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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. What does Su Yi's heart attack symbolize?

2. What does Su Yi say when Bishop See asks her what religion she follows?

3. What childhood friend picks Nick up from the Singapore airport?

4. What purpose does Part Two serve in the novel?

5. How does Astrid greet Nick in Part Two?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Nick know his grandmother is saying she is sorry for opposing his marriage?

2. In Part One, Chapter One, what is foreshadowed by Charlie's concern about Isabel's missed doctor's appointment?

3. Who is Oliver T'sien and what is his relationship to Kitty Bing?

4. Who is Lucia Shang? How does her character fit into the novel's plot?

5. What is the narrative perspective of the novel? Why is this perspective important?

6. How are the characters of Eddie and Kitty similar?

7. What kind of relationship does Nick have with his mother, Eleanor?

8. In Part One, Chapter One, what do you learn about Charlie Wu from his encounter with Eddie Cheng?

9. What can you infer about Rachel's relationship with her mother from their phone conversation in Part 1, Chapter 7?

10. What does Astrid find out when she visits Su Yi?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Su Yi is the matriarch of the Young family. Her character's actions drive the plot forward in the first half of the book. How does her character influence the plot of the novel after her death? What role does Su Yi play in the resolution of the main plot of the novel? Is she the most important character in the book? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

Vikram Ghale and Ah Ling intervene to foil Eddie's plot to isolate Su Yi from her grandchildren, Astrid and Nick. What motivates them to take action? What are the risks involved in their choices?

Essay Topic 3

Eddie Cheng is a unique character in the novel. How does his character develop in the book? What role does he play in the overall plot? What does his character represent? Did Eddie change as a character as the novel progressed?

(see the answer keys)

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