Flashlight Reading Guide & Discussion Questions

Book Club Discussion Questions

Print PDF

For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, Korean Language Loss Under Japanese Colonialism and Beyond and our BookBrowse Review of Flashlight.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

These are original discussion questions written by BookBrowse.

1. How can Louisa's childhood penchant for stealing and her feelings about it not being wrong be viewed in light of her father's experiences with political oppression? Do you think Louisa senses that something has been stolen from her or her family?
2. What are some parts of the story in which language plays a pivotal or important role, and what do you think the book has to say about language in general? What does it have to say about naming and who gets to name something or someone?
3. Why do you think Serk and Anne are initially drawn to each other? How do you think the secrets they keep from each other inform their relationship? Why do they stay together despite their persistent conflicts?

Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of Picador. Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.