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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. When the receptionist at the restaurant calls Hyeonseo to tell her there are two men waiting for her there, who does Hyeonseo think they are?

2. What instrument left behind by her cousin does Hyeonseo teach herself to play during her stay with her aunt and uncle in Shenyang?

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

4. With what object does a mysterious figure hit Hyeonseo over the head when she arrives home from work?

5. Hyeonseo says that "Any North Koreans found illegally in China" (101) were handled in what way?

Short Essay Questions

1. What emotion does Hyeonseo say she feels after her mother tells her over the phone that she should not return to North Korea?

2. What is symbolized by Hyeonseo's "fashionable new shoes" (101) that she wears on her journey into China?

3. 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?

4. What causes Hyeonseo to make the decision not to marry Geun-soo?

5. 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)?

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

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

8. What are the considerations that cause Hyeonseo to waffle in her decision about whether or not to go to South Korea?

9. What reasons does Hyeonseo provide for her tendency to forget she is North Korean once she has been in Shanghai for a full year?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The memoir does not shy away from including graphic and disturbing details when describing the horrors inflicted on the North Korean people by the ruling regime, such as the scene in which Hyeonseo witnesses a public hanging. Write a persuasive essay in which you argue for or against the use of this book in schools as a means to illuminate the ongoing human rights violations happening in North Korea.

Essay Topic 2

Look for instances within the memoir that discuss stereotypes people from one location have in their minds about residents of another location. What passages and incidents are used by the author in order to portray these views and what is the author's message regarding stereotyping a person based on where he or she lives?

Essay Topic 3

The memoir is littered with the use of sensory details to create a vivid picture of the many different places Hyeonseo finds herself once she has crossed the Yalu River into China. Discuss the author's purpose in including the sights, sounds, smells, tastes and tactile sensations of Hyeonseo's experiences.

(see the answer keys)

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