Min's love of movies is central to her personality in Why We Broke Up. She often thinks of her own life in terms of movie jargon and the plots of her favorite films. Is this tendency a charming quirk or a bad habit? Either way, she doesn't appreciate it when Ed turns the tables at the end of the book: "There must be some—I don't know, like a movie, right?" he says. "Isn't there some movie where it's like there's two guys, twins I think, one guy doing the right thing and—" (40.73). Min's reply? "This isn't a movie. We're not movie stars" (40.74). She could have fooled us.
Questions About Life Imitates Art
- Compare and contrast Min and Ed's taste in movies. How does this reveal their differences? How about their similarities?
- What does Min's taste in films say about her personality?
- If your own life were a movie, which one would it be? Explain your choice.
Chew on This
Min's insistence that life is like the movies is damaging, both to herself and to others.
Min's insistence that life is like the movies is an admirable trait—it's a key part of her whimsy.