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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. What have people advised Luong when he asks about Lê Thu?

2. About what did both Christopher's ex-wife, Cathy, and his girlfriend both obsess?

3. Back in Paris, what does Christopher read?

4. What do the Soviets want to do about Oswald?

5. What is mentioned as part of the French culture at the time?

Short Essay Questions

1. What demonstrates that Paul is still at risk despite the Truong toc saying Paul is harmless and to let him live?

2. What does Paul tell Ho he wants to know and why he wants to know it?

3. How do Paul and his Paul's ex-wife view Paul's talent at seeing mental images?

4. Describe Molly, Paul Christopher's current girlfriend.

5. What is the key phrase that Kim speaks that makes Paul realize who may be responsible for JFK's death and what does Paul do after the realization?

6. What is the Truong toc and which Truong toc does Paul talk with and what transpires?

7. What is ironic about Piero Cremona's statement about the United States Marines when reading this book in the present time?

8. What sudden revelation does Paul have and how does he have it?

9. Whose corpse does Paul go to see and what is he told there?

10. What is Paul Christopher thinking about as he boards a plane in Bangkok?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Intelligence work, at least as far as this novel is concerned, can be dangerous business. Discuss one of the following:

1. What are some of the dangers of intelligence work specified or implied in THE TEARS OF AUTUMN? Illustrate with specific examples from the text.

2. Do you think intelligence work in the "real" world is more or less dangerous than that which is stated or implied in THE TEARS OF AUTUMN? Explain fully. (This may require some research).

3. Why do you think those characters in THE TEARS OF AUTUMN who choose intelligence work do so? Discuss and compare the motives for intelligence work by Paul, Tom Webster, David Patchen, Nsango, Luong, Trevor Hitchcock, and Klimenko. Each of these may have different reasons. Discuss fully with examples from the text.

Essay Topic 2

In Chapter 6, after Paul has discovered Luong's body and flees the scene, he is seated in the Continental Palace terrace when the Truong toc's girl approaches Paul's table and sits stiffly. He is surprised that a male relative has not been sent. Discuss the following:

1. Compare/contrast the females from the Western world to that of those from Vietnam as demonstrated in the text. How are they alike? How do they differ? How does their status in each culture differ? Are there similarities in their cultural status? What are they? Explain using examples from the text.

2. Have the cultural expectations in the present time (the 21st century) changed for women in either culture? How? (This may require some research.) Explain using examples from the text and your research.

3. Which culture seems to have changed more radically in their attitude towards women and the status of women? (This may require some research.) Explain using examples from the text and your research.

Essay Topic 3

In Chapter 6, when Paul mentions that the two presidents (Kennedy and Ngo Diem) die within 21 days of one another, the Truong toc doubts the sorrows are similar. Americans live in another world. Discuss the following:

1. What do you think the Truong toc means when he says Americans live in a different world? How are the two countries different politically as revealed in the text? Explain fully with examples from the text and your own experience.

2. Do you think Americans are more or less likely to grieve for a fallen leader than those in a small Indonesian country such as Vietnam? Explain fully with examples from the text and your own experience.

3. Does the Turong toc seem condescending to Paul? Why or why not? Discuss fully with examples from the text.

(see the answer keys)

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