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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. When is the second letter to Mrs. Claxton dated?

2. In "Polymnia: Sacred Poetry," what does the girl see when she turns around to look back at the woman?

3. In "Thalia: Comedy," what form does the letter from "a friend" arrive in?

4. Where does the woman in "Erato: Love Poetry" enter the cinema?

5. What color is the window frame in the final scene of "Polymnia: Sacred Poetry"?

Short Essay Questions

1. Discuss the passage titled "Memory." Why does it receive a capitalized title?

2. Discuss the parallel between the ritual of becoming a nun and that of becoming a wife.

3. Describe the earth in "Terpischore: Choral Dance."

4. Discuss the narrator's treatment of memory in "Elitere: Lyric Poetry."

5. Examine the camera directions which describe the woman's experience in the cinema in "Erato: Love Poetry."

6. What does the woman give to the young girl in "Polymnia: Sacred Poetry"?

7. Describe the young girl's attire in "Polymnia: Sacred Poetry."

8. Identify one central symbol of "Terpischore: Choral Dance" and discuss its relevance.

9. Why does Cha include the first letter to Mrs. Laura Claxton?

10. Describe the woman's relationship with the person on the telephone in "Thalia: Comedy."

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Cha plays with notions of space and place a great deal in this novel. She incorporates concrete locations--Manchuria, Seoul, Hawaii--as well as undefined spaces--the theater-like space, the village, the church. How does this play with space influence the work? Do we see multiple conceptions of space working together? Are there different epistemic constructions working simultaneously in this work? If so, how do these systems work together to strengthen Cha's work? If not, what is Cha doing with space in the work?

Essay Topic 2

Family plays a significant role in Cha's Dictee. Describe the way family members are linked throughout the work, then address the following questions. How does Cha treat family in this work? What role to family relations play in the narrator's decisions? How does the narrator perceive family? What does Cha's commentary about family appear to be?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the author's play with genre in the novel. How does Cha manipulate various genres and forms in her work? Does Cha break genre conventions in a way that expands our notions of what a book can do? Or does she simply overstep the bounds of what a book should do? Provide evidence and support for your analysis.

(see the answer keys)

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