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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. Why does Manna have to leave the wedding?

2. What do Manna's legs feel like as she walks away from spying on Lin's class?

3. What does Lin compare the box at the bottom of Manna's closet to?

4. What does Manna say to Lin when he comes back into the delivery room to see his sons?

5. What makes Lin realize he is getting old?

Short Essay Questions

1. Does Lin regret divorcing Shuyu?

2. Why would Manna Kill herself if she were pregnant?

3. How does tradition aid Lin in Chapter 9?

4. How does Lin feel about being a father?

5. Why does Manna wish she had a daughter like Hua?

6. What are the double standards of blame in Chapter 10?

7. Why is Hua not difficult to convince to go to Muji City?

8. Is Lin going to leave Manna?

9. Do people in the hospital view Shuyu as a joke?

10. After the secret of Manna's rape gets out, how does the way the hospital staff treats Manna and Lin change?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the parallels between the characters and the political context of China. What do the characters represent about the evolving political organization of China? What role do Chinese politics play in the lives of the characters?

Essay Topic 2

Tradition, rules, and standards sometimes play the most pivotal role in the relationships in "Waiting." Write an essay about the characters' multifaceted relationships with these obstacles.

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay about Lin's orchestration of relationships and the necessity of control. Respond to the following questions:

- How does Lin act when he is orchestrating the situation?

- How does Lin react when he has no control over another person or their actions?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 855 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample