Found these questions on the interenet- perhaps someone who has read or who reads it next would join in a discussion of some points.
Orchid’s life in the Forbidden City is very different from her humble childhood — as a concubine she has her own servants and eats and is dressed lavishly. What did you find most shocking about her life in the City? Do you think Orchid enjoys her new life?
Orchid's character is based on Tzu Hsi, China's longest-reigning female ruler and its last empress. In what ways does Min develop a convincing voice in Orchid? How does Min make the Forbidden City come to life?
Why do you think the Emperor’s concubines are treated so strictly and with such powerful threats in the Forbidden City? What does their treatment tell us about the roles of men and women within this society?
Orchid tells us that “by identifying with the eunuchs I tended my heart’s wound” (p71). How and why are eunuchs treated differently to both men and women in the Forbidden City? Why does Orchid identify so strongly with them?
An-te-hai quickly becomes a guide for Orchid. Why do you think An-te-hai is so eager to devote himself to her?
Success in the Forbidden City rests heavily on loyalty. How does Orchid ensure that those around her are loyal? Can anyone truly be trusted within the walls of the city? How does this affect the society as a whole?
“My heart shouts: what else would you, could you, dare you want, Orchid?” (p60) Orchid is willing to go to any lengths to gain the Emperor's attention. What drives her determination to succeed?
Emperor Hsien Feng thinks that his concubines are “selfish, greedy, bloodsucking female wolves” (127). Why might he feel this way? What do you think of his character?
“Hsien Feng has never been mine to begin with. It was simply the way things were” (p180). Why does Orchid fall in love with the Emperor despite her circumstances? And how does she overcome this weakness?
What enables Orchid to be such a powerful ruler in a society dominated by men? How does she gain respect and remain strong amid the opposition she faces?
Min paints a picture of foreigners imposing their views on another culture. What light does she shed on Western interference with the Chinese imperial family structure? How does this relate to more recent times?
Min's purpose is to show Empress Orchid's heroic effort to revive China. Although Orchid failed, she's courageous in Min's eyes. In what ways is Orchid a heroine?