The Emperor of Gladness Essay Questions

Discuss the meaning of the novel's title.

The title is multifaceted, bearing significance on owning one's own happiness while working in a system meant to deter economic mobility. The book takes place in East Gladness, so "Gladness" is not an actual location found on a map, even within the world of the novel. Building on this logic, the "emperor of gladness" means being a ruler of a place that does not physically exist. The word "emperor" alludes to the emperor hogs, which Wayne, Hai, Maureen, and Russia slaughter in Chapter 13. Hai later reflects on how the animals are "named not to signify the act of ruling—but to feed the ruler with their lives" (Chapter 22). Similarly, Hai and his friends labor in a place of stagnation and emotional hardship. Nevertheless, they find joy through connection. The novel's title is also a nod to Wallace Stevens' poem "The Emperor of Ice Cream," which deals with life, appetite, indulgence, and death.

In what ways does Vuong depart from traditional literary tropes?

The most prominent ways that Vuong rejects traditional literary tropes is by subverting the American Dream narrative, avoiding redemptive character arcs, and focusing more on circumstantial family than nuclear family. With brief exceptions, the characters stay in East Gladness throughout the novel. This town is small, post-industrial, and economically challenged. It serves as a microcosm of American working-class life. Overall, Vuong centers marginalized people who live in a place often forgotten by the rest of the country. The characters do not achieve conventional success, but they still experience moments of joy and connection.

In addition, Hai's queerness is not the source of his trauma, which challenges queer literary tropes. His sexuality plays a subtle role in the novel, revealed through fleeting memories and unfulfilled longing.

Analyze Hai's decision(s) regarding Grazina's money.

Hai toggles back and forth between whether or not to spend Grazina's savings, which he first acquired in ethically ambiguous circumstances. Grazina's dementia periodically causes her to live in a different reality. Her sense of time is fluid, meaning that she is convinced that she has returned to a past era. During one of these instances, Grazina gives Hai the money that her husband had left her. She tells Hai (whom she addresses as Sergeant Pepper) to utilize the money for their escape to America from war-torn Europe. However, moments after, she returns to the present and inquires about the contents inside the envelope that Hai holds (Chapter 11). Hai tells her it is his pay stubs. Despite the fact that Hai intends to use the money charitably, it is still an ethically questionable decision. His plan is to redistribute the money and pay for his aunt's bail, but at the last moment, he cannot bring himself to do so. Hai is rewarded for his decision to return Grazina's money. For one, he has a clear conscience. In addition, she later gifts him the money in a moment of lucidity. Overall, this dilemma teaches Hai about what he is capable of, how he treats others, and what he himself can live with.

How does Hai establish a found family?

A found or chosen family is defined as a group of people (not biologically related) who form deep bonds based on mutual support, love and trust. In The Emperor of Gladness, Hai establishes a found family with Grazina and with his coworkers at HomeMarket. The kinship between them was circumstantial. When Grazina interrupts Hai's plan to jump off King Philip's Bridge, he forgets to follow through with taking his life. Becoming Grazina's caretaker renews his sense of purpose. Working long shifts at HomeMarket forges an intimacy between the team members that Hai claims is even deeper than the bonds of family. This can be seen in the quote, "they would come to know the sound of each other’s coughs and exhales better than those of their kin and loved ones" (Chapter 23). Even if the supportive structure of found family is ephemeral, it touches Hai deeply. The emergence of kinship amidst hardship is one of the central concerns of the novel.

Analyze the novel's ending.

Vuong alludes to all the characters' immediate futures apart from Hai's. For instance, Grazina dies just months after moving into the nursing home, Sony successfully bails his mother out of prison, Maureen retires and undergoes treatment, Wayne starts his own restaurant, Russia supports his sister through rehab, and BJ manages a different HomeMarket location while pursuing her passion for wrestling. These read less like conclusions than continuations; the characters are sure to continue facing setbacks. Hai's ending is much more cryptic. The final scene depicts him climbing into a dumpster where he possibly overdoses. Symbolically, Hai throws himself away, and the reader is left to decide if he does so in order to begin again or if he carries out the suicide he nearly attempted at the beginning of the book.