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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. In "Hsi-liu," who has difficulty learning to read?

2. Who is just a stand-in for the rights of a son in the story of P'eng?

3. What scheme does the husband's relatives have to inherit the widow's property in Woman P'eng?

4. From what position is Feng fired?

5. How does Ting's partner feed the starving people during the famine?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the funny story involving a fox and a rebellion that P'u Sung-ling tells?

2. What happens after the Manchus take power in T'an-ch'eng in 1644?

3. What does Huang Liu-hung find most disturbing about the people in his county?

4. How is Feng K'o-t'san described in Chapter 1, the Observers?

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

6. How does Hsiao-erh save the the people in the village from drought and famine?

7. What do many widows do to raise their children?

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

9. What did Huang Liu-hung say about the peasant misery in the famine?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe the Woman Wang. What was her role in the book? How does she relate to Jen? What was Spence trying to accomplish by describing the Woman Wang in the book?

Essay Topic 2

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 3

Spence frequently describes the importance of virtue in relationship to widows. He points out that virtue is sometimes prompted by a desire for honor. Is this real virtue? Why or why not? Is this desire linked to cultural norms or human pride or both?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 750 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample