64 pages2 hours read

Shelley Parker-Chan

She Who Became the Sun

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2021

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Essay Topics

1.

Many of the characters in this book claim that their fate is inevitable, yet their actions seem to imply a modicum of free will. How much of their life is predestined and how much—if any—is decided through choice?

2.

Historically, the real Zhu Chongba was a cisgender, heterosexual man. Why do you think Parker-Chan chose to make Zhu Chongba (the protagonist) female/nonbinary in their novel? What point(s) do they want to make through this choice?

3.

Gender and gender roles are major themes in this novel. Choose a dynasty (Song, Yuan, Ming) or an ethnicity (Mongol, Semu, Nanren, Hui) mentioned in the novel. How are these characteristics depicted in the novel? What creative liberties did the author take?

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