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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. Where does the grain merchant live that Wang Lung has betrothed his eldest son to in Chapter 25?

2. Why does Wang Lung not turn away his uncle in Chapter 20?

3. What name does the schoolmaster give to Wang Lung's second-eldest son in Chapter 17?

4. What do Wang Lung and all of the farmers in his village share?

5. Whom does Wang Lung's second-eldest son say his older brother has been going out with at night in Chapter 23?

Short Essay Questions

1. How is Lotus Flower described on the picture in the tea shop in Chapter 18?

2. How does Wang Lung respond when O-lan warns him of his eldest son visiting Lotus in Chapter 24?

3. Whom does Lotus suggest to Wang Lung for an arranged marriage for his son in Chapter 23?

4. What is significant about Wang Lung's uncle's revelation that he is associated with the redbeards in Chapter 23?

5. How does Wang Lung respond when he discovers his eldest son in Lotus's court in Chapter 24?

6. What is the source of Wang Lung's main conflicts in Chapter 30?

7. How does Wang Lung perceive his family and children in Chapter 17?

8. What is at the root of the conflict between O-lan and Cuckoo in Chapter 21?

9. How is Lotus's arrival at Wang Lung's home described in Chapter 20? Who is present for her arrival?

10. What causes Wang Lung to become restless in Chapter 18?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe and discuss the Great House of Hwang in The Good Earth. Where is the house located? How is its architecture described? Where do the Old Master and Old Mistress live? Why does Wang Lung visit and revisit the House of Hwang in the novel?

Essay Topic 2

Describe the setting of Wang Lung’s homestead in the novel. How does this setting evolve and change in the course of the narrative? What does Wang Lung’s land represent for him symbolically?

Essay Topic 3

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?

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