Burma (now known as Myanmar) was occupied by the British from the nineteenth century until 1948. Discuss the role of memory in the novel, both individual and collective.Ĩ. Given what you know about each character, how do you think they are able to withstand the time apart?ħ. They become inseparable, but then they are separated for decades.

Tin Win and Mi Mi develop an intense, literally symbiotic relationship: he walks for her she acts as his eyes.

Does this change the mood or the flow of the novel? The way you see the characters?Ħ. A portion of the novel is in the form of letters. Is U Saw portrayed as a villain - or is he even villainous?ĥ. But to U Saw’s discredit, his motives are self-interested, and for his own convenience, he obstructs all communication between Tin Win and Mi Mi. Tin Win’s wealthy uncle, U Saw, finances Tin Win’s eye operation and subsequent education abroad. In your opinion, what does U May model for Tin Win? How does Tin Win grow in these years?Ĥ. After he loses his sight, Tin Win spends several years in a monastery under the tutelage of the abbot, U May.

Do you see this developmental difference reflected in the adult each one becomes, or in the way the two relate to one another?ģ. Mi Mi’s mother, especially, adores her daughter. Tin Win is born to parents who abandon him as a child but Mi Mi is born into a close-knit family. In your opinion, what does the back-and-forth between Julia’s and U Ba’s narratives add to the telling of the love story between Tin Win and Mi Mi? How do these stories interrelate?Ģ.

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