memory, language, family
 Born Aug 19, 1957 in Jakarta, Indonesia
 Maternal grandfather was China’s 1st
republican president
 Lee’s father was personal physician to
Mao; exiled to Indonesia for
anti-Communist views
 1958 – Lee’s father imprisoned in Indonesia for pro-
Western views; family escapes to Hong Kong
 1964 – family immigrates for final time to U.S.
 Lee’s father abandons medical practice to become
Presbyterian minister
 1980s - began writing poetry while at U of Pittsburgh
 1986 – publication of Rose
 Ethnic vs universal artist?
 Image  concrete description that evokes an abstract
concept. Ex: a dark night and death
 Motif  reoccurring object, concept, structure that
suggests the theme of a literary work. Ex: the blank
book in Oscar Wao
 What seems to be the most significant image in “The
Gift”? What idea is conveyed by that image? Why?
 What is the significance of the persimmon in the
second poem? What are the different ways it reoccurs
and why?
 Persimmons – motif that suggests how to create
connections despite differences
 Stanza 1  linguistic difference
 Stanza 2  cultural difference
 Stanza 3  physical intimacy
overrides disconnection of language
 Stanzas 4-5
 Mrs. Walker vs mother
 Stanzas 6-end
 persimmons as connection between father and son
 “Eating Together”  food connects family despite
death
 “I ask my mother to sing”  song creates connection
between first and second-generation
 “Mnemonic”
 What is a mnemonic?
 What is the poem attempting to say about memory?
 Accuracy vs Significance
 Stanza 1  setting
 Stanzas 2-4  where is “here”?
 Stanzas 5-7  what is the “truth”?
 Stanzas 8-13  visions as truth; truth as interpretation
 Fri 5/4 – “When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine”
 Mon 5/7 – “Interpreter of Maladies”
 Wed 5/9 – “Sexy”
 Fri 5/11 – “The Third and Final Continent”
 Mon 5/14 – Finals Review
 Fri 5/18 – Final Exam, 11am-1pm
 Cumulative, blue book, no notes, no books
 Part 1: Short Answer
 Part 2: Essay on Li-Young Lee and/or Jhumpa Lahiri