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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. Sensei tells the narrator that his Western friend is something of what in Part I: Sensei and I?

2. NatsumeSoseki wrote Kokoro how many years after the death of Emperor Meiji?

3. What word used by Sensei in Part I: Sensei and I, means a freeing from false belief?

4. The narrator says that he learned to be an accomplished whistle-blower from a friend where in Part I: Sensei and I?

5. At what time does Sensei return home while the narrator stays with his wife to watch for burglars in Part I: Sensei and I?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Sensei say of “unnatural death” in Part I, Sensei and I?

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

3. What does the narrator tell Sensei of his father’s health when he returns to Tokyo in Part I, Sensei and I? How does Sensei respond?

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

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

6. 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?

7. What does Sensei reveal about greed and betrayal in his past at the tree nursery in Part I, Sensei and I?

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

9. Where does the narrator first see Sensei? How does he go about approaching him?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe and discuss the upbringing of Sensei in the novel. How old was Sensei when his parents died? How did they die? What caused Sensei to lose trust in humanity?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss Soseki’s letter to Sensei in Part II, My Parents and I. Does Soseki expect a response from Sensei? Does Soseki believe Sensei to be capable or willing to help him find employment? How does Soseki feel when he does not receive a reply?

Essay Topic 3

Describe and analyze the character of Shizu, or Sensei’s wife, in the novel. Where is Shizu from? What is her demeanor like? What does Soseki think of Shizu?

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