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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 were Pong's foster brothers that regularly beat him after he was separated from his parents?

2. In the picture that the man from the dark SUV showed Tiller, Val was standing with Victor Sr. in front of what landmark?

3. What did Pong say his father was most of all in Chapter 9?

4. What was Pong's mother's given name?

5. What profession did Pong's parents hold?

Short Essay Questions

1. Where did Tiller go to meet Pong in Chapter 8? Who was with Pong?

2. How did Pong describe jamu to Tiller in Chapter 4?

3. What is the name of Pong's jamu product? Who named it and what does the name mean?

4. What recent "good thing" (14) does Tiller describe having done for Val in Chapter 1?

5. Where and how did Tiller and Val meet?

6. How is the setting described in Chapter 1?

7. Why was Pong's father detained by the Red Guards?

8. What were Tiller's first impressions of Pong when they met?

9. How is the motif of food and ingestion highlighted in Chapter 8?

10. What did Tiller do once he landed in Honolulu in Chapter 11?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the motifs of food and music throughout My Year Abroad. What songs and musical artists are referenced or alluded to, and why? What different cuisines are described? What is the symbolic meaning of food, hunger, vomiting, and food preparation?

Essay Topic 2

Describe and analyze the character of Pong Lou in My Year Abroad. Where does Tiller meet Pong? How does this meeting change Tiller's life? In what ways does Pong assist Tiller in his journey to self-enlightenment?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the themes of capitalism and worker exploitation in My Year Abroad. How are these themes developed through the character of Chilies? What Marxist ideals does Chilies promote? How do his actions go against those ideals?

(see the answer keys)

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