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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. When the narrator first sees Sensei at a teahouse by the beach, he says that two days previously he had gone where?

2. Who translated Kokoroand wrote the book’s Forward?

3. Where do Sensei and his wife take a holiday and send a letter with a maple leaf enclosed to the narrator from in Part I: Sensei and I?

4. What Buddhist inscription does the narrator describe on one of the tombstones in the cemetery in Part I: Sensei and I?

5. What did Natsume Soseki study in college?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. Where is Sensei when the narrator first goes to his home in Tokyo? Where does the narrator eventually find Sensei?

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

5. Soseki has said that he is often disappointed by Sensei’s responses. How is this illustrated after Soseki visits Sensei after completing his term paper in Part I, Sensei and I?

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

7. How does the narrator perceive Sensei’s relationship with his wife in Part I, Sensei and I?

8. Describe Sensei’s demeanor toward Soseki upon their meeting. Does Sensei welcome Soseki’s company?

9. What is foreshadowed through Soseki and Sensei’s discussion of trust in the first section of Part I, Sensei and I?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the style and language of the novel. How does the language of Kokoro contribute to the tone of the narrative? What differences can be seen in the ways that Soseki and Sensei communicate verbally?

Essay Topic 2

Describe and discuss the character of Soseki’s mother in the novel. How old is Soseki’s mother in comparison with her husband? What levity does Soseki lend to his mother’s advice and opinions? How does Soseki’s mother compare with Shizu?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss symbolic role that Emperor Meiji plays in Kokoro. What does Meiji represent metaphorically to the characters in the story? How does Meiji’s passing affect Soseki and his family? How does it affect Sensei?

(see the answer keys)

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