View a FREE sample

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

Short Answer Questions

1. When do the crickets begin to crow where Thieu lives?

2. In Chapter 2, when did the narrator’s grandfather die?

3. In Chapter 2, how old was the narrator when her grandfather died?

4. In Chapter 7, how old was the narrator when he married?

5. What was Mr. Chinh’s favorite car?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens to the narrator in Chapter 7 when he tries to throw a hog’s bladder over his rival’s house?

2. What are two things in Chapter 7 that are exceptional about the narrator?

3. What was in the room behind a bead curtain in Chapter 2?

4. What is the Vietnamese custom about sharing bad news?

5. How does Francine describe the French cemetery in Saigon?

6. When and how did Khanh’s wife’s father die?

7. Why did it take so long to get Francine and her mother out of Vietnam?

8. What does Francine say about her name?

9. Who is the narrator of the story in Chapter 2?

10. Why is it important to make the right sound in the Vietnamese language?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In Chapter 13, the narrator is preparing her friend’s body for burial, but also preparing for something else. Why is the narrator preparing his friend’s body for burial? Why does this act remind the narrator of her love for Ly? Why, now, can the narrator finally have her love returned?

Essay Topic 2

A different narrator tells each of the stories.

a. What is a common theme in these stories?

b. How does the author unify the different stories?

Essay Topic 3

The narrator in Chapter 7 is accustomed to getting retribution when someone tries to take his wife. Why doesn’t the narrator ever use physical force? How is he able to deal with the problem when he lives in Vietnam? How does he decide to deal with the problem in America? Does the narrator’s lack of physical prowess interfere with his revenge in any way? How does the narrator use his mind to solve the problem of his wife rather than brawn?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 734 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample