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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. Which of the following is NOT something that happened to Andrew after leaving Hanoi?

2. How old was Trieu when she finally met her birth father?

3. What occupation had Chi undertaken during her years on the street?

4. What dark secret did Trieu share with Andrew about her father?

5. What was the newspaper article Andrew's father saved for over a decade about?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is a gape fish?

2. What argument broke out at the Pham family's memorial to their Grandfather?

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

4. Why was Andrew's father arrested when he was a teenager?

5. Whose mummified remains are kept in the mausoleum in Hanoi?

6. What opinion did the American Vietnam War vet, whom Andrew met in a coffee shop, have about the War?

7. When was Andrew first introduced to adult sexuality?

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

9. How did Chi's life change during her fourteen years on the streets?

10. Why did Chi make the decision to move to San Francisco?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

At the opening of the memoir, it becomes clear that Andrew Pham is trapped between two cultures: his Vietnamese culture and his American culture. How does this struggle affect Andrew's personal history? How does this struggle inform the overarching themes of the novel? Choose two examples from the text that you think best exhibit Andrew's struggle and describe them here. How did these instances affect Andrew's personal understanding of himself?

Essay Topic 2

When Andrew and his family moved to America, Andrew's life was suddenly overwhelmed with two characteristics: religion and violence. First, describe how these two elements were introduced into Andrew's life upon moving to America. Then, explain what symbolism can be found in these two elements when considering the stereotypes of American life to foreigners. If Andrew were to move to America today, do you think his experiences would be the same? Why or why not? Be sure to include examples from the text to help strengthen your arguments.

Essay Topic 3

Prostitution was a large part of the Pham family's past and is therefore very present in the novel. First, describe the Pham family's involvement in prostitution and discuss their motivations, as a family, for getting involved in this business. Then, describe how this background shaped Andrew into the adult he is now. In your opinion, is this memoir justifying the Asian sex-trade? Why or why not? Be sure to include examples from the text to help strengthen your arguments.

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