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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. What film does Kafka watch upon arriving at the desolate village?

2. Who do the police suspect has hired Nakata as a hit man?

3. Who closes the entrance stone?

4. What color is the entrance stone?

5. What does Mrs. Saeki claim defines Kafka even though he is very young?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happened to the two soldiers that went for a walk in the woods surrounding Oshima's cabin?

2. What happens when Crow encounters Johnny Walker in the enchanted woods?

3. What does Kafka decide to do with his life after emerging from Limbo?

4. How does Mrs. Saeki react when Kafka confronts her about the possibility that she is his mother?

5. While wandering through the woods, what disturbing dream does Kafka have about Sakura?

6. Why does Colonel Sanders bring Hoshino to the religious shrine?

7. How do Nakata and Hoshino know that the entrance stone is working?

8. What conversation does Hoshino get into with the elderly coffee shop owner the day that the entrance stone is flipped?

9. What happens to Nakata when Mrs. Saeki rests her hands against his chest?

10. How does Mrs. Saeki respond when Nakata bursts into her office demanding to talk about the entrance stone?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

As a boy, Tamura decides that he would like to change his name to Kafka. First, describe how Tamura chose this name for himself. Then, compare / contrast the character of Kafka from the novel with the man whose name he borrowed, Franz Kafka. What is the same about these men? What is different? Finally, explain whether or not you think Kafka is an appropriate name for the protagonist of this novel, and why.

Essay Topic 2

When the entrance stone is turned, it draws together two wandering souls - Mrs. Saeki and Nakata. First, describe the lives Mrs. Saeki and Nakata had been living before the stone was turned. Then, explain how Mrs. Saeki and Nakata complete each other, and what the effects of their final meeting were.

Essay Topic 3

Mrs. Saeki's song proves to be the thread that unifies all of the story lines in this novel. Choose at least two key elements of Mrs. Saeki's song and explain how these elements tie the story lines of Nakata and Kafka together. Then, explain whether or not you believe Mrs. Saeki's song is significant enough to warrant the title of this novel, and why.

(see the answer keys)

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