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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 was the first holiday Huy spent with his family as a gay man?

2. What was special about the bicyclist Andrew met and stayed with on his way to Ky An?

3. In what year did Ho Chi Minh die?

4. How long was Andrew's flight back to California from Vietnam?

5. In California, why was Andrew's father arrested?

Short Essay Questions

1. How did Calvin feel about the prospect of moving to America?

2. What trouble did Andrew get into in Vietnam for drinking Coca-Cola?

3. When was Andrew first introduced to adult sexuality?

4. What moral did Andrew reach while swimming in the sea with a laughing, old woman?

5. What type of relationship did Trieu have with her birth father, the colonel?

6. What did Andrew and Chi talk about during their last conversation, before Chi killed herself?

7. What happened when the police stopped Andrew on the cargo train to Hanoi?

8. What is a gape fish?

9. How did the Nguyen family say goodbye to Andrew when it was time for him to return to America?

10. Why wasn't Andrew allowed to board the commuter train from Muong Man?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In the prologue of the novel, the reader learns that Andrew's sister has died. First, describe the nature of the sister's death and explain how this death affected Andrew. In what ways did this death motivate Andrew to make changes in his own life? In your opinion, did the death have a positive or negative impact on Andrew? How can you tell? Be sure to include examples from the text to help strengthen your arguments.

Essay Topic 2

Throughout the memoir, it becomes clear that appearances are very important. First, describe how appearances are important in America, and compare / contrast that to how appearances are important in Vietnam. Then, choose one person from the memoir whom you think was most affected by societies expectations for appearance, and explain how those expectations affected the person's life. Be sure to include examples from the text to help strengthen your arguments.

Essay Topic 3

Andrew's journey to Vietnam represents a strong emotional journey for him as an individual. First, describe why Andrew chose to make this journey in the first place. What was he hoping to accomplish during this trip? At the end of the memoir, do you think his journey was a success? Why or why not? In what ways did this journey change his life back in the States? Be sure to include examples from the text to help strengthen your arguments.

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