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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. In "Urania: Astronomy," what does the narrator say she can do without?

2. On what day did Guan Soon lead a revolutionary protest?

3. What year does Mother graduate from college?

4. Upon receiving citizenship in the U.S., what document does Mother receive?

5. According to the anonymous narrator in "Clio: History," without which of the following can there be no people?

Short Essay Questions

1. In "Urania: Astronomy," what does the tongue image symbolize?

2. Describe the way Cha treats soldiers in "Melpomene: Tragedy."

3. Discuss the significance of the title which first appears in the "Opening." What does "dictee" mean? How does it fit the work?

4. What is the significance of the italicized passages in the "Opening"?

5. Discuss the break down in the translation exercise in the opening, particularly beginning with exercise number 5 in the second set of translations. Why does the grammar, tone, and voice shift?

6. Describe the medical procedure in "Urania: Astronomy."

7. How do Demeter and Sibyl appear as figures in "Melpomene: Tragedy"?

8. Discuss the significance of the image at the end of "Clio: History."

9. In "Calliope: Epic Poetry," how does the narrator attempt to communicate with her mother?

10. Why does Cha include the letter from the Koreans living in Hawaii to the President of the United States?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Language and the power of speech recur as central needs throughout the work. Often the act of speech or the need to communicate becomes the central focus of particular passages or entire sections. Analyze Cha's treatment of speech and language in the work. Is the power of speech celebrated? Is silence championed? How do the pressures of language acquisition factor into her commentary on language and communication? How do the pressures of immigrant or exile identity affect speech and language?

Essay Topic 2

In addition to the motif of suffering, the work exhibits a recurrent theme of transcendence as well. Cha's mother overcomes her exile status and poor health in Manchuria, saintly and Christ-like figures transcend worldly suffering, and the narrator transcends the painful distances between herself and the other women who compose her identity. How does Cha treat transcendence in this work? Is it a happily-ever-after, feel-good ending to a painful experience? Or perhaps it is a testament to the triumph of the human spirit? Is there a religious or spiritual component to her message? Using support from the text, discuss Cha's message regarding transcendence of suffering.

Essay Topic 3

Throughout Dictee, Cha experiments with notions of time; she comments on concepts of time ranging from systems of calendar dating to experiential time. Discuss the role of time in Cha's work. How does she manipulate language to convey different experiences of time? Why does she incorporate so many methods of marking or experiencing time? How does incorporating these differing experience of time work contribute to the overall project of the work?

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