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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 is the goal of saddle bronc?

2. What does Hằng call the rap songs LeeRoy plays in his truck?

3. How does Hằng think she can prevent confessing about what happened at the airport?

4. What does LeeRoy notice too late?

5. Why is Hằng's appearance unusual?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the significance of LeeRoy and Hằng arguing about the music The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly?

2. What does Hằng’s reaction to the bus leaving without her reveal about her ability to survive?

3. How is Hằng shown to be different from the very start of the novel?

4. Why might Hằng think the story she tells about her father’s bones is happy while Chú Quốc is horrified and cries?

5. What does Mrs. Brown’s offer of help and food represent in the story?

6. How do people react to Hằng, and what does that reveal about difference?

7. What is the intergenerational conflict that happens at the ranch when Hằng first meets Linh?

8. Hằng reflects that LeeRoy’s name means Glass-Whip in Vietnamese. In what ways is LeeRoy like a Glass Whip at this stage of the novel?

9. What is the role of kindness and community as Hằng seeks her brother?

10. Why does Mrs. Brown steal LeeRoy’s wallet?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze how Hằng’s family relationships (with her cousin, uncle, and brother) evolve and adapt. How do war and immigration affect these relationships?

Essay Topic 2

Explore how Hằng and LeeRoy adapt in the face of difficult circumstances. How do they find common ground and what kinds of barriers do they overcome, both together and individually?

Essay Topic 3

Hằng tries very hard not to remember the painful moments of her past and even when she tries to share a “happy” memory with her uncle, he reacts with grief. Analyze how memories of Vietnam and the journey to America influence Hằng’s decisions and emotions.

(see the answer keys)

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