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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 what year does Hyeonseo see a news story on television about North Koreans seeking political asylum at the South Korean embassy in Beijing?

2. What result of a medical check-up convinces Hyeonseo that she is about to die?

3. When Hyeonseo's mother tells her not to come back to Hyesan because the family is under suspicion due to Hyeonseo's absence, what does she tell Hyeonseo she plans to do?

4. Whom does Hyeonseo mentally thank for making her learn how to master Chinese characters?

5. When Hyeonseo is at her lowest point, she decides to blow all of her savings on what item?

Short Essay Questions

1. When Hyeonseo speaks to her mother on the phone for the first time in years, what is Hyeonseo's reaction?

2. What major piece of information does Hyeonseo find out from her regular waitress at Pyongyang Okryugwan and how does the information demonstrate the theme of social stratification?

3. What does Hyeonseo long for just before she again meets her previous acquaintance Ok-hee?

4. What does Hyeonseo mean when she writes, "I should have seen the warning lights when Geun-soo began urging me to improve my Mandarin and correcting me on points of etiquette" (117)?

5. How is the theme of deception as a means of survival portrayed within Hyeonseo's escape from her job at the men's salon?

6. When Hyeonseo goes to Xita to find a job, what is the outcome?

7. What job does Hyeonseo get after receiving her new piece of Chinese identification and how does the situation demonstrate the power inherent in proven legitimacy?

8. What does Hyeonseo describe as "the cloud" (160) in her sky once she gets settled in her new job in Xita, gets her driving license, lives in her own apartment, and feels more confident in general?

9. How does Hyeonseo compare and contrast the two countries of North Korea and China through description of each country's restaurants?

10. How does Hyeonseo characterize Min-ho's view of money and how his views represent those of all North Koreans?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Within the memoir, the manipulation of language in order to shift people's perspectives is a common theme, such as the North Korean regime's use of the phrase The Arduous March as a euphemism for the deadly famine sweeping the country. Discuss the theme of language manipulation throughout the memoir and relate it to manipulation of language within modern politics.

Essay Topic 2

Explain the structure the author uses to construct the memoir and discuss what her purpose is for breaking the narrative into three parts as she does. What advantages does this choice give her and how does it align with the messages she is trying to get across to the reader?

Essay Topic 3

How does the theme of compassion arising out of understanding emerge throughout the course of the narrative?

(see the answer keys)

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