To Live

The narrator is working as a folk song collector when he first meets Fugui. What is the significance of the narrator’s job in the novel? Think specifically about folk songs in relation to rural life. How does the structure of Hua’s novel mirror the concept of a folktale?

Teaching Suggestion: This Discussion/Analysis Prompt invites students to connect their responses from the Personal Connection Prompt with the novel. Students may use the link in the Personal Connection Prompt or this review to understand the organization as well as the significance of Hua’s story, which mirrors the structure of a folktale through Hua’s narrative. In this way, Hua gives a voice to the common agrarian Chinese peasant, as the reader learns about history from the perspective of an average individual.

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

CREATIVE WRITING: “To Live from the Perspective of Fugui’s Family”

In this activity, students will write a narrative from the perspective of one Fugui’s family members.

Hua’s novel shares the experience of Chinese agrarian communities from the perspective of the male protagonist, Fugui.