Red Azalea

How does Min depict gender and gender difference throughout the novel? Use at least three to four specific examples from the text to support your analysis.

Consider the role of opera in Red Azalea­. Why is opera so central to the novel? Use examples from the text to explain its symbolic nature.

Pick one of the excerpts from Mao’s writings quoted in Red Azalea and research more of its original context. How does Min’s quotation change or alter the original meaning?

Min’s memoir begins with “The Great Leap Forward.” After researching the economic plan, how would you compare Min’s characterization of it to this research?

Min structures Red Azalea as a memoir—how does memory function in the novel? Are Min’s recollections portrayed as being relatively objective, or do they betray biases? Use quotations from the text to explain your answer.

How would you describe the depiction and function of LGBTQ+ identities and relationships in the memoir?

Red is a color associated with the People’s Republic of China. Identify at least two instances in which the color red takes on a more nuanced symbolic role, and analyze how these insertions influence the reader’s understanding of the scenes in question.

What is the role of gossip in the novel? Use at least three specific examples to complete your analysis.