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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 was bunraku?

2. What animals scavenged food at the rail station in Toungoo in Chapter 17?

3. What term described the total work stoppage organized by the Socialist Unity Centre in Chapter 16?

4. Where had the young man traveling to Bangkok sought romantic advice?

5. What religion did Bernard's father follow?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why did Theroux describe the Burmese government as a Buddhist bureaucracy?

2. What was Theroux's reaction to the sight of the Goktiek Viaduct?

3. What did Theroux find disturbing about Osaka?

4. Why did Theroux say that the Malay smile was misleading?

5. Who were the American-looking children Theroux saw throughout Vietnam?

6. What are the differences between Japanese and American consumers?

7. How did Westerners and Japanese react to the suicide of the Japanese writer, Yukio Mishima?

8. How was Theroux treated at the hotel in Mandalay?

9. What were Theroux's main impressions of Singapore?

10. Why did Theroux refer to Laos as "America's expensive practical joke"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In Vietnam, Theroux wrote that his impression of American involvement had been doomed because we had no intention of staying. Therefore, we never developed a vision of what kind of nation we would leave behind, and the Vietnamese emerged damaged and abandoned. Do you believe the U.S. could have achieved its objectives had we remained in the country for a longer period of time? What responsibility did Theroux suggest a nation had to stay and rebuild another nation after involving itself in a military mission?

Essay Topic 2

Theroux visited what were declared to be the tombs of Cain and Abel while traveling through Ceylon. The country was in dire straits when Theroux traveled through and continued to have significant problems. What was the significance of the location of the alleged tombs of Cain and Abel? Does the fact that the "first murderer" was buried in Ceylon say anything about the country's likely fate? Do you think that the Ceylonese (who showed signs of religious devotion) viewed the tombs as somehow significant in terms of their condition? Did the decrepit condition of the tombs indicate a desire to suppress the tradition that this was the burial place of Cain and Abel?

Essay Topic 3

Many of the religious processions and festivals observed by Theroux appeared to be much more colorful, exuberant, bloody (in some cases), and well-attended than religious activities in Western countries. Do you think people in poorer parts of the world pay closer attention to religion? On the flip side, do cultures tend to drift away from religious ritual as they become more prosperous? Is the change inevitable? Did the profound dedication to religious faith in poor countries that Theroux witnessed offer any important insights into those cultures?

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