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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. Who concocts a plan to get to the commune?

2. What is valued over performance?

3. How much rice is each peasant given per day?

4. Where is May to meet the group?

5. Where does Tao's mother send Joy when she begins contractions?

Short Essay Questions

1. What about the package from Joy confuses Pearl, and who understands the message?

2. About what does everyone worry on the commune and what does Tao's family do to try to fend off the anticipated problem?

3. What gives Joy hope as she boils her new shoes?

4. What does the brigade leader say about Yong, and what does he make Yong do?

5. What does Joy say in a letter to Pearl, and what is Pearl's reaction?

6. What is Tao's reaction to his new daughter and what does Joy decide about the child's name?

7. Why does Pearl apply for a travel visa?

8. What are indications that the famine caused by The Great Leap Forward is progressing horribly?

9. Why does Pearl work alongside Yong?

10. Why does Pearl agree to leave the commune with Z. G.?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the following:

1. What is a plot? What are the most important elements of a plot and their definition? Do all novels have a plot? Why or why not?

2. Write a brief synopsis of the plot of "Dreams of Joy", identifying where the various elements of the plot occur (Exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution or denouement). Do you find it difficult to identify the plot? Why or why not? What about the various elements of the plot?

3. Identify the major sub-plots and their elements in this book. (The subplots may not contain every element of a major plot.) Do the sub-plots add to the main plot? Why or why not. Are the sub-plots interesting in and of themselves? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

Dreams of Joy belongs to the fiction genre. Discuss the following:

1. Define the literary term "genre" and give several examples of three other genres in addition to the fiction genre.

2. Discuss two reasons why it might be useful to label a text by genre and two reasons it might be disadvantageous to label a text by genre.

3. What do you think is the difference between a novel and a non-fiction?

Essay Topic 3

Oftentimes, a book has more of a character-driven plot rather than action driven, and oftentimes the other way. Some books seem to balance the two. Discuss the following:

1. What do you think it means to say that a plot is character driven? Action driven?

2. How do you think a plot differs if it is character driven versus action driven?

3. Which type of plot do you find more interesting? Why?

4. Do you think it is possible to have a plot where action and character development share equal time? Why or why not.

5. What type of plot do you think "Dreams of Joy" is? Explain your response.

(see the answer keys)

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