DISCUSSION QUESTIONS The Downstairs Girl |
1. Stacey Lee says in her author’s note that she’s “always trying to
tell the stories of people who’ve fallen through the cracks.” Why are
these important stories to tell? In what ways both literal and
metaphorical is Jo Kuan someone who has fallen through the cracks?
2. Part of Jo’s identity is informed by the racial dichotomy of black
vs. white. As a Chinese person, Jo doesn’t fall into either side of this
divide, providing her with both privileges as a non-black person and
marginalizations as a non-white person. What are the different ways both
Jo’s privilege and lack thereof are exemplified throughout the story?
What does that mean for someone who experiences intersectional
identities?
3. Jo often shrouds herself in shadows, whether it’s literally in the
basement of the Bells’ home, or figuratively under the pseudonym of Miss
Sweetie. How else do shadows appear throughout The Downstairs Girl? What
characters also spend time in the shadows? How do the intersections of
race and gender play into their hidden selves?
4. Jo is criticized for being opinionated at Mrs. English’s millinery,
but subscribers love Miss Sweetie’s saucebox comments—think about what
distinguishes Jo from Miss Sweetie and compare.
5. Characters in the book are both encouraged to and discouraged from
sharing their opinions based on their race and gender. What does this
say about the society that dictates these unspoken rules?
6. Words and language are very important in The Downstairs Girl, whether
it is Old Gin’s sayings, Miss Sweetie’s clever turns of phrase, or the
ways different characters address one another, depending on their
station. Discuss the use of language in the novel and identify ways,
both large and small, that the words used define the situation.
7. On p. 39, Jo states that “Someone needs to blow the trumpets of
change. Someone who has viewed society both from the top branch and the
bottom, from the inside of the tree and from the outside.” How do
different characters’ actions match this description? What kinds of
change are they trying to effect, both big and small?
8. Miss Sweetie tackles many issues of the day in her columns and uses
her platform to shed light on injustice. Discuss the changes Miss
Sweetie is able to make through her writing, and how that impacts her
life both directly and indirectly throughout the story.
9. Naomi says, “We got to jump in and make the rules . . . Or someone
else will make them for us” (p. 115). In what ways do Jo and other
characters attempt to make the rules? What role do rules—and their
breaking, expanding, and reimagining—play in the story?
10.Jo and Noemi witness the statue of a Confederate officer being
erected. Use their discussion on p. 114 as a jumping-off point to
address the current events around the removal of these statues
throughout the South. |
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