The Emperor of Gladness Quizzes

The Emperor of Gladness Quiz for Chapters 1–7

1 The novel begins with a declaration that the hardest thing in the world is__.

to experience poverty

to go through addiction

to live once

to be born
2 Why are the residents of East Gladness connected to the heart of the state?

East Gladness residents believe that people who live in Hartford are ghosts.

East Gladness is another name for Hartford.

Physical proximity to Hartford means that East Gladness residents are taken there by ambulances when necessary.

East Gladness is just east of where one can be happy, which is humanity's natural state.
3 Who is King Philip's Bridge named after?

The founder of East Gladness

Philip II of France

Metacomet

Philip II of Macedon
4 Which word does the narrator use to describe the residents of East Gladness?

Biblical

Addicted

Joyful

God-fearing
5 Why, ultimately, does the protagonist not die in the river?

He decides against his impulse to jump.

A woman jumps in the water and rescues him.

He lives because, distracted by the sight of a woman with her sheets, he forgets to jump.

Someone calls an ambulance, which takes him to Hartford.
6 Where is Grazina from?

Lithuania

Monaco

Ukraine

Russia
7 What animal does Grazina identify with, decorating her house with its image?

Snake

Hog

Bear

Owl
8 What does Grazina show Hai a recipe for?

Salisbury steak

Meatloaf

Dinner rolls

A way to brighten his soul by stomping on dinner rolls
9 Why is Hubbard Street known as Devil's Armpit?

Because of the corpse flowers that bloom

Because of a massive metam sodium spill from a shipping barge

People who go there disappear

Superstition
10 What question does Hai use to check what time period Grazina is living in?

What year is it?

Was the war difficult to live through?

Who is the current U.S. president?

Should we stomp on carrots or rolls?
11 When Hai sings Grazina a Vietnamese lullaby, he tells her it is__.

For children who cannot sleep

A song to raise the dead

For folks struggling with dementia

A song he taught his grandmother
12 How does BJ determine Hai's hirability?

In desperate need of employees, she takes the first person who applies, which happened to be Hai.

She asks Sony to vouch for him, taking Sony's word for it.

She has him work a test shift to see if he is capable.

She physically checks to see if he shows signs of being under the influence of some drug.
13 What does Grazina gift Hai upon his returning from his first shift?

A Salisbury steak

Homemade delicious cornbread

Her husband's book collection

A video game
14 What food is made fresh in-house at HomeMarket?

The cornbread

The meatloaf

The macaroni and cheese

The greenbeans
15 Hai describes his co-workers as typical__.

Addicts

Angry, disillusioned people

New Englanders

Shift workers
16 Where does Hai's mother believe him to be?

In New York pursuing his undergraduate degree

Caring for Grazina in the Devil's Armpit

Living with his cousin Sony in Florida

In Boston attending medical school
17 Why does a detective come to HomeMarket?

He is a USSR agent tailing Russia.

He craves cornbread.

He questions Hai about caring for Grazina despite his lack of professional training.

An old unsolved case (the murder of a girl named Rachel Miotti) brings him out of retirement.
18 How does Hai approach Grazina's time shifts?

He enters her time frame rather than forcing her into their present reality.

He pretends they are back in the 1980s.

He argues and insists that it is 2009.

He nods and smiles but otherwise disregards her confused time frame.
19 What identity does Hai adopt when speaking to Grazina?

A member of the Lonely Hearts Club Band

Her son Lucas

A pizza delivery person

Sergeant Pepper
20 What causes Grazina to respond with more awareness and clarity?

When Hai helps her call her children, particularly Lucas.

When Hai speaks to her with the identity of a U.S. Army official.

When Hai triples her medicine dose.

When Hai speaks to her with the identity of a USSR Army official.
21 Where is the war taking place?

Japan

Italy

In East Gladness and in Germany since Hai engages Grazina in her memories of World War II.

New Jersey
22 BJ believes her birthmark to be the shape of __. The crew __.

Bugs Bunny; argues

A random object; agrees

A musical note; disagrees

A wrestler; heartily agrees
23 What does the Peace Treaty refer to?

The Treaty of Versailles

Grazina's recollection of the end of the war

A food exchange with another nearby fast-casual franchise

Hai and Grazina agreeing to a ceasefire in their war games
24 What echo of truth does Hai see in Maureen's conspiracy theory of lizards controlling human society?

The rich and powerful benefit from the labor of impoverished people.

Addicts are controlled by pills just like human society is run by lizards.

Hai often feels that reptiles siphon his joy and energy

Hai believes all of Maureen's theories in their entirety.
25 What does Hai find and keep in Grazina's house?

An old painkiller prescription belonging to her dead husband

Thousands of dollars

A treasure trove of books

Vanilla cake mix to add to the cornbread

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