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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. How old is P'u Sung-ling when his father contracts a marriage for him?

2. Who kills the murderer that was protected by correct officials?

3. Who murders the cruel wife with a knife who starved her mother-in-law in one of P'u Sung-Ling's stories?

4. What kind of a dream does Jen's wife have?

5. Who does Ts'ui Meng talk to that his mother helped?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the family conflict around P'u Sung-ling's marriage.

2. What does Li do to avenge the death of Wang's wife?

3. What happened when Wang woke up from her dream?

4. Why is Kao made to pay for Wang's burial?

5. What does Huang realize about Wang's death from her body?

6. Why is Wang in a desperate situation after her lover leaves her?

7. How is Jen's punishment lessened and what does it say about the Chinese system?

8. Describe Wang's surreal dream.

9. Why do you think Spence named the book The Death of Woman Wang?

10. How does Kao get involved in Jen and Wang's marital dspute at the temple?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Spence is a master at dramatic devices. Describe the symbolism, metaphors, and irony present in Wang's dream and identify the technique which they embody.

Essay Topic 2

In T'ang-Chen in the 1640s, what creates impoverished conditions for the peasants? What freedom do the peasants lack? What choices do they have? What choices do they make?

Essay Topic 3

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.

(see the answer keys)

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