A Pair of Tickets

At various points, June May comments on characteristics of Chinese people and of China as a country. How does her understanding of what it means to be Chinese evolve throughout the story?

Many characters experience grief in this story, including June May, Canning, and Suyuan. Compare and contrast the ways they manage and experience their grief.

Explore the role of names in this story. Consider Jing-mei’s Americanized name, June May, the poetic names that Suyuan gives to her children, and the dual meaning of Suyuan’s name depending on which Chinese characters are selected to express it.

How does Amy Tan play with the concept of “blood” in the story? What are the different meanings of blood, from biological to symbolic, throughout the narrative?

Examine the role that language plays in June May’s life. What are the sources of her understanding of Cantonese and Mandarin? When does she reject the language of her parents, and when does she decide to embrace it? What do her decisions about and ideas around language reveal about her as a character?

Amy Tan’s stories often focus on mother-daughter relationships. How would you characterize the relationship between June May and Suyuan in “A Pair of Tickets”? How might this compare to relationships developed in other stories or novels by Amy Tan?

What is the meaning of the title “A Pair of Tickets”? As June May is about to head to Shanghai to meet her twin sisters, she thinks, “I get the sense I am going from one funeral to another. In my hand I’m clutching a pair of tickets to Shanghai. In two hours we’ll be there” (305). What are the two funerals she is referring to? How does this inform the meaning of the title?

How does “A Pair of Tickets” reflect and explore historical events in China and the biographical realities of author Amy Tan’s life?