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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 finally realize that his musical instrument is an accordion?

2. What kind of power is the Town apparently running on?

3. What does the narrator ask the Librarian to do for him when he is finished reading skulls?

4. What does the narrator buy while waiting for the clothes to dry?

5. What does the Librarian compare looking for her mind to?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is "the encyclopedia wand"?

2. Describe the Town's power source.

3. What does the narrator say he plans to do with the Librarian's mind once he has read it?

4. How does the narrator's shadow say he developed his plan of escape in Chapter 38?

5. How does the narrator explain his decision in Chapter 40?

6. Explain the beasts' feeding habits as observed in Chapter 26.

7. What does the chubby girl plan to do once the narrator loses consciousness, and why?

8. What is the significance of the narrator's realization of what the accordion is and how to use it?

9. What does the narrator do after arriving in his apartment in Chapter 31?

10. What does the narrator tell the librarian about why he got divorced?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Being as specific as you can, explain the Tokyo narrator's perception of reality as events unfold at the beginning of the book. Did the narrator's reaction to what is happening assist in your suspension of disbelief? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

Describe the Town and explain how Murakami's characterization of this place relates to the overall theme of the mind.

Essay Topic 3

Explain some of the main characteristics of existentialist literature and describe how Murakami's novel is similar.

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