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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. Which of the following from "The Ghostmate" shows that the young man is feeling guilty about not returning to his family?

2. What were the Chinese wives most likely afraid of when their husbands left for Gold Mountain?

3. What is inside of Hina that holds immortality for humanity?

4. Why does the young man enter the house of the young widow?

5. How does the wife that great grandfather Bak Sook Goong takes back to China affect Kingston's heritage?

Short Essay Questions

1. What purpose is served when Bak Goong tells his fellow workers the tale about the King who fathered a prince with cat ears and keeps it a secret?

2. What is the purpose for making Tang Ao's capture so easy it could be done by women?

3. What is the significance of the long path that leads to the widow's house in "The Ghostmate"?

4. Provide examples from "The Ghostmate" of vivid imagery that reveals the man's mood as he heads back to his childhood home. Is the young man happy or sad?

5. Compare and contrast the genre used for "On Discovery" and for "On Fathers."

6. Identify and describe two historical allusions Kingston makes in "The Grandfather of the Sierra Nevada Mountains."

7. Do you think this chapter "On Fathers" takes place in China or in America? Give reasons for your choice, citing examples from the text.

8. Explain the Fair Share Refugee Act of 1960.

9. At the end of the "The Laws," Kingston predicts that the 1980 census may show that a million or more ethnic Chinese will be living in the United States. Why does she have to predict the census numbers?

10. Explain how prior knowledge or a similar experience can help a reader understand the events that occur in "On Fathers."

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Consider the times in China Men when the characters sing. Singing appears in many of the Chinese traditions to which Kingston exposes her readers. Find references throughout the novel, and describe the singing experience of the characters. Then use the examples to draw conclusions about why singing is part of life for so many Chinese. Explain what purpose the singing serves in each example.

Essay Topic 2

How do Chinese immigrants in California and in New York perceive the American demons? Describe why the Chinese call all other ethnic groups outside of China demons. Find examples in China Men to support the immigrants' perception as correct. Then compare and contrast the work ethic of both Americans and Chinese immigrants as illustrated in the novel China Men.

Essay Topic 3

Describe the traditions associated with Chinese arranged marriages. What is the purpose for the "wailing bride"? How are the customs different for the bride's family and the groom's family? What is the bride expected to do when she sees her groom for the first time? What do these actions imply about the bride's role in her marriage?

(see the answer keys)

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