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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. After the fact, the narrator thinks of Chieko's kiss as what?

2. What does Sonoko inspire the narrator to do?

3. After the war, who close to the narrator dies?

4. What do the draft doctors think about the narrator's health?

5. What confusing emotion does the narrator feel around Sonoko?

Short Essay Questions

1. On the train, what does the narrator do that makes Sonoko blush?

2. Why does the narrator offer to carry Sonoko's bag?

3. Why does the narrator want to stay in a hotel with Sonoko?

4. After the visitation with Kusano, what sight confronts the narrator on his train ride home?

5. How does the narrator feel after going to the brothel?

6. Why does the quote "The measure of a woman's power is the degree of suffering with which she can punish her lover" bother the narrator?

7. When Sonoko confronts the issue of the break-up with the narrator, what does she want to know?

8. Why does the narrator decide suicide is a foolish option?

9. When the narrator pretends not to understand what a sodomite is, how do the guys around him react?

10. In addition to being the first female the narrator feels capable of loving, what additional benefit does Sonoko offer the narrator?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The war changes the country of Japan and those who experienced it.

1) Describe the country as it was before the war.

2) Explain how the war changes the people of Japan.

3) Explain how the war changes the narrator.

Essay Topic 2

The narrator is surrounded by feminine influence, yet certain social cues teach him how a boy "should" act.

1) Who provides the narrator with these social cues?

2) What does the narrator do to act out his gender expectations?

3) In what ways does the narrator struggle against his gender identity?

Essay Topic 3

Upon meeting Omi, the narrator is confronted with sexual feelings for the boy.

1) What intimate moment do Omi and the narrator share that begins their friendship?

2) What attracts the narrator to Omi?

3) How does this attraction affect the narrator?

(see the answer keys)

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