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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. Why is Maui capable of dying when other gods are immortal?

2. What purpose does the mother character serve by entering the story at this point?

3. Who were the Gold Mountain Sojourners?

4. Who is Guan Goong?

5. How does the woman in "The Ghostmate" get her visitors to stay longer than they intend to?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the tenets of the philosophy of living multiple lives until you learn an important lesson.

2. Compare and contrast the proverbs "On Mortality" and "On Mortality Again."

3. Briefly describe the process of footbinding and tell why the women sing to him when tightly bandaging his feet.

4. Describe the elements of fantasy Kingston uses to characterize Maui the Trickster in "On Mortality Again."

5. Why would Tang beg to have the bandages replaced tightly after having the them removed from his feet?

6. Compare and contrast the tales that Kingston makes up about how her father gets to America.

7. What is the purpose for making Tang Ao's capture so easy it could be done by women?

8. Explain the irony of Maui the Trickster' s demise in "On Mortality Again."

9. Compare and contrast the genre used for "On Discovery" and for "On Fathers."

10. Describe how the author uses personification in "The Great Grandfather from the Sandalwood Mountains." Give examples from the text.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss how the tone and mood that Kingston creates in her writing change from when she first addresses her Father in chapter three, "Father from China" and when she speaks of him in Chapter 14, "The American Father." Describe Kingston's attitude toward her father in Chapter three. Tell when you think Kingston changes her attitude toward him. Use quotes from the text to support your conclusions about Kingston's attitude toward her Father.

Essay Topic 2

Study the immigration laws currently on the books in the United States. Compare them to "The Laws" the author describes in that chapter. Verify the accuracy of the laws Kingston describes. Note that some of the laws address California immigration, and others were passed by the federal government. How have the laws changed since Kingston wrote this novel in 1977? Do you think the changes have been positive or negative? How do the modern laws affect different people?

Essay Topic 3

Explain how Kingston's Father is different from his brothers. Describe the causes and effects of several events which occurred during Father's life. How did Father's position of favoritism by his mother and repugnance by his father ultimately affect Kingston's Father? Support your conclusions with details from the text or with personal experiences.

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