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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. Which of the following characters encounters Johnny Walker while walking through the woods?

2. How long have Hoshino and Nakata spent together by the time Nakato dies?

3. What is the name of Oshima's only brother?

4. Who tells Hoshino that he is "a spirit - neither god not Buddha"?

5. Who arranges for Nakata to stay at a posh apartment while the police are searching for him?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Oshima wake Kafka in the middle of the night with a frantic phone call?

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

3. What is the origin of Kafka's name?

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

5. Who is Colonel Sanders?

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

7. How does Kafka react to the desolate village that the Japanese soldiers guide him to?

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

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Through the use of the entrance stone, Nakata realizes that humans can fully interact with the spirit world. First, explain how Nakata got his hands on the entrance stone. Then, explain how Nakata figured out how to use the entrance stone. Finally, explain what Nakata learned about himself through the use of the entrance stone.

Essay Topic 2

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 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.

(see the answer keys)

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