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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. Of the silk depictions of women on the walls of the tea house, Wang Lung says in Chapter 18, "I thought they were pictures of dream women, of goddesses in the mountain of" where?

2. Why does Wang Lung make his eldest sons work in his fields each day in Chapter 17?

3. Who stays with Wang Lung on his land before they depart to move into the townhouse in Chapter 29?

4. Why does Wang Lung give silver to his uncle's son in Chapter 29?

5. How long has it been since Wang Lung last saw his eldest son when he comes home to be wed in Chapter 26?

Short Essay Questions

1. How is O-lan's behavior as she lays dying described in Chapter 26?

2. What impact does O-lan's illness have on Wang Lung's household in Chapter 26?

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

4. What does O-lan say regarding Cuckoo as she lays dying in Chapter 26?

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

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

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

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

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

10. What causes the flooding in Chapter 27? How does the flooding impact Wang Lung's village?

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

Discuss the character of the “poor fool” in The Good Earth. What has caused this character’s mental disabilities? How does Wang Lung feel about this character and what is their relationship like? How is this character perceived by O-lan?

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)

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