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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 kind of flowers did Pei pick while walking with her father in Chapter 2?

2. In Chapter 9, who is said to bathe infrequently, drink expensive liquor, and eat large slabs of bloody beef?

3. What does Pei say about marriage?

4. Who is Chen Ling's best friend?

5. Where did Pei faint in Chapter 2?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Pao decide to send Pei to work in the silk trade?

2. What does Auntie Yee remember about Chan?

3. How does Auntie Yee become a worker for the silk factory?

4. Does Pei's mother think girls should be well-educated?

5. What is Pei's first impression of the sisters' house where she and Lin go to live?

6. What is a hairdressing ceremony?

7. What does Mei-li share with Pei after she comes home late one night?

8. Describe Pei's journey with her father.

9. How does Mei-li react when Pei tells her it is time to go to the Chen Ling and Ming's banquet?

10. What is the only beautiful object in Pei's childhood home?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe Auntie Yee's character. What does she represent to the young silk workers? Do you think she understands them better because she has gone through a similar experience? How so?

Essay Topic 2

How are rituals used in this novel as part of ceremonies? Do they help you understand the Chinese culture of this time period? How so?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the theme of death in this novel and specifically the deaths of Mei-li, Sui Ying, and Lin. In what way does each girl's death reveal a truth about the society in which they lived?

(see the answer keys)

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