The Paper Menagerie – MCQs (25 Questions)

Choose the correct option for each question.

1. When was "The Paper Menagerie" by Ken Liu first published?

   a) 2009
   b) 2011
   c) 2013
   d) 2015

2. Who is the main protagonist of the story?

   a) Jack's mother
   b) Jack
   c) Mark
   d) Susan

3. What is Jack's mother's cultural background?

   a) Japanese
   b) Korean
   c) Chinese
   d) Vietnamese

4. What is the primary magical art that Jack's mother practices?

   a) Calligraphy
   b) Paper folding (origami)
   c) Painting
   d) Sculpture

5. What is the name of the first paper animal Jack's mother creates?

   a) Laohu (tiger)
   b) Dragon
   c) Phoenix
   d) Crane

6. What does "Laohu" mean in English?

   a) Dragon
   b) Tiger
   c) Phoenix
   d) Leopard

7. What incident marks the turning point in Jack's relationship with his mother?

   a) Moving to a new house
   b) Starting school
   c) Mark destroying Laohu and bullying Jack
   d) Jack's mother getting ill

8. What does Mark call the paper animals?

   a) Trash and cheap toys
   b) Boring decorations
   c) Stupid cheap Chinese garbage
   d) Worthless paper

9. What does Jack demand his mother to do after the incident with Mark?

   a) Stop making paper animals
   b) Speak only English
   c) Cook American food
   d) All of the above

10. How does Jack initially react to his mother's paper animals as a child?

    a) He ignores them
    b) He loves and plays with them
    c) He destroys them
    d) He tries to sell them

11. What happens to the paper animals after Jack rejects them?

    a) Jack's mother continues making them despite his rejection
    b) Jack throws them all away immediately
    c) Jack puts them in a box in the attic
    d) Jack gives them to Mark

12. Why does Jack's mother eventually stop speaking Chinese to Jack?

    a) She learns English completely
    b) Jack refuses to answer when she speaks Chinese
    c) Jack's father forbids it
    d) She becomes ill

13. How old is Jack when his mother gets seriously ill?

    a) In his teens
    b) In his twenties
    c) In his thirties
    d) The story does not specify

14. What is Jack thinking about during his mother's final moments?

    a) His mother's suffering
    b) His childhood with her
    c) On-campus recruiting, resumes, and interview schedules
    d) How to reconcile with her

15. Who helps Jack discover the significance of the paper animals after his mother's death?

    a) His father
    b) His girlfriend Susan
    c) His classmate Mark
    d) A neighbor

16. Where does Susan find the paper menagerie?

    a) In Jack's bedroom
    b) In a shoebox in the attic
    c) In a museum
    d) In his mother's room

17. What does Susan think of the paper animals?

    a) They are worthless trash
    b) They are amazing art created by an incredible artist
    c) They are strange and unusual
    d) They are poorly made

18. In what language is the letter Jack finds inside Laohu written?

    a) English
    b) Chinese
    c) Japanese
    d) Korean

19. What does Jack's mother's letter reveal about her past?

    a) She was a wealthy person in China
    b) She had a tragic childhood during the Cultural Revolution and became a mail-order bride
    c) She was a teacher in China
    d) She was a famous artist

20. How does Jack's mother end up becoming a mail-order bride?

    a) She willingly chose it
    b) She was forced by her family
    c) She escaped trafficking and abuse by agreeing to marry an American
    d) She wanted to move to America for wealth

21. What does the paper menagerie symbolize in the story?

    a) Childhood innocence only
    b) Mother's love and connection to Chinese heritage
    c) Waste and trash
    d) Mark's cruelty

22. What is one of the main themes of the story?

    a) Greed and wealth
    b) Racism, identity, and cultural displacement
    c) Adventure and exploration
    d) Competition and rivalry

23. What award did "The Paper Menagerie" NOT win?

    a) Hugo Award
    b) Nebula Award
    c) Pulitzer Prize
    d) World Fantasy Award

24. How does Jack's relationship with his mother change at the end of the story?

    a) It remains estranged forever
    b) He begins to accept his heritage and appreciate her love
    c) They never reconcile
    d) His mother comes back to life

25. What does the fading of the paper animals represent?

    a) They were made of poor-quality paper
    b) The fading of cultural connection and loss of the mother
    c) Natural wear and tear
    d) Mark's damage

Answer Key

i) b – 2011
ii) b – Jack
iii) c – Chinese
iv) b – Paper folding (origami)
v) a – Laohu (tiger)
vi) b – Tiger
vii) c – Mark destroying Laohu and bullying Jack
viii) c – Stupid cheap Chinese garbage
ix) d – All of the above
x) b – He loves and plays with them
xi) c – Jack puts them in a box in the attic
xii) b – Jack refuses to answer when she speaks Chinese
xiii) d – The story does not specify
xiv) c – On-campus recruiting, resumes, and interview schedules
xv) b – His girlfriend Susan
xvi) b – In a shoebox in the attic
xvii) b – They are amazing art created by an incredible artist
xviii) b – Chinese
xix) b – She had a tragic childhood during the Cultural Revolution and became a mail-order bride
xx) c – She escaped trafficking and abuse by agreeing to marry an American
xxi) b – Mother's love and connection to Chinese heritage
xxii) b – Racism, identity, and cultural displacement
xxiii) c – Pulitzer Prize
xxiv) b – He begins to accept his heritage and appreciate her love
xxv) b – The fading of cultural connection and loss of the mother