A Thousand Years of Good Prayers
Introduction + Context
Plot Summary
Detailed Summary & Analysis
Themes
All Themes Language, Communication, and Understanding Love, Marriage, and Intimacy Fathers and Daughters History, Culture, and Migration
Quotes
Characters
All Characters Mr. Shi Mr. Shi’s Daughter Madam Mr. Shi’s Wife Yilan
Symbols
All Symbols Food and Cooking
Literary Devices
All Literary Devices Flashbacks Genre Hyperbole Idioms Irony Mood Motifs Setting Similes Situational Irony Stream of Consciousness Style Tone
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A Thousand Years of Good Prayers

by Yiyun Li
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Introduction Intro
Plot Summary Plot
Summary & Analysis Summary
Themes
  • All Themes
  • Language, Communication, and Understanding Theme Icon
    Language, Communication, and Understanding
  • Love, Marriage, and Intimacy Theme Icon
    Love, Marriage, and Intimacy
  • Fathers and Daughters Theme Icon
    Fathers and Daughters
  • History, Culture, and Migration Theme Icon
    History, Culture, and Migration
Quotes
Characters
  • All Characters
  • Mr. Shi
  • Mr. Shi’s Daughter
  • Madam
  • Mr. Shi’s Wife
  • Yilan
Symbols
  • All Symbols
  • Food and Cooking Symbol Icon
    Food and Cooking
Lit Devices
  • All Literary Devices
  • Flashbacks
  • Genre
  • Hyperbole
  • Idioms
  • Irony
  • Mood
  • Motifs
  • Setting
  • Similes
  • Situational Irony
  • Stream of Consciousness
  • Style
  • Tone
Theme Wheel Theme Viz
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Download the Teacher Edition
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Yilan

A Thousand Years of Good Prayers Symbols

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Food and Cooking

Food and Cooking

In “A Thousand Years of Good Prayers,” cooking and food are forms of communication, symbolizing the way messages can be conveyed without a shared language or understanding. Mr. Shi tries to show his care for…

read analysis of Food and Cooking

Food and Cooking Symbol Icon
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Yilan
Previous
Yilan
Next
Food and Cooking
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Food and Cooking

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