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 live once

to be born

to go through addiction
2 Why are the residents of East Gladness connected to the heart of the state?

East Gladness is another name for Hartford.

East Gladness is just east of where one can be happy, which is humanity's natural state.

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

Physical proximity to Hartford means that East Gladness residents are taken there by ambulances when necessary.
3 Who is King Philip's Bridge named after?

The founder of East Gladness

Philip II of Macedon

Philip II of France

Metacomet
4 Which word does the narrator use to describe the residents of East Gladness?

God-fearing

Addicted

Joyful

Biblical
5 Why, ultimately, does the protagonist not die in the river?

Someone calls an ambulance, which takes him to Hartford.

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.

He decides against his impulse to jump.
6 Where is Grazina from?

Ukraine

Russia

Monaco

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

Bear

Hog

Owl

Snake
8 What does Grazina show Hai a recipe for?

Salisbury steak

Dinner rolls

Meatloaf

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

People who go there disappear

Because of a massive metam sodium spill from a shipping barge

Because of the corpse flowers that bloom

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

Was the war difficult to live through?

What year is it?

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__.

A song to raise the dead

For children who cannot sleep

A song he taught his grandmother

For folks struggling with dementia
12 How does BJ determine Hai's hirability?

She physically checks to see if he shows signs of being under the influence of some drug.

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

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

She asks Sony to vouch for him, taking Sony's word for it.
13 What does Grazina gift Hai upon his returning from his first shift?

Homemade delicious cornbread

A Salisbury steak

Her husband's book collection

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

The greenbeans

The macaroni and cheese

The cornbread

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

Shift workers

Addicts

Angry, disillusioned people

New Englanders
16 Where does Hai's mother believe him to be?

Living with his cousin Sony in Florida

Caring for Grazina in the Devil's Armpit

In New York pursuing his undergraduate degree

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

He is a USSR agent tailing Russia.

He craves cornbread.

An old unsolved case (the murder of a girl named Rachel Miotti) brings him out of retirement.

He questions Hai about caring for Grazina despite his lack of professional training.
18 How does Hai approach Grazina's time shifts?

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

He argues and insists that it is 2009.

He nods and smiles but otherwise disregards her confused time frame.

He pretends they are back in the 1980s.
19 What identity does Hai adopt when speaking to Grazina?

Her son Lucas

A pizza delivery person

A member of the Lonely Hearts Club Band

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

When Hai helps her call her children, particularly Lucas.

When Hai triples her medicine dose.

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

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

New Jersey

Italy

Japan

In East Gladness and in Germany since Hai engages Grazina in her memories of World War II.
22 BJ believes her birthmark to be the shape of __. The crew __.

A random object; agrees

A musical note; disagrees

Bugs Bunny; argues

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

Hai and Grazina agreeing to a ceasefire in their war games

Grazina's recollection of the end of the war

The Treaty of Versailles

A food exchange with another nearby fast-casual franchise
24 What echo of truth does Hai see in Maureen's conspiracy theory of lizards controlling human society?

Hai believes all of Maureen's theories in their entirety.

Hai often feels that reptiles siphon his joy and energy

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

The rich and powerful benefit from the labor of impoverished people.
25 What does Hai find and keep in Grazina's house?

Thousands of dollars

Vanilla cake mix to add to the cornbread

A treasure trove of books

An old painkiller prescription belonging to her dead husband

The Emperor of Gladness Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for The Emperor of Gladness is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

Ask Your Own Question

Study Guide for The Emperor of Gladness

The Emperor of Gladness study guide contains a biography of Ocean Vuong, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

Read the Study Guide for The Emperor of Gladness…