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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. The destruction of whose only assets led to their return to a situation of domestic violence?

2. Bo says that eventually, the land reforms resulted in the deaths of how many people?

3. When the South Vietnamese withdrew, the people in what area were advised to evacuate?

4. During Thi's parents' escape attempt, what happened to the boat?

5. Chapter 5, entitled "Either, Or," revolves around which person?

Short Essay Questions

1. Whom does Thi name as being a difficult person for her to write about?

2. What happens when Bo's father visits Bo for the first time in 20 years?

3. Describe the origins of Bui's memoir The Best We Could Do.

4. How is the motherhood archetype portrayed within Chapter 7, entitled "Heroes and Losers"?

5. Who was Truong Chinh and whom did he emulate?

6. What do the glamorous photographs of Ma symbolize to Thi during her childhood?

7. What extreme action do Bo and Hai take in order to keep Hai's children quiet during the escape?

8. How does Bui visually depict the many different perspectives about April 30, 1975?

9. What objects must the Bui family burn when the Communists begin to search the people's homes?

10. One day a box arrives at the Bui home and it is from Vietnam. What is contained inside?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze the resolution stage of The Best We Could Do and write about its overall meaning within the text. How does Bui make connections between the resolution and the text’s major thematic messages?

Essay Topic 2

What message does Bui send within the pages of The Best We Could Do concerning the link between communication and emotional closeness?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss Bui’s messages about guilt and responsibility within The Best We Could Do.

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