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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. The narrator says in Part I: Sensei and I, that he might have never noticed Sensei had he not been accompanied by what?

2. Where do Sensei and the narrator walk toward after leaving the gardens during the flower-viewing season in Part I: Sensei and I?

3. Where is the narrator’s fellow vacationing student friend at the beach from in Part I: Sensei and I?

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

5. The narrator says in Part I: Sensei and I, that his inn was in a rather out-of-the-way district of the beach town and if one wanted to play billiards or eat ice cream, a rickshaw would cost how much?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. 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?

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

5. What financial advice does Sensei give Soseki in the tree nursery in Part I, Sensei and I?

6. Why does Soseki want to know about Sensei’s past? What conversation takes place regarding trust at the tree nursery in Part I, Sensei and I?

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

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

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

10. What conversation does the narrator have with Sensei regarding trust in Part I, Sensei and I?

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 Sensei’s opening words to Soseki in Part III, Sensei’s Testament. What does Sensei tell Soseki regarding their previous discussion of trust? How does Sensei explain his lack of correspondence after Soseki’s letter? When does Sensei say he began to respect Soseki?

Essay Topic 3

Describe and analyze the character of Soseki’s father in the novel. From what degenerating ailment does Soseki’s father suffer? How does Soseki compare his relationship with his father to his relationship with Sensei?

(see the answer keys)

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