58 pages • 1 hour read
Yulin KuangHow to End a Love Story
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2024A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Essay Topics
How does Helen’s relationship to her sister change throughout the novel, and how do these shifts reflect her character growth?
In what ways are Helen and Grant alike, despite her early insistence that they have nothing in common?
How do Helen’s relationships to Los Angeles and New York reflect her ambivalence over her identity and ambitions?
Consider the use of dual points of view in the novel. Referring to specific examples, explain how this technique helps maintain readers’ sympathy for both Helen and Grant.
Consider Suraya’s role in the novel. How does her mentorship of both Helen and Grant point each of them to personal growth and their eventual happy ending?
Trace how Grant and Helen’s relationship shifts through the many accidental encounters they have with one another throughout their lives.
Consider the ways Helen frequently serves as a translator between her parents and Grant. How does her role as a mediator gradually shift to allow her an easier relationship with all of them?
Analyze the function of jokes and humor in the text, especially with regard to for Helen and Grant’s relationship.
In what ways do Helen and Grant use writing as both a form of avoidance and a tool for trauma recovery?
How does Kuang use both weather events and unexpected disasters to advance Helen and Grant’s relationship and personal growth?
