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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. In "The Local History of T'an-ch'eng," who do widows struggle to raise?

2. What do some soldiers in T'an-ch'eng do when the change of government occurs?

3. When the lazy person returns and begs the widow, what role does he assume again?

4. Who lacks an heir after the death of the young boy in the Woman P'eng story?

5. According to what custom does a woman return dowry to her husband's family?

Short Essay Questions

1. How is Feng K'o-t'san described in Chapter 1, the Observers?

2. What is the story about the old widow and her fantasy that P'u Sung-ling shares?

3. Describe the earthquake in T'ang-Ch'en in 1668.

4. How does Lien's killer misunderstand the Chinese law?

5. What does Huang Liu-hung find most disturbing about the people in his county?

6. What do many widows do to raise their children?

7. How does a woman's rights compare to that of her son?

8. Describe the heavy demands of the tax system in the 1640s in T'an-ch'eng.

9. What is the story that P'eng's husband's relatives make up in order to attack Lien?

10. What happened in the story of the man falling asleep and dreaming?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Freedom was a recurring theme in The Death of Woman Wang. Who was free? Who lacked freedom? What constricted freedom? How did Wang gain or lose freedom? Which authorities controlled access to freedom and in what ways? Did Wang need a purpose in life to be free? Discuss.

Essay Topic 2

Famines happened often in China at this time, decimating entire populations. What concerns for health and hygiene do they raise? As a result of the famine, the people are struggling to survive when bandits attack. What strengths and weaknesses are revealed in the people?

Essay Topic 3

Explain the role of women in rural China in the 1600s when the women in the stories and the main narrative are living their lives. What precedents do they feel compelled to follow? What restrictions do they have? What freedoms did they have that 21st century women do not have?

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This section contains 805 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample