I read the story “ Good Deed”, the last article of the book “Good Deed”. A Chinese old lady helped a girl find husband in America. This article was first published in 1953 in ‘women’s home companion’ under title’A husband for Lili’.
1）A) Old Mrs. Pan lived in China Szechuen province, her husband was a large landowner, had been died. After the Communist took over, Mr.Pan, her son, paid out a large sums of America money , to get her to leaving China, went to America, New York City. They lived together now. Mr.Pan had a wife and four children.
B) Old Mrs. Pan was homesickness. She didn’t like the American food, she can’t understand English, didn’t know what children spoke. Although Mrs.Pan was a Chinese, she born in America, cannot speak Chinese. The four grandchildren disobedience. She felt lonely and useless. She was unhappy, she thought about death, and weaker day after day.
C)Mr.Pan was worried about his mother, he asked his wife to find a woman who can speak Chinese to talk with his mother . Young Mrs.Pan had a schoolmate, she was Chinese but hadn’t been in China, her parents taught her Chinese. Now she is a social worker, her name is Lili Yang. One day, Lili went into old Mrs.Pan’s room, old Mrs.Pan was happy, talked with Lili in Chinese about her life in China.
Discussion Prompts
1. The main character in this story, the older Mrs. Pan, is a victim of culture shock. What has brought this on? How does her discomfort manifest itself? Is there a glimmer of hope for her recovery within the first couple of pages?
2. Is the author’s portrayal of Mrs. Pan believable?
3. What is her son like? How do he and his mother relate to each other initially?
4. How does Mrs. Pan feel about her daughter-in-law? Why?.
5. When does the relationship between Mrs. Pan and her son begin to change?
6. When does Mrs. Pan’s outlook begin to improve? What cure is applied to her condition? By whom?
7. Is Lily an appealing character? What are her main attributes?
8. As the story continues, the reader is given many opportunities to get to know Mrs. Pan, often by what she says and thinks. Pick a few instances that for you work well to reveal her character.
9. What signs are we given that Mrs. Pan is recovering and beginning to adjust to her new situation? What symbolic devices does the author employ to indicate these changes?
10. What is Mrs. Pan’s reaction to Lily’s description of courtship and marriage in 1950s America? What effect did their conversation have on you? Is it possible that the author is suggesting that modern Americans might learn something from ancient Chinese marriage customs?
11. Does Lily’s description of the experience of “older” unmarried women in the U.S. in the 1950s seem typical of that period? Believable? Accurate? Does the author seem sympathetic to their plight? If so, how does this sympathy reconcile itself with her insistence that women share equally in the world outside the home?
12. How does Lily feel about Mrs. Pan’s promise to help her find a husband? What does Mr. Pan say of his mother’s plan? Did this comment make you think about contemporary American attitudes toward immigrants?
13. Does the young Mr. Lim seem like a good match for Lily? Why or why not? Are there good reasons that they might connect so quickly and intensely? Is the story’s ending contrived?
14. As you reach the story’s end, what are your thoughts on the effectiveness of its title?
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D) when old Mrs. Pan knew Lili was twenty seven years old and still not married, she was shocked. When she knew Lili’s parents were died, no person can arranged her marriage, and Lili was not very pretty, can’t found husband by herself though she longed for, she decided to arranged marriage for Lili. But Lili did not believe old Mrs Pan could do that.
E) Old Mrs. Pan told her son about Lili, she thought the marriage should be arranged by parents, she wished to stand as Lili’s mother.Mr.Pan told that to his wife . But Mr. and Mrs. Pan thought the marriage should by themselves . They discussed the difference between China and America.
F) Old Mrs.Pan now often went to the window, opened window, gazed into the street, she was pleased to see many Chinese men. One day, a young man looking up and smiled to her, and she made a gesture of her hand in return. She noticed the man was belonged a china shop. After some weeks watching, she began to fix the man as a husband of Lili! She told to Mr. Pan her thoughts, but Mr. Pan said the man’s father was old Mr. Lim, the richest man in the street, he cannot love Lili.
G) Old Mrs. Pan wants to know more about this man, she pretended to go to the porcelain shop to buy two bowls. She coax her grandson to lead her across the street to the china shop, the young man saw her, led her in. They fell to talking. Talked about Chinese and a little about Lili. The young man leaded old Mrs.Pan across street back to home.
H) When Mr.Pan knew his mother went to the china shop, he knew why his mother so, he telephoned Lili, asked her coming. When Lili arrived, old Mrs.Pan pretended wanting to by some dishes, and let Lili leading her to the china shop. James Lim and his father were in the store. Mr.Lim talked with Lili, they loved each other.And old Mrs.Pan talked with old Mr.Lim about to arrange marriage, they thought that was a Good Deed。
2) I think:
A) China and the United States have different social and cultural backgrounds. China used to be a feudal society for a long time. Women are at home and do not work. Marriage is arranged by parents. Now it's different, women also participate in work and have autonomy in marriage. But there are still many feudal traditions in China's current social culture. Emphasizing obedience and lacking democratic awareness. In meetings, it is usually reported by subordinates to superiors and instructed by superiors. Few subordinates criticize their superiors, and few superiors humbly seek opinions. In the United States, leaders humbly seek public opinion.
B)
Marriage is an important thing for everyone's life! Some people fail to find suitable partners due to various reasons, and help them to find is a good deed.
My wife’s mother asked me to find a husband for my wife’s cousin. I had a co-worker who had no girl friends. So I introduced him. He and the girl loved each other. Although girl’s father opposite, but my wife’s mother and father support . The girl and my co-worker married. They lived happily. I also did a good deed.
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