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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 the protagonist asks Phoebe how she managed to create a whole world for herself, what does she show him?

2. Why does Older Brother say that the court cannot properly hear this case?

3. What is the name of Phoebe's character on the new television show?

4. When Green asks to make a statement, how does the judge respond?

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

Short Essay Questions

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

2. What is the rhetorical purpose of the list of anti-Asian laws that begins "ACT VI: THE CASE OF THE MISSING ASIAN"?

3. What is the real struggle that the protagonist is undergoing as he tries to tell Phoebe a story?

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

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

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

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

8. What is Green's argument when she accuses the protagonist of narcissism?

9. Explain the literal and nonliteral meanings of the world inside Phoebe's closet.

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write a thesis-driven essay in which you analyze the ambitions of Willis Wu. What are his ambitions, and where do they come from? At what point do his ambitions cease being merely about wanting material security (a safe and comfortable place to live, enough food to eat, etc.) and start to be about something more intangible (ego, status, etc.) Are these ambitions inherent in his personality, or are his ideas about success derived from culture, family, or some other source? Be sure to provide textual support for your claims.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay that explores the impact of poverty on the residents of the Chinatown SRO Apartments. Consider how it impacts their relationships, their interior lives, and their beliefs about America. Support your claims with evidence from the text.

Essay Topic 3

Write a thesis-driven essay in which you examine the various sources of and beliefs about power and authority in Interior Chinatown. Be sure that your essay recognizes the difference between power and authority and incorporates this distinction into its central argument. Support your claims with evidence from the text.

(see the answer keys)

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