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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 does the carpenter say ordered the shelves?

2. Who does Shui Ta tell to get out of the shop when the Carpenter leaves?

3. What do the Gods say people are not?

4. Why does Shui Ta want the family to get dressed?

5. What do the townsfolk expect the Gods to do?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Shen Te sing a song about at the end of scene 4?

2. What do the Gods say to Wong?

3. Summarize scene 8.

4. What do Yang Sun and Shen Te argue about?

5. Summarize the first scene.

6. How does Yang Sun change in scene 8?

7. Why does Wong want the Gods to help She Te?

8. Summaize scene five.

9. How do the Old Couple help Shen Te?

10. How do the Old Woman and the Policeman help Shen Te?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Choose one of the characters in the novel and discuss how he or she would cope in one of the following scenarios:

1. A plague sweeps through the town.

2. The Gods give each resident of the town 1,000 silver dollars.

3. A foreign army takes over the town.

Essay Topic 2

Away from the main character, examine the way the author uses the other characters in the book. When does he introduce and take them away from the story? What effect does it have on the story?

Essay Topic 3

Examine the novel's chronological setting.

1. What were the main concerns during the 1930s? How does the author express these concerns?

2. How would the author change the play if he set it in today's society?

(see the answer keys)

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