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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 did Mike's mother do with him routinely right before she left America for Japan?

2. What does Eiju say to Mike when Mike tells him blatantly he is gay?

3. Who are the trio of salarymen who frequent Eiju's bar?

4. What does Eiju do one night at the bar that makes Mike incredulous and angry?

5. What does Mike routinely do with the older Black couple next door?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who does Mike become somewhat romantically involved with in Osaka and how does this happen?

2. What upsets Mike about Ben's attitude towards the neighbors?

3. Why is Ryutaro so loyal to Eiju?

4. What does Eiju tell Mike when Mike asks how he first met Mitsuko?

5. What does Kunihiko start doing as Eiju gets sicker?

6. What is very upsetting to Mike about how his father Eiju abandoned him and Mitsuko?

7. What surprises Mike about the name of Eiju's bar?

8. How does Eiju feel about tourists in his bar?

9. What does Mike say to Ben shortly before he leaves for Osaka that he knows he should not have said?

10. What does Eiju tell Mike about the bar that surprises Mike?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How do both Ben and Mike seem to handle the idea of monogamy in their relationship? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 2

Washington seems to leave the door open to the idea that Mike and Ben might someday get back together at the end of the novel, but for the immediate future, they are breaking up. Why do you think Washington leaves the future of Ben's and Mike's relationship ambiguous? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 3

Why do you think Ben eventually agrees to the awkward meeting between himself, Mike, and Omar towards the end of the novel? What it is about this meeting that seems to surprise all three young men? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 634 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample