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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 does Yuan's uncle say about Sheng?

2. What do the two Chinese brothers do that humiliates Yuan so much?

3. What does Yuan discover about his uncle when he visits him after his return to China?

4. Who does Yuan want to say good-bye to more than anybody else when he leaves to go to the Capital city?

5. What allows Yuan to look past the fact that his teacher's family is American?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Yuan thankful to Mary for as he leaves America?

2. Why does Yuan grow to like Mei-ling?

3. What does Wu do when a beggar reaches for a handout from him?

4. How is Yuan prejudiced even within his own country?

5. What evidence of social change does Yuan experience on the boat on the way back to China?

6. How does Yuan incorporate his love of the land with teaching? What are his student's reactions?

7. What is Yuan shocked by as he debarks from the train and rides with Meng through the city?

8. Why is Yuan embarrassed by the Chinese brothers who put on a comedy act at the school?

9. Why does Mary's father claim that Yuan and Mary are alike?

10. What does Yuan bring back to China with him from America?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Choose two characters to compare and contrast. Compare their morals, motives, beliefs, and their conflicts. What relationship do these characters have, if any? Are they connected in any way? Do they balance each other? Cite at least six examples from the novel.

Essay Topic 2

How does Yuan's relationship with Mei-ling develop from the time he meets her to the end of the novel? What setbacks does the relationship experience? What about the advances? What can the reader predict for the development of their relationship? Cite at least two examples from the novel.

Essay Topic 3

Yuan feels shame many times in the novel. Citing three examples from the text to support your argument, what are some of the times that Yuan feels shame? Why does he feel this shame? How does Yuan's shame develop or dwindle throughout the novel?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 873 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample