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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. What must families of concubines do so that they can meet together in private?

2. What happens to Jia Zheng's dislike for Bao-yu towards the end of the novel?

3. Who dies at the end of Chapter 16?

4. What does Yuan-chun remind the family of as she departs from the garden?

5. One day, Bao-yu wakes with a feeling of _____________ that will not go away.

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Bao-yu add to the book he is reading, and how does Dai-yu respond?

2. Why does Aroma manipulate Bao-yu in Chapter 19?

3. What is Shui Rong's impression of Bao-yu?

4. What facets of the relationships between masters/mistresses and servants are shown in the conflict between Jia Lian, Xi-feng, and Patience?

5. How does Xiang-yun's presence lead Bao-yu to think more highly of Bao-chai?

6. In what ways are Bao-yu's intellectual abilities displayed in the events surrounding Yuan-chun's visit?

7. How does Patience show her loyalty to Xi-feng in Chapter 16?

8. What can be understood from the relationship between Qin Zhong and Sappy?

9. For what reason(s) might Bao-yu have become discontented living in the Prospect Garden?

10. Discuss Yuan-chun's reaction upon her first visit home.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Destiny and predestination is a central theme throughout the novel. What narrative devices does the author utilize to maintain the reader's interest in this idea through an atmosphere of inevitability that pervades the novel's subtext?

Essay Topic 2

How does the author use the setting of the Prospect Garden as a key location in the novel?

Essay Topic 3

Compare and contrast the characters of Dai-yu and Bao-chai. How are they similar? How are they different?

(see the answer keys)

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