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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. According to what custom does a woman return dowry to her husband's family?

2. What do some soldiers in T'an-ch'eng do when the change of government occurs?

3. What is the town that is looted by bandits?

4. What famous philosopher has ties to T'ang-ch'eng?

5. What do the young couple buy for themselves after they elope?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the story that P'eng's husband's relatives make up in order to attack Lien?

2. Describe the story of the boy and the magical trick.

3. What is the temptation that arose from the complex Chinese legal code about marriage and widows?

4. What kind of loot does the Manchu army take in 1643?

5. Describe corvee in T'an-ch'eng in the 1640s.

6. What magic does Hsiao-erh practice to escape with Ting and to survive the bandits?

7. How does a woman's rights compare to that of her son?

8. How does Lien's killer misunderstand the Chinese law?

9. What is the story about the old widow and her fantasy that P'u Sung-ling shares?

10. Describe the heavy demands of the tax system in the 1640s in T'an-ch'eng.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Famines happened often in China at this time, decimating entire populations. What concerns for health and hygiene do they raise? As a result of the famine, the people are struggling to survive when bandits attack. What strengths and weaknesses are revealed in the people?

Essay Topic 2

Natural disasters occurred throughout the narrative.. How did these events impact Huang and in what ways? Describe, giving examples of observations he made about T'ang-Ch'eng.

Essay Topic 3

How is sexuality portrayed in the story of Woman Wang? When is it acceptable to be sexual and to whom in Chinese society at the time? When is sexual freedom punished by the law? Describe in relationship to the fictional stories presented by P'u Sung-ling and the real life story of the Woman Wang.

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