Question 1) How would you describe the institution of marriage that is alluded to in the early portion of the novel?  Is it based on loyalty? Love? Money? Status? etc.  Refer to Liusu’s past marriage, the attitude of Fourth Mistress (pg. 2741), as well as Fan Liuyan’s father and Mr. Jiang (both pg. 2744).  What does this say about the Bai family and Chinese culture as a whole at that time?

Question 2) What kind of role do you think the war played in this novel?  Is it a symbol or a metaphor for something greater such as Liusu’s life or her realtionship with Fan?  Think about her feelings in the beginning of the story as well as her position in the Bai family. Does her survival through this with Fan symbolize that she has defeated all of her obstacles? Also what is the significance of the Wall that Fan refers to both before and after the bombings?