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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. What phrase is K particularly interested in when Sensei finds him living in the temple after their first summer from college?

2. What word from Part III, Sensei’s Testament means flirtation?

3. Who was left in charge of Sensei after the death of his parents?

4. Where do Sensei and K go after leaving Hota during their summer vacation together in Part III, Sensei’s Testament?

5. What “old-fashioned phrase” does Sensei use to describe K’s situation at home in Part III, Sensei’s Testament?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does K confront Sensei about outside the library in Part III, Sensei’s Testament? How does Sensei respond?

2. Where does Sensei move after severing ties with his adoptive family in Part III, Sensei’s Testament?

3. How does Sensei’s past, revealed in his final letter, explain his demeanor in the earlier parts of the novel?

4. When does Sensei tell Soseki he began to respect him in his letter in Part III, Sensei’s Testament?

5. What happens with K’s family during their third summer holiday from school in Part III, Sensei’s Testament?

6. What does Soseki’s father say after Soseki’s arrival to cause Soseki to feel remorse in Part II, My Parents and I?

7. What warning does Okusan give Sensei when he first broaches the topic of K coming to live at the house in Part III, Sensei’s Testament?

8. What is K’s justification for defying his adoptive parents’ wishes in Part III, Sensei’s Testament?

9. How does Sensei know K? How does K defy his parents’ wishes in Part III, Sensei’s Testament?

10. How does Soseki’s family react when news is heard of Emperor Meiji in Part II, My Parents and I?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the setting of Soseki’s family home in the novel. How far from Tokyo do Soseki’s parents live? How is their home and estate described in the narrative? How does Soseki compare the rural people in his hometown to the people of Tokyo?

Essay Topic 2

Plot Structure

a. Discuss the plot structure of Kokoro. In what ways is the narrative related and what effect does this have on the reader?

b. How does Kokoro compare with other novels written during this time period? Are there specific stylistic elements that can be seen in Soseki’s writing?

Essay Topic 3

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?

(see the answer keys)

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