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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 animals does Wang Lung observe and consider to be an evil omen in the end of Chapter 7?

2. How much money does the American woman give to Wang Lung for transporting her in Chapter 11?

3. Where did O-lan live as a child?

4. How many children does Wang Lung's uncle have in Chapter 7?

5. When Wang Lung's father went to request a slave as a wife for his son, he requested what trait "above all"?

Short Essay Questions

1. What conflict occurs between Wang Lung and his aunt in Chapter 7?

2. Describe O-lan's actions when she comes to Wang Lung's home. How does Wang Lung perceive his wife?

3. What does Wang Lung's father complain about in Chapter 1?

4. What does Wang Lung vow to do in regards to his land in Chapter 6?

5. What event leads to Wang Lung's decision that he must take his family back to the land in Chapter 12?

6. What information does Ching relate to Wang Lung when he returns to his land in Chapter 15?

7. Who brings Wang Lung's wife to him in Chapter 1? How is this character described?

8. How does O-lan describe the fall of the House of Hwang in Chapter 5?

9. What about Wang Lung's uncle's family vexes Wang Lung in Chapter 7?

10. How does Wang Lung's uncle respond when Wang Lung yells at him in Chapter 7?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the themes of superstition, faith, and luck in The Good Earth. What symbolism relates to these themes? What color is symbolic for fortune and luck to Wang Lung? How are these themes developed through character and setting in the novel?

Essay Topic 2

Compare and contrast the settings of Wang Lung’s village and the city in the south. Why does Wang Lung’s family relocate to the city during famine? How does Wang Lung perceive the differences of city-dwellers and farmers? Which setting do you relate the most to? Why?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the themes of morality and necessity in The Good Earth. When does morality come into question in the course of the story? What leads this questioning? What morals do you feel the author expresses through Wang Lung’s narrative?

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