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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. Why does Toshiko not want to buy the gas masks?

2. Why does Toshiko think that Shige-san is not qualified for the apprenticeship?

3. What wakes H and his friends up from their slumber?

4. What does H decide to start a business doing?

5. What are octopus pots also known as?

Short Essay Questions

1. What scares H at the campaign speech?

2. Did H make the right decision by returning to Kobe?

3. Of all the things in the house, including his precious books, why does H try to save his father's sewing machine?

4. How does H show his poor judgment in Chapter 28?

5. What are war bonds?

6. In what way do we again see H's resourcefulness in chapter 44?

7. What good news does H hear in chapter 44?

8. Is Instructor Tamori a popular teacher at H's school?

9. In Chapter 17, what changes in lifestyle do H's parents have to make because of the war?

10. How does Toshiko help the stranded flood victims?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

During the turbulent war, H turns to his art on numerous occasions. Discuss times when H is able to use art to improve a situation or help him overcome an obstacle.

Essay Topic 2

The characters of the novel are predominately male. How are women portrayed in "A Boy Called H," and how are they viewed by our protagonist?

Essay Topic 3

Near the end of the novel, we not only see the devastating impact that the war had on Kobe, but also the toll it took on H's emotional state. Discuss in detail the evidence of his emotional deterioration.

(see the answer keys)

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