The Magic Fish

Pages 1-117

Reading Check

1. Her aunt Velvet (Pages 1-42)

2. It has a lot of patches (Pages 1-42)

3. Al (Pages 1-42)

4. Julian (Pages 43-48)

5. His cross (Pages 70-88)

Short Answer

1. Red is the present. Yellow marks a memory. Blue is used for fairytales. (Pages 1-42)

2. They both seem to speak different languages, as Hiền primarily speaks Vietnamese while Tiền uses English more often. (Pages 1-42)

3. They’ve become citizens, giving them more flexibility to travel. (Pages 1-42)

4. He doesn’t know how to say that he is gay in Vietnamese. (Pages 43-48)

5. She doesn’t want him to miss out on anything, especially since she never had an opportunity to attend school dances. (Pages 70-88)

Pages 118-184

Reading Check

1. Her mother has passed away. (Pages 118-127)

2. Because he has nothing to wear (Pages 118-127)

3. A magic fish (Pages 128-150)

4. She makes her separate grains of white and brown rice. (Pages 128-150)

5. Julian (Pages 151-165)

6. Her shoe (Pages 151-165)

7. The bird tricks her into bathing in scalding oil. (Pages 178-184)

Short Answer

1. She wanted her to tell Tiền all of the stories that she had been told growing up. (Pages 118-127)

2. Tiền explains that he feels like everyone’s problems seem bigger than his. (Pages 128-150)

3. She does not approve of two boys dancing together. (Pages 151-165, Pages 166-177)

4. The priest attempts to make Tiền feel guilty for being gay. (Pages 166-177)

5. She says that details change, especially in old stories. (Pages 178-184)

6. It symbolizes how Hiền feels caught between her past and present selves. (Pages 166-177)

Pages 185-229 and Author's Note

Reading Check

1. Six (Pages 185-213)

2. Brandon (Pages 185-213)

3. Her tongue (Pages 185-213)

4. Ondine (Pages 185-213)

5. Bertie (Pages 214-229)

Short Answer

1. He cannot come out to his parents on his terms. (Pages 214-229)

2. So that Hiền can show Tiền that she loves and accepts him no matter what. (Pages 214-229)

3. He wants to think about what happens to immigrants after they arrive. (Author’s Note)