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

Short Answer Questions

1. For how many years is Maxine's mother at medical school?

2. What subjects did all of Brave Orchid's children major in?

3. What does the rock candy Brave Orchid gives to the children meant to symbolize?

4. According to Moon Orchid, what does a daughter having a curled upper lip indicate?

5. Why does Maxine's mother burn candles in the laundry?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Moon Orchid and Brave Orchid reunite after spending many years on different continents. Explain how the sisters feel about one another using examples.

Part 1) What does Moon Orchid think about Brave Orchid's new life in America?

Part 2) How does Brave Orchid try to help Moon Orchid adjust to America?

Part 3) Do you think the sisters get along? Explain why or why not.

Essay Topic 2

A large part of the novel describes the narrator's childhood.

Part 1) Explain at least two of the secrets the narrator has to keep during her childhood. How do you think these secrets affected the narrator's personal and social life?

Part 2) Why do you think the Chinese American children are warned about immigration growing up? Explain what fears immigrants had during the time period of the novel's setting, and how these fears relate to the events of the novel as a whole.

Essay Topic 3

In "Shaman," the narrator says, "Before we can leave our parents, they stuff our heads like the suitcases which they jam-pack with homemade underwear."

Part 1) Explain the context of this quote. What is the narrator responding to when she makes this comment?

Part 2) Explain the meaning of this quote. What is the narrator trying to say?

Part 3) How does this quote relate to the narrator's life as a whole?

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