Get notes, line-by-line explanation, summary, questions and answers, workbook solutions (Beeta Publication/Morning Star) critical analysis, and pdf of the story Ken Liu’s story The Paper Menagerie: ISC Class 11 English (Prism). However, the notes should only be treated for references and changes should be made according to the needs of the students.
Summary
“The Paper Menagerie” by Ken Liu is a touching story about a Chinese woman and her American-born son. The story is narrated from the perspective of the son, Jack.
The woman, Jack’s mother, was born in 1957 in Sigulu Village, Hebei Province, China, a place known for its zhezhi papercraft. She experienced the Great Famines in China, during which thirty million people died. She learned the art of zhezhi papercraft from her mother, creating paper animals that could come to life.
During the Cultural Revolution in 1966, her family was targeted because her uncle had moved to Hong Kong. Her parents were killed, leaving her an orphan at the age of ten. She managed to escape to Hong Kong, where she was sold to a family to work as a domestic helper. She was mistreated and lived in fear for six years until an old woman helped her find a way out. She was introduced to the concept of American men seeking Asian wives, and she saw this as her only hope for a better life.
She ended up in a catalogue and was chosen by Jack’s father. She moved to Connecticut, where she felt lonely and misunderstood. However, the birth of her son, Jack, brought her immense joy. She taught him her language and shared her zhezhi papercraft with him, creating paper animals.
However, as Jack grew older, he began to feel embarrassed by his mother’s broken English and Chinese heritage. He distanced himself from her, causing her great pain. She stopped speaking when he was around and stopped making paper animals when he was in high school.
Years later, Jack’s mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Before she died, she wrote a letter to Jack in Chinese, leaving it in one of the paper animals. After her death, Jack found the letter and had it translated. The letter expressed her love for him and her pain at their estrangement. It also told the story of her life, which Jack had never known.
The story ends with Jack, holding the paper animal containing his mother’s letter, beginning to understand and appreciate his mother’s love and sacrifices. He starts to reconnect with his Chinese heritage, which he had previously rejected.
Workbook solutions/answers
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
1. Why does Jack discard the Menagerie made by his mother?
(a) Because it was of the Chinese origin.
(b) Because he did not like his mother who was Chinese.
(c) Because he did not like the animals in the menagerie.
(d) Because a schoolmate teased Jack about his Chinese heritage.
Answer: (d) Because a schoolmate teased Jack about his Chinese heritage.
2. The comparison between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Laohu is an example of:
(a) Symbolism
(b) Juxtaposition
(c) Contrast
(d) Hyperbole
Answer: (b) Juxtaposition
3. According to Jack’s mother ‘ai’ Chinese for love
(a) came from her mind
(b) came from he subconscious
(c) Came from her heart
(d) Both (b) and (c)
Answer: (c) Came from her heart
4. ‘Dad put down his chopsticks.’ This implies that
(a) Chinese food was cooked at their home
(b) he wanted to pay attention to what his son wanted to say
(c) he did not know how to use the chopsticks
(d) Both (a) and (b)
Answer: (b) he wanted to pay attention to what his son wanted to say
5. According to Jack, he spent his time after the incident with Mark by
(a) learning Chinese
(b) learning origami
(c) studying English
(d) studying French
Answer: (d) studying French
6. Jack’s father buys Jack Star Wars action figures set because
(a) he wanted Jack to be more American.
(b) he wanted to hurt at his wife.
(c) Jack wanted the set.
(d) All of the above.
Answer: (c) Jack wanted the set.
7. Laohu coming to life brought which of the following changes in Jack?
(a) As a child he stopped sobbing
(b) As an adult he sought his mother
(c) As a child he crumpled and threw it
(d) Both (a) and (b)
Answer: (d) Both (a) and (b)
8. Who fell in the soy-sauce?
(a) Water-buffalo
(b) Shark
(c) Tiger
(d) Deer
Answer: (a) Water-buffalo
9. How did Jack’s mother’s animals come to life?
(a) She had magic to give life to them
(b) She breathed life into them
(c) Her fingers had magic to bring them to life
(d) Both (a) and (c)
Answer: (b) She breathed life into them
10. On Qingming Jack’s mother did which of the following?
(a) Wrote letters to her parents
(b) Make origami cranes
(c) Blew them in the direction of her parents
(d) All of the above
Answer: (d) All of the above
11. When Jack’s father realised his bride did not know English, he
(a) hired a waitress to translate.
(b) got angry and sued the agency.
(c) went back to Connecticut.
(d) married Jack’s mother without asking her consent.
Answer: (a) hired a waitress to translate.
12. When Mark came over to play with Jack, he brought
(a) Paper Menagerie
(b) Origami paper
(c) Star Wars action figures
(d) Monopoly
Answer: (c) Star Wars action figures
13. When Jack stopped talking to his mother, she felt
(a) as if she were losing everything all over again.
(b) relieved that she would not have to learn English.
(c) angry that her son was shunning her.
(d) as if she were losing her roots.
Answer: (a) as if she were losing everything all over again.
14. Who was the most understanding and favourable character in the story, The Paper Menagerie?
(a) Jack
(b) Jack’s father
(c) Mark
(d) Jack’s mother
Answer: (d) Jack’s mother
15. What did Jack demand from his mother?
(a) A Star Wars action set.
(b) That his mother acts as an American mother not Chinese.
(c) That she should not have registered herself in one catalogue.
(d) That she should talk to the neighbours.
Answer: (b) That his mother acts as an American mother not Chinese.
16. At the end of the story, Jack finally
(a) understood his mother.
(b) felt sorry.
(c) played with the paper animals his mother made for him.
(d) None of the above.
Answer: (a) understood his mother.
Complete the sentences
1. Jack’s father says he’ll get his mother a cookbook because________________.
Answer: Jack demanded that they eat American food, and his father wanted to help his mother accommodate this demand to appease their son.
2. Jack’s mother stopped making paper animals when Jack was in high school because________________.
Answer: Jack was no longer interested in them or in what she had to say, and he rejected any new animals she made by stuffing them away in a box.
3. Jack’s mother refused to visit the doctor for her pain because________________.
Answer: she said it was no big deal.
4. Jack’s mother wanted to speak to Jack alone because________________.
Answer: she wanted to give him her final, personal instructions to keep the box of paper animals and to think of her every year on Qingming.
5. Jack boxed his paper menagerie because________________.
Answer: a schoolmate, Mark, had teased him about his Chinese heritage, calling his paper tiger “cheap Chinese garbage,” which made Jack feel embarrassed and want to reject everything associated with his mother’s culture.
——–
1. Jack’s mother made the paper animals because ______.
Answer: she wanted to share her special ability and create a bond with Jack. She breathed life into these paper animals, making them move and behave like real animals.
2. Mom breathed into her paper animals because ______.
Answer: her breath was special. She shared her breath with the paper animals, which made them move with her life. This was her unique magic.
3. Sometimes the animals got into trouble because ______.
Answer: they behaved like real animals. For instance, the water buffalo wanted to wallow in a dish of soy sauce, which made it soggy and unable to stand.
4. Mom made a new shark for Jack, this time out of tinfoil because ______.
Answer: the first paper shark she made became soggy and fell apart when Jack put it in water.
5. Jack stopped talking to his mother because ______.
Answer: he was angry and didn’t like his Chinese heritage, which he saw reflected in his own physical features.
6. Jack packed the paper menageries in a shoebox because ______.
Answer: he was upset with his mother for not speaking English and for not being like other American moms. He wanted to distance himself from his Chinese heritage and fit in with his peers.
7. Even in the hospital where his mother was dying Jack was thinking of his job because ______.
Answer: he was in the middle of the on-campus recruiting season, focused on resumes, transcripts, and strategically constructed interview schedules. He was more concerned about his future career than his mother’s deteriorating health.
8. Jack’s father aged rapidly after his mother died because ______.
Answer: he was deeply affected by her loss. The house they lived in became too big for him and he had to sell it.
9. Susan remarked that Jack’s mother was an amazing artist because ______.
Answer: she found the paper menagerie in the attic and was impressed by the origami animals that Jack’s mother had made.
10. Jack felt ashamed of himself when he heard about his mother’s life because ______.
Answer: he realized how much his existence and their shared language meant to her, and how much pain he caused her by rejecting her and their shared heritage.
Short answer questions
1. Jack narrates the story of his parents’ meeting. How does he feel about his mother? Why?
Answer: When Jack narrates the story of his parents’ meeting, which he heard from his father in high school, he feels contempt for his mother.
He is contemptuous because his mother had put herself up in a catalogue to be bought. As a high school student who thought he knew everything, he wondered what kind of woman would do such a thing, and the feeling of contempt felt good to him, like wine.
2. Was Jack’s childhood happy? Comment.
Answer: Yes, Jack’s childhood was happy. His earliest memory is of his mother comforting him by making an origami tiger, Laohu, and breathing life into it. This tiger, along with other paper animals his mother made, formed his paper menagerie and was his source of entertainment.
His mother would make any animal he asked for, and they would play together. For instance, Laohu would chase the other paper animals, and when they were flattened, Jack would blow into them to re-inflate them so they could run around some more. This shows it was a happy childhood.
3. What is magical realism? How is it used in Ken Liu’s story?
Answer: Magical realism is a genre where fantasy blends with realism, and there is an absence of acknowledgement of the fantastic elements. These elements are narrated in juxtaposition with the rest of the story, so they appear to be true, and specific details are mentioned to make the fantasy seem possible.
In Ken Liu’s story, magical realism is used through the paper animals that Jack’s mother creates. The central fantasy is her ability to breathe life into her origami. An example is when the paper water buffalo jumps into a dish of soy sauce at dinner because it wanted to wallow like a real one. The narrative explains that capillary action had already pulled the dark liquid high up into its legs. The magical act of the paper animal is described with the same ordinariness as the commonplace soy sauce, and the scientific-sounding detail of capillary action makes the fantasy appear possible.
4. Compare and contrast Obi-Wan Kenobi and Laohu.
Answer: Laohu and the Obi-Wan Kenobi action figure are contrasted as examples of art versus consumer items. Laohu is a unique piece of art, an origami tiger made by Jack’s mother from leftover wrapping paper. He is brought to life by his mother’s breath, a special skill passed down from her own mother. Laohu is inexpensive but unique, intricate, and irreplaceable.
In contrast, the Obi-Wan Kenobi figure is a consumer item. It is expensive and mass-produced. Mark, the owner of the action figure, fails to appreciate Laohu and calls it “trash.” When the figure breaks, Jack is able to replace it by buying a new one for Mark. This juxtaposition shows the difference between personal, handmade art filled with love and impersonal, mass-produced consumer goods.
5. Jack’s mother makes a moving distinction between ‘ai’ and love. Give a character sketch of his mother based on this.
Answer: Jack’s mother distinguishes between the English word ‘love’ and the Chinese word ‘ai’ by explaining that when she says ‘love’, she feels it in her lips, but when she says ‘ai’, she feels it in her heart. This shows that for her, the English word is a mental concept, while the Chinese word represents a genuine, deep emotion connected to her identity.
This distinction reveals her character as a resilient and loving woman whose identity is tied to her Chinese heritage. She endured great hardships, including the Great Famines, the Cultural Revolution, and being sold and abused in Hong Kong, before becoming a mail-order bride as her only hope. In America, she finds joy in her son, Jack, seeing him as a connection to her lost family and culture. Her love, or ‘ai’, is expressed through her magical origami. Even when Jack rejects her, her love for him continues, as shown by the heartfelt letter she writes to him, ensuring her story and her ‘ai’ would reach him after her death.
6. Compare contrast Jack parents’ response to their respective cultures.
Answer: Jack’s parents have very different responses to their cultures. Jack’s mother is deeply connected to her Chinese culture. It is the source of her identity, her skills, and her deepest feelings. She expresses her love through the traditional art of origami, speaks to Jack in her mother tongue, and feels that the Chinese word for love, ‘ai’, comes from her heart. Her culture is a living part of her that she wants to share with her son. Jack’s father, an American, expects his wife to assimilate into the dominant American culture. When Jack rejects his Chinese heritage, his father takes his son’s side, telling his wife she must speak English because Jack needs to fit in. He gets her a cookbook to learn American cooking and tells her, “You are in America.” While he cares for his wife, he does not adequately support her cultural identity and fails to understand the pain caused by their son’s rejection of her.
Long answer questions
1. Describe the shock that Jack felt on being singled out as different and made fun of? Give an example, real or fictional, of how bi-racial children are treated in any country.
Answer: When Jack was ten, his family moved to a new neighbourhood where he first experienced being singled out. Two American women, their neighbours, spoke ill of his mixed-race family, calling him a little monster with slanty eyes and a white face. This was followed by a visit from Mark, a popular neighbourhood boy. When Jack’s paper tiger, Laohu, accidentally broke Mark’s action figure, Mark punched Jack and furiously shouted that the toy probably cost more than what Jack’s dad had paid for his mom. His words shocked Jack beyond imagination. Mark then tore Laohu in half, calling it stupid cheap Chinese garbage. This incident, combined with a campaign of bullying at school, made Jack realise his mother was a mail-order bride of Chinese origin, something he felt embarrassed about. The shock of being ridiculed for his Chinese roots made him want to fit in with his peers, and in his attempt to be accepted, he shunned everything connected to his Chinese mother.
In many countries, bi-racial children can face unique challenges. They may feel like they do not fully belong to either of their parents’ cultures. Sometimes, they might experience prejudice from both communities, where one group may not accept them because of their mixed heritage, and the other group may see them as different. This can lead to a sense of confusion about their identity as they try to understand where they fit in society. They might be subject to stereotypes or insensitive questions about their background from people who do not understand their experience.
2. Give instances from the story to show Jack was loved by both his parents but his mother loved him more.
Answer: Instances from the story show that Jack was loved by both his parents. One of his earliest memories is of sobbing, and both his mother and father tried to soothe him. After the incident with Mark, his father bought him a full set of Star Wars action figures to make him feel better. The father also tried to mediate, telling Jack that he should not treat his mother badly and attempting to get Jack to speak to her again when he was in high school by telling him the story of how they met.
However, his mother’s love was shown to be deeper and more constant. To comfort him as a crying child, she made him a magical origami tiger, Laohu, and later an entire menagerie of paper animals. She would play with him for hours with these creations. Despite Jack’s apathetic attitude and rejection of her as he grew older, his mother never stopped loving him. She would secretly make new paper animals and leave them on his nightstand. On her deathbed, her main concern was for Jack’s well-being and future. The most significant display of her love was the letter she wrote to him, hidden inside the paper tiger, where she poured out her life story and her deep, unending love for him, explaining that in him, she saw her lost family and everything she had ever loved. The father’s support, in contrast, was sometimes weak, as he took Jack’s side when Jack demanded his mother stop speaking Chinese, telling her that Jack needed to fit in.
3. How does the story show the influence of a person’s environment on the person’s actions as well as his/her perceptions?
Answer: The story shows that Jack is heavily influenced by the environment in which he lived. The conflicts in the story begin when Jack and his family move to a new house across town, into what was probably an all-white suburb of Connecticut. Before the move, Jack was unaware of his mother’s different background and had a happy, uncomplicated relationship with her and his Chinese heritage.
In the new environment, he is exposed to prejudice. The ladies who lived next door pointed out that his mother and father were different and that he looked like a monster. Mark, a popular boy, brought his attention to his being different from other all-American families. This new environment caused Jack to perceive his Chinese roots as something to be embarrassed about. In an attempt to fit in and be accepted by his peers, his actions changed drastically; he shunned everything about his Chinese heritage, including his mother. He demanded that she speak only English and cook American food, and he packed away her handmade paper animals.
Later, the environment again influences a change in him. His girlfriend, Susan, finds the paper menagerie and shows admiration for his mother’s art, calling her an amazing artist. She uses the origami animals as showpieces. This positive reaction from his environment helps bring about the denouement of the story, leading to Jack’s eventual acceptance of his heritage.
4. How is the story a tragedy of racism?
Answer: The story is a tragedy of racism because the racism Jack experiences is the root cause of his estrangement from his mother. The racism begins from the outside world, with the neighbours’ cruel comments about his mixed-race appearance and Mark’s bullying at school, where Jack’s Chinese roots were made fun of.
This external prejudice leads to Jack internalizing the racism. He becomes embarrassed by his Chinese heritage, asking his father if he has a ‘Chink face’ and using the slang term to refer to his own features. This self-hatred is then directed at his mother, whom he sees as the source of his difference. The tragedy is the result of this: he starts ignoring his mother, and their bond is broken. As a result, the mother lost her son’s love. Both of them became unhappy in their own way.
The tragedy is completed by his mother’s death. Jack only comes to understand the depth of her love and the hardships she faced after she is gone and he reads her letter. He regrets the past decade that was full of loss and regret when it could have been full of trust and love. The story thus shows how racism can sever the fundamental connection between a mother and her child, leading to immense pain and a tragic, irreversible loss.
5. Describe Jack’s interaction with Mark. How does it mark the crisis in the story?
Answer: The interaction begins when Mark, a popular but rude and arrogant boy, comes over to Jack’s house to play. Mark shows off his Star Wars action figures, while Jack only has his paper menagerie. Mark is dismissive of Jack’s toys, calling them trash. During their play, Jack’s paper tiger, Laohu, pounces on Mark’s Obi-Wan Kenobi figure, which falls and breaks. In anger, Mark punches Jack hard and shouts that the action figure probably cost more than what Jack’s father paid for his mother. Mark then grabs Laohu, crumples him, and tears the paper tiger in half, throwing the pieces at Jack and calling them “stupid cheap Chinese garbage.”
This interaction marks the crisis in the story because it is the turning point for Jack. The event makes Jack an object of further ridicule at school. It is the catalyst that transforms his vague feelings of being different into acute shame and rejection of his Chinese identity. Immediately following this incident, Jack discards his paper menagerie and begins to reject his mother. He demands that she speak English, refuses to eat Chinese food, and grows increasingly distant from her. This episode is the direct cause of the central conflict—the straining and eventual breaking of the relationship between Jack and his mother, setting in motion the tragic events that follow.
6. What role does translation play in the story? Discuss.
Answer: In the story, language through translation represents the desire to connect with other human beings. Initially, translation facilitates connection. Jack’s father could have rejected Jack’s mother because she did not know English, but instead, he hired a translator to connect with her. This choice to seek connection despite a language barrier leads to their marriage and the birth of Jack.
In his childhood, Jack, knowing both Chinese and English, is connected to both his parents and acts as a bridge for their communication. However, language later becomes a tool for disconnection. After being ridiculed by his peers, Jack forces himself away from the Chinese language to be accepted by them. As a result, he could not read or write his mother’s language, creating a barrier that she could not cross to share her feelings or her story with him.
At the end of the story, translation is once again the means for reconnection. Now older and more mature, Jack finds his mother’s letter written in Chinese. Unable to read it, he goes out to seek a translator. This act of seeking translation allows him to finally hear his mother’s voice and learn about her tough childhood and the pain caused by his estrangement. Through the translated letter, he understands her love, which allows him to form a new relationship with her memory and accept his heritage. Thus, language and its translation are central to the themes of connection, disconnection, and eventual reconciliation.
7. How does Susan bring about a change in Jack? What is the result of this change?
Answer: Two years after his mother’s death, Jack’s girlfriend Susan helps bring about a change in him. While helping to pack up his father’s house, Susan finds the old shoebox containing the paper menagerie. Unlike others in Jack’s past who saw the animals as trash, Susan shows admiration for his mother’s art. She calls his mother an amazing artist and proceeds to use the origami animals as showpieces, displaying them throughout their apartment. This act provides Jack with a new, positive perspective on his mother’s creations, reframing them as valuable art rather than a source of shame. This new environment, created by Susan’s appreciation, sets the stage for Jack’s acceptance of his heritage.
The result of this change is that it creates the conditions for Jack’s final reconciliation with his mother’s memory. Because Susan displayed the animals, the paper tiger Laohu is out of its box and is able to come to life on the day of Qingming. The reappearance of Laohu leads Jack to discover the letter his mother had written inside it. This discovery prompts him to find a translator, read the letter, and finally understand his mother’s life story and her immense love for him. The ultimate result is Jack’s acceptance of his ancestry and his renewed love for his mother. He refolds the letter back into the tiger and cradles it, signifying that he has reconnected with his past and is beginning to heal. Susan, therefore, acts as an important catalyst for this transformation.
Additional questions and answers
1. Who is the narrator of the story?
Answer: The story is narrated by Jack, the son of a Chinese woman and an American man.
35. The main idea projected in the story is about social prejudices and their impact on human relationships. Discuss.
Answer: The story explores the theme of social prejudices and their impact on relationships through Jack’s experiences. Jack’s mother is a Chinese immigrant who faces prejudice and isolation due to her lack of English proficiency and her adherence to her cultural practices. Jack, influenced by the prejudices of his peers and society, begins to feel embarrassed by his mother’s differences and distances himself from her. This leads to a strained relationship and a loss of connection with his cultural heritage. The story highlights how social prejudices can create divisions and misunderstandings within families and cause individuals to reject their own identities. It also underscores the importance of empathy and understanding in overcoming these prejudices.
Additional MCQs
1. How did the mother end up in America?
A. She was born in America
B. She moved for a job opportunity
C. She was a mail-order bride
D. She won a lottery for a green card
Answer: C. She was a mail-order bride
22. What is Qingming?
A. a type of food
B. a traditional dance
C. a ritual to remember the dead
D. a New Year celebration
Answer: C. a ritual to remember the dead
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