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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is the first thing Nakata requests after waking from his nap?

2. What color is the entrance stone?

3. Which of the following is NOT something that ceases to matter in the deserted village?

4. What form does pure evil take when it tries to sneak through the entrance stone?

5. Which of the following characters encounters Johnny Walker while walking through the woods?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Mrs. Saeki ask Nakata to do with her memoirs?

2. What does Kafka decide to do with his life after emerging from Limbo?

3. Who is Colonel Sanders?

4. What conversation does Hoshino get into with the elderly coffee shop owner the day that the entrance stone is flipped?

5. Why does Oshima wake Kafka in the middle of the night with a frantic phone call?

6. What is the origin of Kafka's name?

7. While wandering through the woods, what disturbing dream does Kafka have about Sakura?

8. How does Mrs. Saeki respond when Nakata bursts into her office demanding to talk about the entrance stone?

9. Why does Colonel Sanders bring Hoshino to the religious shrine?

10. What happens with Mrs. Saeki sleepwalks into Kafka's bedroom?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Throughout the novel, there is great mystery surrounding who killed Japan's most famous sculptor. First, describe how the murder occurs, and who the two main suspects are. Then, explain how Murakami uses this murder with two other major events in the novel - Johnny Walker's murder and Kafka waking up covered in blood. How do these connections add to the suspense of the novel as a whole?

Essay Topic 2

Mrs. Saeki's song proves to be the thread that unifies all of the story lines in this novel. Choose at least two key elements of Mrs. Saeki's song and explain how these elements tie the story lines of Nakata and Kafka together. Then, explain whether or not you believe Mrs. Saeki's song is significant enough to warrant the title of this novel, and why.

Essay Topic 3

The woods surrounding Oshima's cabin are a place of great wonder to Kafka. First, explain Kafka's initial reaction to the woods and explain how his opinion of this place changed throughout the course of the novel. Then, give at least two examples of lessons Kafka learned about nature due to the time he spent in Oshima's woods.

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