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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 Chantou gets mad that Arn is working as a vendor, what is NOT something she says he should be doing instead?

2. Why do Arn's sister and aunt break down crying when Arn gives them a treat?

3. What product does Arn skip school to sell, much to the chagrin of his older sister?

4. When the Khmer Rouge soldiers take all of the captives' clothes and burn them, what clothing do they provide instead?

5. In what country is Arn's hometown?

Short Essay Questions

1. When the current leader of the camp tells Mek that he and band will soon be going somewhere new, they are all terrified that they will be killed instead and that this is just another instance of the Khmer Rouge's euphemisms. However, they are not killed and what happens instead introduces the theme of fame into the novel. What happens in lieu of their deaths?

2. When a soldier from Arn's home village comes to camp, what does he offer Arn in exchange for some rice and what does Arn learn as a result of accepting his offered deal?

3. Why do the Khmer Rouge burn everyone's clothes and all of their material belongings?

4. Though at first, the villagers think that the jeeps and trucks pouring into the village is a good sign and means that the war is over, what is the first thing that happens to make Arn realize that the opposite is true?

5. What does Arn tell the reader about his family background within the exposition part of the story?

6. How does Arn describe his village at the opening of the novel before the Khmer Rouge arrive?

7. What do Arn and his little brother Munny do after they sneak in to see the American movie and what happens to make them hide?

8. What ploy do the Khmer Rouge use to get the government soldiers to come to the airport and what happens once they arrive?

9. What happens to the pregnant woman and her husband who are walking next to Arn within the mass exodus of all cities? What lesson does Arn learn from seeing what happens?

10. After Arn is chosen by Khmer Rouge leaders to play music in their band, Arn sees there are positive results and negative results of his being chosen. What are they and what does this show about one's fate under the rule of the Khmer Rouge?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In modern, first-world society, there is often a counter-cultural drive to move away from materialism and to focus on what really matters. However, Arn's interactions with the Khmer Rouge often instead highlight the importance of owning certain objects and relying on them to help define our identities. Discuss the conflict between these two points of view concerning materialism, drawing on examples from the novel to prove your claim.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the significance of the novel's title and of the repeated references to it throughout the novel. What is the author's purpose in including the theme of "never falling down," both in the title and throughout the narrative of the novel?

Essay Topic 3

The first mention of revolution in the novel occurs on page 24 when a Khmer Rouge soldier mentions it and Arn tells the reader he has not heard the word before. There are many different types of revolution, including social revolutions and personal revolutions. Compare and contrast the revolution undertaken by the Khmer Rouge with the personal revolution Arn experiences by the end of the novel.

(see the answer keys)

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