1. American Born Chinese: The Monkey King
Investigating the True Meaning of the Monkey King

2. Your Monkey King Story
Take a minute to think about these questions. Be prepared to discuss your answers with the class.
When did you first hear the story of the Monkey King?
What is the story about?
Who told you this story?
Why do you think they told you?

3. American Born Chinese Version: Characters
The Monkey King
The Gods
The New
Monkey King
Wong-Lai-Tsao
The Emissaries
Tze-You-Tzuh

4. American Born Chinese Version: Plot (a summary of the story)
The Monkey King made all of the monkeys wear shoes
so they would be more like the other Gods.
So the creator punished the Monkey King by trapping
him under a pile of rocks for 500 years.
He wanted to go to the dinner party,
but he was not aloud to because he was a monkey.
Next, he went to the Creator of the Universe and insulted him.
He found the Gods and bullied them with his new powers.
Then he became more powerful than the other Gods.
He beat up all of the Gods because he was angry.
The Monkey King became King.

5. American Born Chinese Version: Plot (a summary of the story)
Of the four legendary monks, Wong Lai-Tsao was the least
impressive, but had the greatest heart.
Escaping just in time, the Monkey King helped the old man
defeat the monsters that chased him.
The Monkey was now in debt to the old man, so he helped
the man on his journey to the West.
The Emissaries selected him to journey to the West with
three packages, but first he had to find the a monkey.
To free the Monkey King from his prison, he said to
become his true self and he would escape.

6. American Born Chinese Version: Themes
Assimilation
Vengeance
Power

7. American Born Chinese Version: Themes
Self-Discovery
Rejection
Prejudice

8. Compare / Contrast
How does your story of the Monkey King compare to the story written in ABC?
What are the similarities?
What are the differences?
Did the purpose of the story change between the two stories or is it the same?
If it did, how did it change?

9. Have you ever felt like the Monkey King?
One important part of understanding a story is to be able to make connections between what you are reading and what you already know.
In this way, you are to write a short essay that addresses this prompt:
Describe a situation where you have felt like the Monkey King.
How did it make you feel?
How did you respond to that situation?
What would you tell someone else who feels that way?