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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 is NOT one of the white flowers mentioned in "Thalia: Comedy"?

2. What is in the basket the woman sets before the young girl in "Polymnia: Sacred Poetry"?

3. In "Thalia: Comedy," what form does the letter from "a friend" arrive in?

4. According to the narrator, what system turns the seasons in "Terpischore: Choral Dance"?

5. Where did Mr. Reardon's mother move three years before the letter?

Short Essay Questions

1. Discuss the parallel between the ritual of becoming a nun and that of becoming a wife.

2. Discuss at least two possible meanings of the partition imagery which appears in "Elitere: Lyric Poetry."

3. Discuss the ending of the work. Why does it end with a child looking out a window?

4. Describe the woman's relationship with the person on the telephone in "Thalia: Comedy."

5. Why does Cha include the first letter to Mrs. Laura Claxton?

6. Discuss the use of light and dark in the opening of "Elitere: Lyric Poetry."

7. Describe the earth in "Terpischore: Choral Dance."

8. Describe the wife's relationship with her husband in "Erato: Love Poetry."

9. Identify one central symbol of "Terpischore: Choral Dance" and discuss its relevance.

10. Discuss the ending of "Terpischore: Choral Dance." What sentiment do the closing lines leave you with?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Throughout Dictee, Cha experiments with notions of time; she comments on concepts of time ranging from systems of calendar dating to experiential time. Discuss the role of time in Cha's work. How does she manipulate language to convey different experiences of time? Why does she incorporate so many methods of marking or experiencing time? How does incorporating these differing experience of time work contribute to the overall project of the work?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the narrative voice in the book. Who is speaking throughout each section? How do these voices work to form a singular text? Do they present a coherent message or do they contradict one another? How does Cha's manipulation of narrative voice contribute to a work, which unites several women across various generations and cultures?

Essay Topic 3

Family plays a significant role in Cha's Dictee. Describe the way family members are linked throughout the work, then address the following questions. How does Cha treat family in this work? What role to family relations play in the narrator's decisions? How does the narrator perceive family? What does Cha's commentary about family appear to be?

(see the answer keys)

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