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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 gives Joncour his bath?

2. What does the mistress do before she leaves Joncour with his present?

3. What is the lake along the Chinese border that Joncour passes on his trip to Japan?

4. When Hara Kei was a child, his father told him to shoot an arrow into the air. What was Hara Hei supposed to do after that?

5. Who was Joncour's dad?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Baldabiou convince the Mayor to establish factories that produce silk? How does money play into the decision for Baldabiou? How does money affect the decision of the Mayor?

2. How many silk eggs can you hold in your hands? Why did they refer to this as "a fortune in your hands"?

3. When Joncour turns 33-years-old, how does the author describe his life? How is peace compared to rain? Why do you think the author used this description?

4. After Joncour is given the note, he stops for a moment on his way out of town when leaving for home. Why does he stop? What is he doing? What is he thinking? What message is he trying to convey?

5. Describe the party at Hara Kei's house. Who is there? Are these important people? Why? Why not?

6. Why does the young girl accompanying Hara Kei not have an Asian slant to her eyes? Does this give the reader a clue to her past? What?

7. On his second trip to Japan, Joncour sits at the lake with Hara Kei and they are described as "Holding their peace." What do you think the author means by this? Where else have you heard this expression? Do you think there is a connection between a reference to a wedding and a mistress?

8. When Baldabiou first broaches the idea of going to Japan for silk eggs, why do the local silk manufacturers not know anything about Japan?

9. What happened when Jean Berbeck decided not to speak anymore? Why is this significant information in getting to know the character of Joncour?

10. When the silkworm disease begins to spread in the early 1860s, Baldabiou observes that "nearly" all of the eggs are affected. What is he thinking? Where is he thinking of buying eggs?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Joncour, at the end of his life, is left with symbols of the past. What are the symbols in the novel, and how many does Joncour hold on to as he grows old? Was Joncour ever able to identify the symbols when he needed to? Is he later able to look back and see his errors in translating the symbols?

Essay Topic 2

Why does the author use the historical character of Louis Pasteur? What does this add to the novel? What about other historical notations? Does this help or hurt the novel in your opinion?

Essay Topic 3

What do you think the relationship was between Helene and Madame Blanche? How do you think Helene found Madame Blanche? Do you think Helene saw her before she translated the letters? Why? Why not? Why do you think Madame Blanche visited Helene's grave?

(see the answer keys)

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