Questions and Answers for In the American Society
In the American Society
Who are the main characters in the story "In the American Society?" What are their main actions?
The main characters of the story are Ralph Chang, the Chinese owner of a pancake restaurant, and his family: his wife, and his daughters Mona and Callie, the narrator. Other characters include...
In the American Society
What is Gish Jen’s primary message about American society in the story?
“In the American Society” has as its primary concern the question of identity. It explores, through the experiences of the Chang family, the awkward transition from one’s homeland to American...
In the American Society
Why does Mr. Chang throw his coat into the pool at the party in The American Society?
Mr. Chang threw his coat into the pool because he was angry and felt embarrassed by Jeremy. The Changs were invited to the party by Mrs. Lardner to make up for their failed admission to the country...
In the American Society
In Gish Jen's story In the American Society, Booker and Cedric send Ralph Chang a letter apologizing for skipping...
Gish Jen’s short story In the American Society is both humorous depiction of one immigrant family’s efforts at assimilating into American culture and a serious indictment of the racism that...
In the American Society
What does the quote "But this here is the U-S-of-A!" in In the American Society reveal?
The quote "but this here is the U-S-of-A!" reveals how the author's mother is determined to assimilate in American society and that this determination conflicts with her husband's desire to remain...
In the American Society
Do you have any ideas of teaching this story to students? Do you have any ideas of teaching this story to students?
I think that there might be a couple of approaches to go ahead in teaching this to students. In my mind, I think that the opening discussion needs to center on the immigrant experience. Perhaps,...