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This test consists of 5 short answer questions and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. In what year does Scene 10 take place?

2. What is NOT one of things that Renee's father imports into the Third World?

3. What does Song tell Gallimard he was to her?

4. What kind of baby does Song want to present to Gallimard?

5. What does Toulon ask Gallimard to do for him in France?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay on the theme of parenthood in the play.

1. Why does Helga want to have a baby? Why does she want Gallimard to see a doctor? Why is there conflict over this?

2. Does Gallimard want to be a father? Why or why not?

3. What are Song's motives for "mothering" Gallimard's child? How does introducing a baby change the stakes for Gallimard and Song?

Essay Topic 2

During Act 1, the opera of Madame Butterfly serves as a structure to the first act.

1. How does each character reflect the part he/she plays? How are they different?

2. What is important about the story of Madame Butterfly in conjunction with the story of the play?

3. How does it foreshadow events in the play?

Essay Topic 3

Throughout the play, Gallimard serves as the narrator, and although he is the guide through the play and the vessel of the story, his own conjured characters break the fourth wall to relate certain ideas or wants of their own that differ from Gallimard's. Occasionally, they break the fourth wall to speak directly to the audience.

1. Describe Hwang's structure of the play: the point of view of the story, and order of the vignettes and the "play-within-a-play" quality of Gallimard's imagination.

2. Cite examples of Hwang "breaking the fourth wall" and theorize why Hwang chose to do so.

3. How does this familiarity with the characters change the relationship to the audience. How does it differ from a script played in the third person?

4. How does the first person narrative change our relationship with Gallimard and his emotions?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 369 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample