The Gangster We Are All Looking For

Like the butterfly in the glass disc in Mel’s home, the novel’s three main characters are all trapped in their own circumstances. Pick two of the following characters (Girl, Ma, or Ba) and compare and contrast how and why each is “trapped” during the course of the novel. 

Flora and fauna figure prominently in the book as metaphors for the characters’ thoughts, feelings, and circumstances. How do these earthly creatures serve to flesh out the characters’ personalities and deepen the readers’ empathy? Focus on 2 to 3 specific animal/plant symbols to illustrate your point.

Water, or nước, drives the story behind The Gangster We Are All Looking For. Construct an argument describing how water shapes the life of the book’s main characters and what it means to them. Is it a positive or negative force? Both? Use at least 3 to 4 concrete examples to support your claim. 

The ways in which we handle trauma and PTSD is one of the book’s core themes. How does war, death, and upheaval to a new country affect these characters, and how do they cope with the trauma? Pick one character to illustrate your point by describing the coping mechanisms they develop to deal with (or avoid) trauma.  

Names are one of the primary ways that humans identify themselves in society. And yet, only some of the book’s characters have formal names. Others have nicknames, and others receive no name at all. How do names (or lack thereof) serve as symbols of the relationships between characters as well as demonstrate the shifting point of view in the novel? Cite 2 to 3 specific examples.

The Girl utilizes the five senses—sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste—to bring the novel to life. Pick one of the senses and describe how the Girl uses it to enhance scenes and create a specific emotion/feeling. Cite 3 to 4 specific examples. 

The protagonist’s brother looms like a ghost over the family. Describe how each of the three central members—Ba, Ma, and the Girl—cope with the loss of their family member, and discuss how his death affects their relationships with one another.

The novel shifts perspectives between numerous characters. What effect does this shift in perspective have upon the reader? And why does the author present the reader with multiple points of view of the same circumstances? Cite 3 to 4 specific passages from the book to support your claim.