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

Short Answer Questions

1. What occupation does Moon Orchid's husband have?

2. What does the slave girl have to do to pass Brave Orchid's test?

3. How does Moon Orchid describe Brave Orchid's oldest daughter?

4. What document does Maxine's mother have mailed to America?

5. Where is Moon Orchid finally happy living?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Moon Orchid's character plays a significant role in the novel, specifically in the section "At the Western Palace." Answer the following questions about her character and role in the story.

Part 1) Do you think Moon Orchid is happier in America than she was in China? Explain why or why not.

Part 2) Why do you think the narrator includes Moon Orchid's story in the novel?

Part 3) What type of impact do you think Moon Orchid's story had on the narrator? What might the narrator have learned from watching her aunt?

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

Choose a small portion of the story that displays a conflict the narrator has with her mother. Rewrite the conflict, this time telling the story from the narrator's mother's perspective. When you have finished rewriting the story, write a paragraph explaining how and why the narrator's mother's point of view on the issue at hand differs from the narrator's point of view.

(see the answer keys)

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