1. Discuss the principal lessons that Young Fu learns from Tang the coppersmith. How do the lessons concerning copper- and brass-work relate to more general lessons about conduct and character?

2. Although he is poor and fatherless, Young Fu feels that he is "favored by fortune." In what ways is he "favored"?

3. Tang tells Young Fu that one lesson he must learn before he becomes an adult is expressed in the saying: "The superior man finds pleasure in doing what is uncongenial." Why is this an important lesson?

4. Give examples from the text of conflicts between old customs and beliefs and new ways of seeing and doing things.

5. Compare and contrast Young Fu's view of foreigners with his mother's view of foreigners.

6. Several characters, such as Wei and the man who makes the speech in the tea house, are revolutionaries. Is there a disparity between what...