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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 name does Karen call the protagonist by?

2. In ACT V: KUNG FU DAD," what reason does Phoebe say Karen gave for their not visiting the protagonist?

3. When the protagonist is finally given the role of Kung Fu Guy, how does he react?

4. What does Older Brother say that the protagonist is guilty of?

5. On page 226, what is the prosecution's only question for Green?

Short Essay Questions

1. What are the main points that the protagonist makes in his monologue?

2. What does the protagonist come to understand about his father in the book's final "Act"?

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. In what ways does Karen influence the protagonist to develop emotionally?

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

6. How does Yu set the reader up to feel the maximum impact of the revelation of Phoebe's fifth "fear"?

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

8. What is the significance, during the protagonist's monologue, of the light hitting him "just right" (245)?

9. What is the double-meaning of "learning time" in "ACT V: KUNG FU DAD"?

10. What does the protagonist see as the benefits and drawbacks of the place where his daughter is growing up?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The life story of the protagonist's father is in some ways specific to the world of Interior Chinatown, in some ways specific to the experience of immigrants, and in some ways universal--particularly in his "descent" from stardom to generic bit parts for older actors. Consider this third aspect of his story: write an essay in which you demonstrate how Ming's story conveys a message about society's treatment of the elderly. Be sure to use textual evidence to support your ideas.

Essay Topic 2

Willis's ambitions are entirely circumscribed by the world of Chinatown. And yet, to go outside of Chinatown to find better opportunities would mean leaving behind a significant part of himself. To what extent does American culture demand that a person give up primary loyalty to their heritage in exchange for success? Does this happen to everyone, or only to those in certain groups? Is there a logical way around this problem, or is it just one of the harsh realities that some people have to face? Write an essay in which you explore how this motif is developed within the novel and then make a claim about how well this represents modern-day America. Be sure to back claims in both sections of your essay with strong evidence and warrants, and remember that anecdotes about individuals are not evidence--evidence about social phenomena comes from studies of groups, not from individual cases. Cite all sources in MLA format.

Essay Topic 3

Write a thesis-driven essay in which you analyze the function of the focus throughout the text on the relative attractiveness of various characters. Be sure to use textual evidence to support your claims.

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