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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. What does the protagonist think is true about Phoebe?

2. Where does Dorothy go to live next after she leaves Alabama?

3. How does Allen, Ming-Wu's college roommate, die?

4. What does the protagonist suggest that he can teach the children on Karen and Phoebe's show?

5. Why is the protagonist suspicious of Karen's interest in him?

Short Essay Questions

1. In what ways does "ACT V: KUNG FU DAD" show that Phoebe's innocence and youth are protective?

2. What observations about family life does Yu make in the section "GENERIC ASIAN KID"?

3. On page 188, the script notes that Karen and Phoebe's show is "a cartoon. Sort of." In what sense is this both literally and figuratively true?

4. What is the structural purpose of telling the story of Ming-Chen Wu and Dorothy right before the protagonist starts his relationship with Karen?

5. Why does the protagonist react badly both to the news about the baby and the later news about Karen's new show?

6. What is Turner's argument about the protagonist's internalized inferiority?

7. What causes the protagonist to finally go in search of his family?

8. What does the protagonist believe he will gain and lose by staying with Phoebe and Karen?

9. In what sense does Older Brother agree that the protagonist is guilty?

10. What is Older Brother's purpose in introducing People v Hall?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Do some research on the terms "late capitalism" and "commodification" as they relate to postmodernism. When you have a strong understanding of these terms, write a thesis-driven essay that applies them to Yu's Interior Chinatown. Be sure to support your ideas with evidence from the text and to cite any outside references in MLA format.

Essay Topic 2

Write a thesis-driven essay in which you analyze the function of the quotes that precede the various acts. What ideas do they focus on? Who are their authors, and why does it matter? Why include them at all? Be sure to cite all sources in MLA format.

Essay Topic 3

Write an analysis of the significance of the history of Chinatown in this novel. How does the inclusion of this history impact the novel's action and the characters' motivations, and what is its role in developing the themes of the novel? Support your claims with evidence from the text.

(see the answer keys)

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