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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. What problem did Bettina Ortiz y Mena experience?

2. Why is Astrid hesitant to go away with Charlie?

3. What brings the members of the family together in the dining room?

4. What does the reader learn about Singaporean high society from the incidents in this section of the novel?

5. What literary device does the author use to provide more information about Nick's childhood?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the narrative perspective of the novel? Why is this perspective important?

2. How does Felicity react when she reads the gossip article about Isabel's attack on Astrid at the Bible study luncheon?

3. How does Nick know his grandmother is saying she is sorry for opposing his marriage?

4. Who is Oliver T'sien and what is his relationship to Kitty Bing?

5. Who is Lucia Shang? How does her character fit into the novel's plot?

6. What is the purpose of the three problems discussed in the Prologue?

7. When Su Yi appears in the dining room for breakfast, what does her attitude convey to her family?

8. Mabel Shang holds a grudge against Charlie Wu's mother, Irene. What is behind her lingering anger?

9. Why is Nick Young ambivalent about returning to Singapore to see his grandmother, Su Yi?

10. How are the characters of Eddie and Kitty similar?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the narrative style of Rich People Problems. From what point of view is the story told? Why is this point of view important to the story? Is there another point of view that would tell the story well?

Essay Topic 2

When Nick finds his grandmother's diaries, he learns things about her past that were largely unknown to her family. What does Nick learn about her character? How does he react to what he learns? What effect do Su Yi's diaries have on Nick and his decisions concerning Tyersall Park?

Essay Topic 3

Eddie Cheng is a unique character in the novel. How does his character develop in the book? What role does he play in the overall plot? What does his character represent? Did Eddie change as a character as the novel progressed?

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