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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. Where does Natsuki live with her parents and sister?

2. What special power does Natsuki believe she has after Mr. Igasaki's abuse?

3. What does Natsuki remember Yuu telling her when they parted ways at the mountain house?

4. In Part II, why does Mr. Igasaki say Natsuki needs to come to his house?

5. What does Yuu say he and Natsuki should take in the spaceship with them?

Short Essay Questions

1. What childhood fantasy does Natsuki have in Part I?

2. What is really unusual about Natsuki's and Tomoya's marriage?

3. What happens to Natsuki after Mr. Igasaki sexually abuses her?

4. Which relative is always kind to the children in Natsuki's family?

5. In Chapter 2, how does Natsuki refer to her town as an adult?

6. In Part II, what "lesson" does Mr. Igasaki give to Natsuki at his home?

7. How does Natuski observe the dynamic between her mother and father?

8. In Part II, what does Natsuki desperately want to do with Yuu?

9. What vow do Yuu and Natsuki make to each other?

10. In Part II, why does the family decide not to go to Akishina for Obon?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What do you think Murata reveals about both Natsuki and Tomoya by explaining how they came to their marriage agreement? Write an essay explaining your answers.

Essay Topic 2

How does Murata describe Tomoya's near-obsession with Akishina? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 3

How and why does Murata establish Akishina as a refuge and a place of comfort and solace for Natsuki in the early stages of the novel? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 533 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample