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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. How much money does the American woman give to Wang Lung for transporting her in Chapter 11?

2. What food does Ching give to Wang Lung before Wang's family departs for the south in Chapter 9?

3. How many young lords are described at the House of Hwang in Chapter 5?

4. How many sticks of incense does Wang Lung burn at the temple of the earth after his son is born in Chapter 4?

5. From whom has Wang Lung bought a leg of pork that hangs in his house in Chapter 4?

Short Essay Questions

1. What conflict occurs between Wang Lung and his aunt in Chapter 7?

2. What event leads to Wang Lung's decision that he must take his family back to the land in Chapter 12?

3. How does O-lan go about earning money to keep her family alive once they've reached the city in Chapter 11?

4. What do Wang Lung and his family witness as they pass the House of Hwang in Chapter 10?

5. What event leads Wang Lung to stop working as a rickshaw driver in Chapter 14?

6. How has the atmosphere of the city changed in Chapter 14? What has led to the changes?

7. What information does Wang Lung learn from others on the train in Chapter 11?

8. How do Wang Lung's circumstances during the winter differ from those of his uncle in Chapter 4?

9. What does Wang Lung's father complain about in Chapter 1?

10. What activities take place as the New Year celebration approaches in Chapter 5?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the character of O-lan in The Good Earth. How old is O-lan when she is sold into slavery? What leads to O-lan’s marriage to Wang Lung? Do you think that O-lan is happy to be married? Why or why not? How does O-lan’s character evolve in the course of the narrative?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the themes of morality and necessity in The Good Earth. When does morality come into question in the course of the story? What leads this questioning? What morals do you feel the author expresses through Wang Lung’s narrative?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the meaning of and the role of family in The Good Earth. What does “family” mean to Wang Lung? How do you think the concept of family is different in the novel from within your own culture? Why do you think it is different?

(see the answer keys)

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