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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. When Arn finds Sophea lying motionless, he considers killing her to save her from rape, from murder at another's hands, or from being eaten by wild animals. He doesn't, instead choosing to take what action?

2. What happens to cause Arn to say that now "even the earth is our enemy" (126)?

3. When Arn asks a nurse what month and year it is, she replies that it's March 1979. He then figures out he has been away from home for how long in total?

4. Why does Arn start to suspect that Koong is Sombo's new favorite boy?

5. Mek and Arn differ in their assessment of what their parting means. What are their two separate feelings about their separation?

Short Essay Questions

1. What words does the dying lady in the village spit at Arn and why do her words hurt him so much?

2. Why does Arn begin to shake after he boards the bus with the other refugees?

3. After Sombo leaves the group to take Koong to a Thai hospital, the kids all argue about which they should go. Arn goes in the opposite direction and they see, but do not care. What reason does Arn give for their apathy?

4. Why does Arn turn over all of the dead bodies of the villagers to look into their faces?

5. How does the white rabbit enter the narrative of the story and what is its significance?

6. Describe the parting of Arn and Mek. What is its significance within the course of the narrative?

7. When Arn hears the conflicting reports on Sombo's radio, with the Voice of Angka saying that a victory for the Khmer Rouge is imminent and the American station saying that the Vietnamese are in control of the East and are taking more land every day, Arn doesn't know which report to believe. He does, though, hold on to one fact that he hears. What is that fact and why does he choose to keep it in mind?

8. Conditioning is the automatic response of one's body that happens over a period of time when one is subjected to repeated negative and/or positive reinforcement in order to facilitate a particular response. The soldiers tell Arn and Siv that he has a new job for them, lead them to a temple, make them watch as they murder the elderly prisoners there, and order Arn and Siv to urinate on the bodies of the dead and dying old men. Arn thinks that there is no way he'll be able to comply, but when he looks down, he sees that urine is pouring out of his body onto the dead men's heads. What is the author's purpose in including this incident?

9. How does the author present the theme of the unnatural when Kha tells Arn and Siv that if they stay hidden, they can watch the girls bathe in the nude?

10. Why do Arn, Siv, and Kha kick dirt over their excrement after they eat the sweet potato Arn brings back from the leader's house?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Within the novel, the manipulation of language in order to shift people's perspectives is a common theme, both in Arn's case, as when he questions the difference between a "bribe" and a "gift" (8) and in the case of the Khmer Rouge soldiers, as when they ban the use of the word "sleep," instead ordering that only the word "rest" (82) be used. Discuss the theme of language manipulation throughout the novel and relate it to manipulation of language within modern politics.

Essay Topic 2

Though the reader may expect that once Arn gets to America, his life will be perfect, the author instead chooses to show the significant difficulties Arn experiences upon his arrival. Explain what these difficulties are and ultimately, explain why the author chose to include them within the narrative.

Essay Topic 3

The novel is littered with the use of sensory details throughout the narrative. Discuss the author's purpose in including the sights, sounds, smells, tastes and tactile sensations of Arn's experiences.

(see the answer keys)

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