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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. How does Wang Lung's eldest son suggest they kill his uncle and his family in Chapter 27?

2. Who suggests that Wang Lung purchase the outer courts of the townhouse to drive out the dirty commoners in Chapter 30?

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

4. Who is the grain dealer that Lotus suggests Wang Lung speak to about marrying his son to the grain dealer's daughter in Chapter 23?

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

Short Essay Questions

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

2. How would you describe Wang Lung's sons in Chapter 30? How are each of his sons different?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe and discuss the plot structure of The Good Earth. Where does the exposition transition to rising action? Where does the climax take place? What are the conflicts that the protagonist faces in the climax? How are these conflicts resolved in the denouement?

Essay Topic 2

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 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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