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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 does Mrs. Saeki ask Nakata to do with the stack of papers she has written about her life?

2. Which character reminds Kafka that "love is accompanied by sadness"?

3. What is the only situation in which a human soul can live outside of a living body?

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

5. Who has arranged for Nakata to live in the free apartments provided by the government?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Kafka react when he is approached by the Japanese soldiers in Oshima's woods?

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

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

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

5. How does Hoshino care for Nakata after he dies?

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

7. How does evil try to escape Limbo?

8. Who is Colonel Sanders?

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

10. What does Mrs. Saeki ask Nakata to do with her memoirs?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Throughout the novel, there is great mystery surrounding who killed Japan's most famous sculptor. First, describe how the murder occurs, and who the two main suspects are. Then, explain how Murakami uses this murder with two other major events in the novel - Johnny Walker's murder and Kafka waking up covered in blood. How do these connections add to the suspense of the novel as a whole?

Essay Topic 2

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 3

When Kafka is still a young child, he decides to run away from home. First, explain the circumstances leading up to Kafka's decision to leave home. Then, describe the items Kafka took with him during his escape and the process through which he chose these items. Finally, describe at least two characters that helped Kafka during the initial days of his plan.

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