“The Paper Menagerie” - FINAL EXAM

What is the exposition of “The Paper Menagerie”?

• Jack discovers and reads a letter from his mom and finally hears her life story.

• Jack grows up wanting to be more American and doesn’t want to learn anything about his Chinese mom.

• Jack takes his mother’s letter, learns origami and how to fold Laohu, and takes him home.

• Jack’s Chinese mother enchants her young son with her origami pets that she can make come to life.

• Jack’s mom dies from cancer before the two could resolve their conflict and truly understand each other.

What is the initiating event of “The Paper Menagerie”?

• Jack discovers his mother’s gift of making origami come to life.

• Jack learns from his father in high school about the details of ordering Jack’s mom from a catalog.

• Jack meets Mark, an American Star-Wars-loving friend, who shows him what American toys are.

• Jack overhears two female neighbors saying that his name doesn’t sound too “Chinesey.”

Each of the examples below cover the various conflicts found in "The Paper Menagerie."

Which, however, serves as the central conflict, exemplifying the story's theme and message to the reader?

• Jack vs. his dad, blaming him for not being able to know his mother well

• Jack vs. his mom, blaming her for the racism he experiences

• Jack vs. self, blaming himself for the difficult relationship he has with his mom

• Jack vs. society, blaming it for the racism that he and his mother experienced

What is the rising action of “The Paper Menagerie”?

• Jack discovers and reads a letter from his mom and finally hears her life story.

• Jack grows up wanting to be more American and doesn’t want to learn anything about his Chinese mom.

• Jack takes his mother’s letter, learns origami and how to fold Laohu, and takes him home.

• Jack’s Chinese mother enchants her young son with her origami pets that she can make come to life.

• Jack’s mom dies from cancer before the two could resolve their conflict and truly understand each other.

What is the climax of “The Paper Menagerie”?

• Jack discovers and reads a letter from his mom and finally hears her life story.

• Jack grows up wanting to be more American and doesn’t want to learn anything about his Chinese mom.

• Jack takes his mother’s letter, learns origami and how to fold Laohu, and takes him home.

• Jack’s Chinese mother enchants her young son with her origami pets that she can make come to life.

• Jack’s mom dies from cancer before the two could resolve their conflict and truly understand each other.

What is the falling action of “The Paper Menagerie”?

• Jack discovers and reads a letter from his mom and finally hears her life story.

• Jack grows up wanting to be more American and doesn’t want to learn anything about his Chinese mom.

• Jack takes his mother’s letter, learns origami and how to fold Laohu, and takes him home.

• Jack’s Chinese mother enchants her young son with her origami pets that she can make come to life.

• Jack’s mom dies from cancer before the two could resolve their conflict and truly understand each other.

What is ironic about the falling action?

• Jack doesn’t attain the all-American life he fought so hard to achieve.

• Jack finally learns about his mother’s life but tragically after she has passed away.

• Jack grows to hate his mother more than he already did for most of his life.

• Jack never learns the truth about his mother and where she came from.

What is the resolution of “The Paper Menagerie”?

• Jack discovers and reads a letter from his mom and finally hears her life story.

• Jack grows up wanting to be more American and doesn’t want to learn anything about his Chinese mom.

• Jack takes his mother’s letter, learns origami and how to fold Laohu, and takes him home.

• Jack’s Chinese mother enchants her young son with her origami pets that she can make come to life.

• Jack’s mom dies from cancer before the two could resolve their conflict and truly understand each other.

Why does Jack not look into the eyes of the Chinese tourist who translates his mom’s letter?

• He is too disappointed with his mom for trying to give him a guilt trip.

• He is too embarrassed because of how he treated his mother.

• He is too enraged by the content of what his mom wrote in the letter.

• He is too proud to do so because he thinks he is better than she is.

How can Jack be considered a dynamic character?

• Jack learns a better appreciation for his mom and his Chinese culture.

• Jack learns to better appreciate Star Wars action figures.

• Jack learns to hate his father as much as he hates his mother.

• Jack learns to make origami that is even better than his mother’s origami.