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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 appears in Gallimard's dream in Scene 9?

2. What is the setting of Scene 2?

3. What is Song afraid of as she is entertaining Gallimard in her parlor?

4. In Act 1, Scene 7, when Gallimard is speaking to Helga, what does he say about the Chinese?

5. According to Gallimard, who wrote Madame Butterfly?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Gallimard look at his marriage? Who did he marry? What did he marry for?

2. Is it ever clear if Gallimard knew Song was a man?

3. At the end of the opera, Butterfly states that "Death with honor/Is better than life/Life with dishonor." What does she mean and why does she say it?

4. In the story of Madame Butterfly, how is Butterfly treated by Pinkerton?

5. Describe the character of Renee.

6. How is Gallimard talked out of seeing the doctor?

7. In the plot of the opera Madame Butterfly, what is the relationship between Pinkerton and Sharpless? How does that story relate to Gallimard?

8. What does Song say she wants to do by the end of her encounter with Chin in Act 2, Scene 9? Is this her own choice?

9. How does Renee's candor about sexuality and the human anatomy differ from Galliamard's?

10. During Act 2, Scene 2, Song explains that although China has ruled the world in the past, it would be much more exciting to rule the contemporary world. What does this foreshadow?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

At the conclusion of Act 2, Song asks the audience to take a break while he makes his physical change from woman to man. He fully removes his makeup, wig and kimono to change into his male ensemble. Song's transformation is not limited to the physical. Even though we as an audience knew Song was a man for several scenes, the full reveal has dramatic implications.

1. Describe in detail the transformation Song makes physically, emotionally and characteristically. How does he talk to people differently? How does he treat Gallimard in Act 3 as opposed to Acts 1 and 2?

2. What is the symbolism of taking an intermission to watch song take off his makeup and change?

3. Why do you believe Hwang chose this moment in the play to fully reveal Song as a man? How would the play have changed if we had seen him as a man earlier? What would be the dramatic implications of withholding the knowledge of Song's true sex until this moment?

Essay Topic 2

There is a distinct relationship that is established between Song and Gallimard that relates to the stereotypical relationship between the East ("the Orient") and the West.

1. Gallimard's view of his relationship can be translated as give and take. What is it that Gallimard offers to Song in their relationship? What does she give him in exchange?

2. How does the relationship between Gallimard and his Butterfly reflect the relationship between the East and West?

Essay Topic 3

Marc and Gallimard have different points of view on the definition of infidelity and the morals involved with it. Write an essay comparing and contrasting Gallimard and Marc and their view and treatment of women.

1. How does Marc know Gallimard? What is the nature of their relationship? During their friendship, how did their lives differ? More specifically, what were their places within their social circle?

2. How did Marc view women in his youth? How did he treat them? Did this change after he got married? How do these characteristics differ from Gallimard's? How are they similar?

3. What kind of life did Marc lead while Gallimard was in China? How did their relationship change during the course of the play? How did Gallimard conjured image of Marc affect his actions in the play?

(see the answer keys)

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