90 pages • 3 hours read
Michelle ZaunerCrying in H Mart
Nonfiction | Autobiography / Memoir | Adult | Published in 2021A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Essay Topics
Explore how Zauner’s relationship with food is tied to her relationship with her mother and her mother’s family. What does traditional Korean food mean in the context of this memoir?
How does Zauner’s biracial identity create inner conflict, and how does that conflict resolve throughout the memoir?
Zauner and Chongmi struggle throughout Zauner’s early life. How does this struggle continue into Chongmi’s illness?
What conflicts exist between Zauner and Kye, and why are these tensions significant given Zauner’s attempts to be there for Chongmi during her illness?
How is Zauner’s decision to get married on impulse consistent with her view of love and marriage?
In the game Zauner plays with Eunmi, she selects the monkey. How is the significance of this choice borne out throughout the memoir? Was the game an accurate depiction of Zauner’s character?
How does Chongmi’s relationship to art connect with Zauner’s own journey as an artist?
How does Zauner’s understanding of her upbringing change throughout the memoir?
Why does Zauner become so upset after her father attempts to connect her more closely with him (for example, by calling them both foodies) in the wake of her mother’s death?
How do the novel’s closing images reflect Zauner arriving at a point of resolution and acceptance of her grief?
