View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Gallimard believe about God?

2. What does Song claim she has given to Gallimard?

3. What does Gallimard ask Song?

4. What is an important fact that Toulon wants Gallimard to know about their jobs at the embassy?

5. What is Song afraid of as she is entertaining Gallimard in her parlor?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Gallimard mean when he says he has become a celebrity?

2. How does Toulon's view of the Americans and their actions reflect France's opinion of their place in this historic time period?

3. In the opera, how does the character of Butterfly look on Pinkerton?

4. What is the nature of Gallimard's experiment with Song? Why does he decide to treat her in this fashion?

5. Why does Song need Chin to acquire a baby for her? What kind of baby does it need to be?

6. How do Gallimard and his wife agree in regards to their opinion of the Chinese people?

7. How does Chin's point of view of Song's service to the Revolution differ from Song's?

8. How does Song talk Gallimard out of marriage?

9. Define the "Rape Mentality" that Song describes in the courtroom.

10. What are Chin's plans for Song after her time in the commune?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Gallimard's sexuality plays a major role in the plot of the play.

1. What seems to be Gallimard's sexual relationship with his wife? How does it differ from what he shares with Song? How is it different from his sexual encounters with Renee? How about Isabelle?

2. What is the importance of the men's magazine model who strips for Gallimard in his fantasy?

3. Marc is conjured up to encourage Gallimard's lustful nature. Although their characters are different, how are their wants similar? Why does Gallimard feel the need to imagine these interactions with his old school friend?

Essay Topic 2

Gallimard claims he is pure imagination. Write an essay on what Hwang meant to portray with this plot development.

1. Do you believe Gallimard knew Song was a man? Cite examples from the story that back your argument.

2. What changes when Gallimard finally sees Song naked? How does he treat Song? How does his opinion on Song changed? According to Gallimard, what was the mistake that Song made?

3. How does Song react to Gallimard's attitude toward him?

4. How does the fantasy world different from the reality of Gallimard's situation? Which does he choose? Why?

5. What does Gallimard mean when he is "pure imagination?"

Essay Topic 3

At the conclusion of Act 2, Song asks the audience to take a break while he makes his physical change from woman to man. He fully removes his makeup, wig and kimono to change into his male ensemble. Song's transformation is not limited to the physical. Even though we as an audience knew Song was a man for several scenes, the full reveal has dramatic implications.

1. Describe in detail the transformation Song makes physically, emotionally and characteristically. How does he talk to people differently? How does he treat Gallimard in Act 3 as opposed to Acts 1 and 2?

2. What is the symbolism of taking an intermission to watch song take off his makeup and change?

3. Why do you believe Hwang chose this moment in the play to fully reveal Song as a man? How would the play have changed if we had seen him as a man earlier? What would be the dramatic implications of withholding the knowledge of Song's true sex until this moment?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 986 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample