View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. In what year did Natsume Soseki join the staff of the Fifth National College in Kumamoto?
(a) 1924.
(b) 1896.
(c) 1857.
(d) 1952.

2. At what time does Sensei return home while the narrator stays with his wife to watch for burglars in Part I: Sensei and I?
(a) 10:00 p.m.
(b) 6 p.m.
(c) 8 p.m.
(d) 10 a.m.

3. What does “Sensei” mean in general Japanese usage?
(a) Teacher.
(b) Friend.
(c) Priest.
(d) Laborer.

4. Sensei tells the narrator in Part I: Sensei and I, “[I]f you ever allow yourself to feel betrayed, you will then find yourself being” what?
(a) “Cruelly vindictive.”
(b) “Excellently moved.”
(c) “Obstinately vengeful.”
(d) “Awfully morose.”

5. Where was Natsume Soseki educated, according to the book’s Forward?
(a) Kumamoto University.
(b) Hokkaido University.
(c) Imperial University.
(d) Waseda University.

Short Answer Questions

1. The narrator describes Sensei’s attitude as what, prior to their meeting in Part I: Sensei and I?

2. The author states in the Forward, “The best rendering of the Japanese word "kokoro" that I have seen is Lafcadio Hearn's, which is” what?

3. What game does the narrator play with his father while he is recovering to appease his boredom in Part I: Sensei and I?

4. By the end of what month is the narrator’s graduation thesis due in Part I: Sensei and I?

5. Why is the narrator’s vacationing student friend called home in the beginning of Part I: Sensei and I?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Sensei ask Soseki on their walk in the tree nursery after Soseki has completed his thesis in Part I, Sensei and I?

2. When and where was Kokoro first published? What insight does the translator give to the meaning of the title in the Forward?

3. Why does the narrator return home in Part I, Sensei and I? How does he depict his first days there?

4. How does Sensei respond when the narrator asks him to clarify his meaning of “guilt” in Part I, Sensei and I?

5. What is the narrative point-of-view in Kokoro? How is this perspective fitting for the novel?

6. Describe the setting of Kokoro. Where does most of the action in the novel take place?

7. What does the author of the Forward say of Soseki Natsume’s education and works?

8. Who is the translator of Kokoro? What reasons does he give for his Soseki’s biographical information in the book’s Forward?

9. How does Soseki respond to Sensei’s remark about Soseki seeking love in Part I, Sensei and I?

10. What leads to Soseki’s return to Tokyo after staying with his parents in Part I, Sensei and I? What does Sensei tell him when he first visits after his return?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 905 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample