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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. How does Astrid's mother find out about her confrontation with Isabel Wu?

3. How is Catherine Young's husband described?

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

5. What characteristic sets Victoria apart from her siblings?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Kitty Bing lash out at her husband, Jack?

2. In Part One, Chapter One, what do you learn about Charlie Wu from his encounter with Eddie Cheng?

3. What can you infer about Rachel's relationship with her mother from their phone conversation in Part 1, Chapter 7?

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

5. What does Astrid find out when she visits Su Yi?

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

7. What do you learn about Rachel's personality when she encourages Nick to reconcile with his grandmother?

8. Su Yi dreams she is in Ranakpur, India. Who does she meet in her dream?

9. What does the reader learn about Kitty Bing from her visit to the dress salon?

10. Despite her concern for her grandmother, where does Astrid go?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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?

Essay Topic 2

Many of the subplots in the novel center around the family relationships between the characters. Does money make the relationships stronger? If so, why? Does money negatively impact family relationships? Explain how.

Essay Topic 3

The novel takes place in various settings around the world. Discuss the various locations and how they contribute to the plot. Why did the author include so many locations? Could the story take place in one location? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

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