To Live

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. Consider the differences between agrarian and industrial communities. How do the types of societies that form around them vary? What role does technology play in shaping their economies?

Teaching Suggestion: This Short Answer question invites students to consider the historical and sociological contexts of Hua’s story: the urban-rural divide in mid-20th century Chinese society. Prior to the creation of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, China was historically a nation of farmers, where agricultural output was the primary source of income for communities. As a result, Chinese society and folklore placed a high importance on The Connection Between Humans and Animals. After 1949, government policies introduced a series of regulations related to production, output, and restructuring of individual farming in relation to collectivism, within the context of the theme Political Systems and Class Divides. However, as Hua’s novel indicates, these programs were largely unsuccessful and even harmful to agrarian communities in China. Before students respond to the prompt, consider introducing and discussing a series of photographs that demonstrate the differences between agrarian and industrial communities in general. As students begin conducting research, they might address the differences in their expectations from these general differences to those of mid-20th century Chinese society.

• This overview from the TAG-Confucius Institute discusses the history of agriculture in China.
• This article from the University of Oxford examines the effect of increasing global urbanization on contemporary society.
• This paper from JSTOR explores the beginnings of agriculture in multiple regions of China.

2. In which ways did World War II (WWII) transform the world? How did Asian countries respond to the reconfiguration of global politics after the war?

Teaching Suggestion: This Short Answer question invites students to consider the historical context of the novel: life in rural China during the latter half of the 20th century. Hua’s narrative focuses on the life of Fugui, a Chinese farmer, during the tumultuous decades post-WWII. Although Fugui does not delve into the geopolitics during these years, his narrative is an example of how changing Political Systems and Class Divides affect all facets of societies in different ways. Students may be unfamiliar with this history, in which case you might consider dividing the class in half: The first half might research the aftereffects of WWII on the world, and the second half might research how Asian countries responded. Students may benefit from access to the links below or similar resources as they explore these topics, and they could share their findings later in a class-wide discussion.

• This article from Cambridge University Press discusses the end of WWII and its effect on Chinese society.
• This entry from Britannica shares a thorough overview of the major changes to China after 1949.

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the text.

What is the role of the folktale in historical communities? Are there any folktales that are passed down in your family? Which ones are you familiar with? What are they about, and why might they be passed down from one generation to the next?

Teaching Suggestion: This Personal Connection Prompt invites students to consider the role of the folktale in their own community. For traditional societies, folktales were important forms of communication and storytelling, primarily in societies with low literacy rates. In the novel, the narrator’s primary goal is to gather folktales from the agrarian communities, thereby indicating the importance of consolidating oral traditions as a form of lived history. Some students may not be aware that many of the stories they know are, in fact, folktales. Browsing this list of American folktales may help students make connections between the term and the content passed down by their families. The resource below may also be helpful in crafting a class-wide definition of the term. This Personal Connection Prompt directly segues to the Discussion/Analysis Prompt.

• This article from the American Folklore Society covers several topics under the umbrella of folklore, including fake news, legends, and holidays.

Differentiation Suggestion: For students who would like an additional challenge or for those who may not know any folktales from their family, this Personal Connection Prompt may be amended to include research: What is the role of the folktale in historical communities? Consider a popular tale of folklore in literature or the media. Research the history of this tale, and share a brief summary in an informal presentation with the class. Alternatively, you might provide a list of folktales for students to research and report on.