58 pages • 1 hour read
Nghi VoThe Chosen and the Beautiful
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2021A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Essay Topics
Compare Nghi Vo’s character of Jordan Baker with F. Scott Fitzgerald’s version. How does framing the narrative from Jordan’s perspective alter our understanding of the original story?
How effective do you find Vo’s use of magic and fantasy in Jordan and Gatsby’s stories? How does this enhance or detract from the meaning in Fitzgerald’s source text?
To what extent do you think The Chosen and the Beautiful has a happy ending? You should explore both sides of this question, using text-based evidence to explain your answer.
How would you describe the nature of Daisy and Jordan’s friendship? In light of this, why does Jordan ultimately have to let this relationship go at the end of the novel?
What role does Gatsby’s house play in the novel? What is the symbolism of this dream palace and how does it enhance his relationships with other characters?
To what extent do you think that Gatsby and Daisy’s relationship is the most important one in the novel? How does Vo show that other dynamics are equally important, and which dynamic do you think rivals the intensity of Gatsby and Daisy’s?
How would you describe Jordan’s relationship to her Asian ethnicity and heritage? How does this change as the novel progresses?
Who do you think is the biggest villain in The Chosen and the Beautiful, Tom, Daisy, or Gatsby? You should consider all three possibilities in your answer and use text-based support to reach your conclusion.
How do sexual orientation and sexual fluidity figure in Vo’s novel? How does this change our understanding of the central characters and relationships in the narrative?
To what extent do you think that the world Vo creates is one where women have agency over their desires and the course of their lives? How does this differ for married white woman Daisy and Asian single woman Jordan?
