Teaching East Asia: Korea Teaching East Asia: Korea | Page 150

Chapter Three - A Goose for the Wedding
1. Who arranged for Willow’s marriage? How old was she when she married?
2. What characters did Jade put on her gift to Willow? Why?
3. Briefly describe the ceremony.
4. What is said about geese (wedding ducks) and what they symbolized?
5. Why was Willow forbidden to eat or drink the day of the wedding?
6. Why did Jade want to cry? (You will find a folk art image of Korean wedding ducks that
could be introduced to students) Also, Google, Images, Korean wedding ducks)
Chapter Four – Thread with No End
1. How did Jade’s life change after Willow’s marriage?
2. What did Jade mean when she thought that “the thread seemed to have no end”?
3. Jade’s role is clearly defined and limited. What is her brother able to do that she cannot do?
4. What is said about paying respects to one’s ancestors? This custom relates to the beliefs
of Confucius.
Chapter Five – Baskets to Market
1. Explain briefly how Jade is able to escape from her home and its surrounding walls?
Chapter Six – The Road to Willow
1. What are jiggebs? p. 34
2. What is the reaction of the people in the market place to Jade? Why were they so curious
about her?
Chapter Seven – The Prisoners
1. What does Chang tell Jade about the prisoners (see pages 88-89 in the author’s notes)?
Chapter Eight – The Gatekeeper
1. Why was Jade unsuccessful in seeing Willow as revealed in this chapter?
Chapter Nine – A Willing Heart
1. What do you learn about the role of the father and the role of the mother in Korean society?
2. What do you learn about why Willow refused to see Jade?
3. Jade and her mother have a chance to communicate about the role of women. How does
Jade’s mother feel about her role as wife and mother? Do you think her mother felt fulfilled
about her role in life?
Chapter Ten - Different Roles
1. What was the custom related to conversation at meals?
2. Jade learns that the prisoners might be killed, but what were the reasons that they
were not killed?
3. What does Jade learn from her brother about the life of most people in Korea?
4. What happens to the servant who took Jade to market and why?
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