57 pages • 1 hour read
Frances ChaIf I Had Your Face
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2020A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Essay Topics
If I Had Your Face is told from the point of view of four different women. Why do you believe the author decided to use the first-person point of view for each of them, rather than a third person point of view? What does the choice of first-person point of view offer the reader that the third person point of view doesn’t? How would the story have changed? Would it have been as impactful? Why or why not?
Sujin is a very important character in each of the four main protagonist’s lives. Why do you believe the author chose to not dedicate chapters of the novel to Sujin’s point of view? Do you believe Sujin’s perspective should have been included? What kinds of special insights might she have been able to offer that the other characters couldn’t?
In the novel, Seoul is depicted as a city of polarized views and extreme standards. Did this depiction surprise you in any way? How does the culture depicted in the novel relate to or differ from your own?
Throughout the novel, cosmetic surgery is treated as a tool for bettering one’s life, but in western culture, cosmetic surgery is widely considered with a negative connotation. How do you believe your own culture’s perspective on cosmetic surgery impacts the way you relate to and feel about the characters in the story?
Socio-economic status and accessibility to resources play a large role within the conflicts that each of the protagonists face in the novel. Choose a character and discuss how their story might have changed if they were of a different socio-economic status. What do you think the author might be trying to say by painting Seoul as a city of such extremes when it comes to wealth?
Ara’s obsession with the K-pop star Taein provides her with both comfort and causes her hardship. Do you believe Ara’s dedication and love for Taein was detrimental or helpful to her journey in the novel? How do you think the author might feel about the parasocial relationships fostered between idols and fans?
Family is something that is immensely complicated for each of the characters in the story. Do you think the parents of the protagonists bear any blame for the way the women’s lives have turned out? Do you believe that the protagonists owe their parents anything? Why or why not?
In the novel, Kyuri states that “It is easy to leap when you have no choice” (260). How do you think this mantra applies to each of the characters? Do you believe that the characters truly have no choice? Why or why not?
The disparity between men and women is a major element within the novel. How do you think the protagonists’ encounters with gender inequality highlight the importance of solidarity among women? Which interactions between characters make this importance become more apparent?
Although the protagonists each lead separate lives with different challenges, they ultimately come to rely on each other for support and friendship. What do you think drives their deep loyalty to each other? Do you believe these relationships are relationships of convenience or genuine?
