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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. How does the narrator feel about being denied to fight in the war?

2. Where is the brothel the narrator visits?

3. Why does the narrator try to fantasize about women?

4. Where does the narrator kiss Sonoko for the first time?

5. What does the narrator bring to Sonoko when he first seeks her out?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

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

5. To get out of staying an extra day with Sonoko, what lie does the narrator tell her about his job?

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

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

8. 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?

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

10. Why do the military doctors think the narrator has tuberculosis?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

When the narrator ends his relationship with Sonoko, he continues to be haunted by her. Write a brief essay examining how the physical aspect of love interferes with the emotional love he feels for her.

Essay Topic 2

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 3

The imagery and metaphor of masks appear throughout the novel. Choose three examples of this type of imagery from the text and analyze its purpose in the story.

(see the answer keys)

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