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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. In Chapter 3, what does the narrator offer to carry for Sonoko?

2. In college, what does the narrator do to make others believe he is attracted to women?

3. What color does the sky turn following an air raid?

4. What is the first physical act of intimacy the narrator offers to Sonoko?

5. How long does the university postpone classes during the Allied-raids?

Short Essay Questions

1. When does the narrator get his first opportunity to spend time with Sonoko?

2. What does the narrator ask Kusano regarding the relationship he ended with Sonoko?

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

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

5. Why does the narrator allow Chieko to kiss him?

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 the narrator is excused from the draft, what is he surprised to realize?

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

9. What is the narrator's opinion of the factory that produces war planes?

10. What impresses the narrator about the refugees that he sees?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

In spite of his attraction to men, the narrator finds true affection for Sonoko.

1) Why is the narrator attracted to Sonoko?

2) Why is she attracted to him?

3) What factors work against the success of the relationship?

Essay Topic 3

The narrator is immature in his relationship with women. When he meets Sonoko, she too is somewhat immature.

1) How does this immaturity help Sonoko and the narrator's relationship work?

2) What are some examples of immature interactions?

3) How does the immaturity affect their relationship?

(see the answer keys)

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