TESTS AND ANSWERS

TEST 2

_____ 1. A Chinese wife's most important function was to

A. look after the old parents
B. bear sons
C. keep the family together

_____ 2. The one act that Wang feels guilty about toward O-lan is

A. letting her work in the fields after she has given birth
B. taking her two small pearls
C. bringing Lotus Flower into the house

_____ 3. The first sign of the declining fortune of the House of Hwang is the

A. rude servants
B. the dusty furniture
C. the Old Mistress' old coat

_____ 4. Pear Blossom wants to become Wang Lung's concubine because she prefers

A. old men
B. rich men
C. widowers

_____ 5. Wang Lung's greatest desire in his later years is for

A. more grandchildren
B. a new concubine
C. peace in his house

_____ 6. Wang Lung's youngest daughter cries because

A. her doll is broken
B. her bound feet hurt
C. she wants a new dress

_____ 7. The Good Earth is a novel characterized by

A. flashbacks
B. complex plotting
C. straightforward narrative

_____ 8. Wang Lung's strongest religious belief is in

A. the earth gods
B. the goddess of mercy
C. ancestor worship

_____ 9. In times of stress, Wang Lung's spirits are restored by

A. visiting Lotus Flower
B. working in his fields
C. getting drunk

_____ 10. Wang Lung switches from riksha pulling by day to hauling wagons at night because it

A. pays better
B. keeps him anonymous
C. keeps him safe from the soldiers

11. What is the Chinese family attitude toward elders? Give positive and negative sides to this tradition.

12. Discuss the practice of foot-binding: its origins, its role in the novel, and similarities to other cultural practices.

13. Discuss Wang Lung's changing relationship to the land as the novel progresses.

14. What evidence does The Good Earth give us about women's status in traditional China?

15. Wang Lung's fellow worker in the city says: "When the rich are too rich, and when the poor are too poor, there is a way." What does he mean? Give examples to back up your answer.

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