disciplines?

4. Why wasn't the Monkey King allowed into the dinner party?

5. What is the one word the Monkey King says to the guests at the dinner party?

6. What does the Monkey King notice for the first time he returns to his Royal chamber?

7. Why does the Monkey King stay up all night?

8. What are the PSYCHOLOGICAL transformations the Monkey King undergoes in this chapter- meaning, what happens to how he feels about himself or thinks about himself?

Chapter Two- Jin Wang

9. What is significant about the parable that Jin’s mom tells at the beginning of the chapter? How can you compare Jin’s mom to a tiger mother?

10. What is the significance of the conversation with the herbalist on pp. 27-29?

11. Compare and contrast Jin’s new life with his life in San Francisco’s Chinatown.

12. What is ironic about the bullies on the playground and what they say to Jin?

13. Who is Jin's first "friend" at Mayflower Elementary? Describe their friendship.

14. Why do you think Jin say he wants to beat up Wei-Chen?

15. What do you think is significant about Wei-Chen's toy robot?

Chapter Three- Danny

16. What is a laugh track? What is its purpose? Do you think the laugh track is effective throughout this chapter? Why or why not?

17. Do you think Danny should tell Melanie what’s on his mind? What IS on his mind?

18. How can you connect Chin-Kee’s appearance (p. 48) to what you know about anti-Chinese racism?

19. What is significant about Chin-Kee’s name?

20. Why do you think Danny so upset about Chin-Kee?

Chapter Four- The Monkey King21. What does the Monkey King order the morning after the dinner party? Why?

22. What notice does the Monkey King get from heaven? How does he respond?

23. What is the Monkey King’s new name? Why do you think he chooses this name?

24. Examine the way that the Monkey King is illustrated on pp. 60-64. How does his transformed appearance reflect his transformed character?

25. Who does the Monkey King visit? Describe the purpose of his visits.

26. Who is Tze-Yo-Tzuh? Why do the gods, goddesses, demons, and spirits want to see him?

27. As the Monkey King “flies through the boundaries of reality itself,” how does Gene Yang represent this? Is it effective and why? What other ways does the author use the visual language of the comic to reflect the content of the story? Look at pp. 78-79, specifically.

28. What does Tze-Yo-Tzuh do to the Monkey King? Why do you think he does this?

29. What things has the Monkey King changed about himself? How has he changed as a character? Why? (What were his reasons for changing?) What is the result of this change when he meets Tze-Yo-Tzuh?

Chapter Five- Jin Wang30. What can we infer about Wei Chen when he dates Suzy Nakamura? What

lesson is Wei Chen teaching Jin?

31. Look at p. 89. What differences are there between Jin and Wei Chen in how they are represented?

32. On pp. 90-92, why are there dashed lines around the speech balloons? What information do these lines convey?

33. What does Wei-Chen call Jin on p. 94? Do you agree? Why or why not?

34. When you see the (…) in the external speech bubbles (like on p. 98), what do they mean?

35. Why do you think Jin gets a perm?

36. On pp. 104 – 105, Jin says "everything was a blur.” How does the author visually represent this?

37. Compare and contrast Wei-Chen to Jin. How are they alike? How are they different? Who is a better friend? Why?

38. List some of the graphic novel features in this chapter that stand out to you. What are some interesting/different things Gene Yang uses to add depth?

Chapter Six- Danny

39. On pp. 111-113 and p. 119, what do we learn about Chin-Kee? How can you relate this to something we know about Chinese culture?

40. From pp. 115-117, what do we learn about Danny? Think about his interactions with Steve.

41. On p. 123, why does Danny try to distance himself from Chin-Kee? How does he try to do it?

42. Do you feel sorry for Danny after his conversation with Melanie? Why or why not?

43. What do you make of Danny’s friendship/relationship with Steve? Does Steve seem like a good guy? Why or why not?

44. On pp. 126 – 127, Danny explains the effect that Chin-Kee has on him every year. Why do you think Chin-Kee comes to visit? Do you think Chin-Kee is a good excuse for Danny’s struggles? Why or why not?

Chapter Seven- The Monkey King

45. There are only four monks that achieved legendary status. Why are they legends? (p. 134)

46. What is the message behind Wong Lai-Tsao’s story from pp. 135-137? What is the result of Lai-Tsao’s choices (p. 139)?

47. What do you think Lai-Tsao means in his conversation with the Monkey King on p. 145?

48. Why does the Monkey King choose to release himself and follow Lai-Tsao?

49. Examine all the graphics Gene Yang uses in the panels on pp. 148-158? Look specifically at how he shows the lapse of time and psychological changes. What do you notice? What stands out as important?

50. What is significant about the Monkey King leaving his shoes behind for his journey?

Chapter Eight- Multiple Characters51. Why do you think Jin was so nervous on his date with Amelia? How can you

tell he was nervous?

52. Why do you think Wei‐Chen asked Amelia so many questions about the date she went on with Jin Wang?

53. Why did Greg not want Jin to go out with Amelia?

54. What was the relationship between Amelia and the other boy, Greg?

55. What made Jin kiss Wei‐Chen’s girlfriend Suzy Nakamura?56. Why is Jin rude to his best friend about it afterwards?

57. Illustrate the ending scene and your interpretation of the event. What was your reaction and what is your prediction?

Chapter Nine- Multiple Characters

58. Who is Danny? Who is Chin-Kee? What are their true forms? What does learning their true identities reveal about the story as a whole?

59. What does the Monkey King believe his purpose has been in Jin's life? (Do NOT just copy the Monkey King's words—explain them. Remember the herbalist's warning on page 29.)

60. Jin reveals that he can't read Chinese. What do you think is significant about that?

61. Jin doesn't know why he's going to the bakery but he goes night after night--why?

62. This book ends with a conversation about milk tea. Wei-Chen is speaking Chinese. Why does the book end like this? What predictions do you make about each of them?