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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. Who promises not to bitch when Leon finally arrives back at home, safe and sound?

2. Leila muses that her sister must have a map of ___________ in her head, while Leila only has Chinatown.

3. Who is Leila's favorite of all of Leon's fleabag friends, so she seeks him out to find Leon?

4. How many days do Leon's travels on the seas take up, during which Leila worries constantly?

5. What is the nickname that Zeke has gotten after hanging out at his uncle's 76 station?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Leon tend to keep old things, even if they are not useful anymore?

2. What does Leila smell when she goes to the Benevolent Association alone after work on Friday?

3. What are some of the reasons why Leila's shoulders are tense, according to this chapter?

4. What does Leila help Mason do at the start of this chapter in order to deliver something to his cousin, Dale?

5. What does Leila see when she tries to sneak in without seeing or speaking to Mah?

6. What do the girls do with the sqaubs when they eat them? What does Mah do with the waste?

7. What is the one thing that Leon can not document when he is at the Social Security office because he has had so many aliases?

8. What just happened which gives the local Chinatown gossips another thing to talk about?

9. What does Leon want to do with his newly received $25 from working in the kitchen at the lunch rush?

10. Who is You Thin Toy, Leila's favorite of all of Leon's fleabag friends?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The idea of the bones being the reason for the bad luck in the novel is one that seems silly to some readers. But is it?

Part 1: Do you believe in the idea of luck and of bad luck? Why or why not?

Part 2: Why do you think the bones are so important to the luck of the family?

Part 3: Why do you think that the bones were not handled in the way they were supposed to be handled?

Essay Topic 2

Leila seems to be the character who gets put into the middle of a number of situations in the story.

Part 1: Why do you think that Leila is often put into the middle of situations within this story?

Part 2: Is there another character in the story who might be a better mediator? Why or why not?

Part 3: Why is Leila resentful of being the one who has to mediate some situations?

Essay Topic 3

The suicide in this novel seems to be the one event which pulls everyone together, while at the same time driving them all apart.

Part 1: Why do you think the suicide affects Leon in the way it does?

Part 2: How do you think Leila has been changed by the suicide of Ona?

Part 3: Why do you think Ona decided to kill herself?

(see the answer keys)

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