The Paper Menagerie – Reasoning (20+ Questions)

Complete the following sentences by providing a brief reason. Do not repeat the question.

1. Jack's mother uses origami to comfort him because __________

2. Jack becomes embarrassed by his mother and her Chinese heritage because __________

3. Mark's comment about Jack's father paying for his mother is deeply hurtful because __________

4. Jack demands his mother speak only English because __________

5. Jack's mother stops speaking and eventually stops making paper animals because __________

6. Jack is distracted during his mother's hospital visit because __________

7. Jack's mother writes a letter to Jack in Chinese rather than English because __________

8. Susan's discovery of the paper menagerie is significant because __________

9. Susan calls Jack's mother an "amazing artist" while looking at the origami animals because __________

10. Jack seeks a translator for his mother's letter because __________

11. Jack's mother survived her difficult past and came to America because __________

12. The paper animals fade and deteriorate over time because __________

13. Jack realizes his mistake only after his mother's death because __________

14. Jack refolds the letter back into the tiger at the end because __________

15. The story uses magical realism with paper animals coming to life because __________

16. Jack's rejection of his mother represents a deeper problem in society because __________

17. Language becomes a barrier between Jack and his mother because __________

18. Jack's father supports Jack over his mother because __________

19. The title "The Paper Menagerie" is meaningful because __________

20. Jack's mother never stops loving him despite his rejection because __________

21. The story is ultimately about loss and regret because __________

Answer Key

i) It is the magical art she learned from her own mother and represents her love, heritage, and way of connecting with him.

ii) He moves to a new environment where he observes prejudice from neighbors and experiences bullying from classmates who mock his appearance and Chinese culture.

iii) It implies that Jack's father bought his mother like merchandise, treating her as a commodity rather than a human, which is deeply racist and objectifying.

iv) He wants to assimilate into American culture, fit in with his peers, and escape the shame and embarrassment he feels about being different due to his mother's accent.

v) Jack refuses to listen when she speaks Chinese, and seeing her frustration with speaking English and his obvious pain, she chooses silence over the hurt of rejection.

vi) He is focused on his career and personal advancement, showing that he has internalized American values of success over family, distancing himself even at his mother's deathbed.

vii) Chinese is her native language and the language of her heart; she writes in Chinese to express her true self and authentic emotions that she cannot fully express in English.

viii) It forces Jack to confront the beauty and artistry of his mother's work that he previously dismissed as trash, making him reconsider his rejection of her and his heritage.

ix) She recognizes genuine artistic talent and cultural value in the origami, seeing it as a serious form of expression rather than cheap toys, which helps shift Jack's perspective.

x) He cannot read Chinese, so he needs translation to understand his mother's words and finally hear her voice and story that he had refused to listen to during her lifetime.