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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. Who says, "No matter how far you travel, you can never get away from yourself" (11)?

2. According to Mr. Tabata, what did Yoshiya have to do to have his father revealed to him?

3. Where did Junko work after she ran away?

4. What did Shimao and Komura watch on television?

5. What was notable about Yoshiya's mother's doctor?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe Yoshiya's final moments with Mr. Tabata.

2. Why did Yoshiya not believe he was the child of God?

3. What is the story about the UFO that the women tell Komura?

4. What do Miyake and Junko decide to do after the fire dies down?

5. Why did Junko run away from home?

6. Describe Keisuke.

7. Why were Komura's friends puzzled by his marriage?

8. Why did Miyake never stock up on groceries?

9. Why did Miyake call Junko?

10. How was Miyake connected to the Kobe earthquake?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Consider the role of women in after the quake. Examine the text through a feminist lens, trying to find ways in which women advance the stories they are part of. How does Haruki Murakami approach women in these stories? What do you make of these depictions?

Essay Topic 2

Consider the ways four different characters in this book cope with trauma. How does Murakami portray trauma?

Essay Topic 3

Assess the power of shared experiences in shaping diverse personal narratives. How does the Kobe earthquake unify these stories and the characters in them?

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