The Girl at the Baggage Claim by Gish Jen | Book Club

Details

Host: Denise

Pages to read: 259
ISBN: 9781101947821 (Originally listed edition)
ISBN: 9781101947838 (Edition Eugene is using)

Summary from Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/30689352

A provocative and important study of the different ideas Easterners and Westerners have about the self and society and what this means for current debates in art, education, geopolitics, and business.

Eugene's review of the book:
https://www.inquiryreviews.com/2023/04/review-of-girl-at-baggage-claim.html

While reading the book, consider the below questions:

•What is the raison d’etre of the book? For what purpose did the author write the book? Why do people read this book?
•What are some limitations of the book?

Title story, the girl at the baggage claim revisited upon reading

Part I: We Edit the World
1: What do you think about 17th century Chinese artist Xiang Shengmo’s Self Portrait?
2: What is your reaction to those copycats in cityscape? What’s the difference in ‘lin’, ‘mo’, and ‘fang’ in Chinese tradition?
3: What is Two Selves model? How does this lead to divergent view points ? How did you fare on those tests (And Which Are You, Still Other Tests)? Stigma of Collectivism? What historical aspects may explain the origin of Western individualism?
4: What is the Asian Paradox? Does the rice culture help to explain this phenomenon?

Part II: The Flexi-Self
5: What is flexi-self? What are contrasting social examples from independent and interdependent cultures? Why did ‘Thank You’ offend the Indian uncle?
6-7: What do you make of the phenomenon of Dafen painting village? What’s the difference between master and genius? What is China’s style of innovation?
8: Gaokao, historical roots? How do you find the essay questions in Gaokao test? What is the idea behind ‘following the natural bend of things’ (Bruce Lee)?
9: What is the "Li"? How is "Li" manifested in China and other Asian nations’ social and cultural lives? Does rote memory work?

Part III The Big Pit Self
10: What is Joe Henrich’a WEIRD model? How do east and west differ in their attribution of personal achievements? How does this affect perception of happiness? How is this related to fixed va growth mindset?
11: How does Calvinism influence Americans? What is a positive rebel and how are they valued in American life?

Part IV Meeting and Mixings
12: Why aren’t Asian students as open in sharing their thought process or speaking about themselves? What do you think of ‘The knower does not say, the sayer does not know’ (Daodejing)? Where did American autobiographical culture come from? Historically? Social motivations?
13-14: What’s the benefit of being ambidependene? How do we cultivate such characteristics?

Your questions are important and will take priority.

Community Guidelines:
https://www.inquiryreviews.com/p/discussion-expectations.html

Upcoming event:
https://www.meetup.com/Inquiry-Non-Fiction-Book-Club-for-Inquiring-Minds/events/

Forthcoming Similar Events:
1 - Culture - 09/23/2023 = Why Societies Need Dissent by Cass R. Sunstein (https://www.meetup.com/inquiry-book-club-for-inquiring-minds/events/290763945/)
2 - Culture - 10/07/2023 = The Gulag Archipelago 1918–1956 by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn (https://www.meetup.com/inquiry-book-club-for-inquiring-minds/events/290196455/)
3 - Culture - 10/28/2023 = Woke Racism: How a New Religion Has Betrayed Black America by John McWhorter (https://www.meetup.com/inquiry-book-club-for-inquiring-minds/events/290196499/)
4 - Culture - 11/04/2023 = Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes by Edith Hamilton (https://www.meetup.com/inquiry-book-club-for-inquiring-minds/events/291932110/)
5 - Culture - 12/09/2023 The Wolf Age: The Vikings, the Anglo-Saxons by Tore Skeie (https://www.meetup.com/inquiry-book-club-for-inquiring-minds/events/292157903/)

Contribute:
The club has costs. If you appreciate the event, support the club. Contribute via: