View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. When O-lan summons Cuckoo to her death bed in Chapter 26, she tells her that Cuckoo is what?

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

3. The narrator says in Chapter 23, "When there was a thing to be done, Cuckoo smelled the money in it as a rat smells" what?

4. What is the one great regret that Wang Lung feels as he departs O-lan's funeral in Chapter 26?

5. For how long does Wang Lung refrain from going into town due to his anger after his uncle has moved onto his land in Chapter 20?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who looks after the arrangement of Wang Lung's second son's marriage in Chapter 29? How are the arrangements described?

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

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

4. What does Wang Lung's young cousin do that causes conflict in Wang Lung's house in Chapter 31?

5. How does Wang Lung's family go about relocating to the city in Chapter 29? Who is the last to leave the land?

6. What leads Wang Lung to send his eldest sons away to school in Chapter 17?

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

8. What does Wang Lung do in preparation for Lotus's arrival at his home in Chapter 20? How is his behavior affected?

9. What decision does Wang Lung make regarding his second-eldest son in Chapter 25?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the theme of inequality in The Good Earth. What setting reflects this theme the most? How? What do you think is the cause of the inequality seen in the novel? Has inequality been resolved in China? In what ways?

Essay Topic 2

Describe and discuss the political unrest in China that is seen throughout The Good Earth. What are the causes of the uprisings that take place? How does Wang Lung relate to the political events around him? How do his sons?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the character of O-lan in The Good Earth. How old is O-lan when she is sold into slavery? What leads to O-lan’s marriage to Wang Lung? Do you think that O-lan is happy to be married? Why or why not? How does O-lan’s character evolve in the course of the narrative?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,054 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample