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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. How many black garbage bags full of the unnamed narrator's late father's belongings do the five Memory Police officers seize after their hour-long search?

2. From what location does the old man come to help the unnamed narrator prepare for the colder weather?

3. The old man tells the unnamed narrator in Chapter 7 that he has lived on the island how much longer than she has?

4. What meal do the unnamed narrator and the old man share together in Chapter 5?

5. At the end of Chapter 1, the unnamed narrator recalls asking her mother, "Why are you the only one who hasn't" (7) taken what action?

Short Essay Questions

1. When an excerpt of the novel about the typist is provided at the start of Chapter 8, what has the protagonist lost?

2. For what reason does the narrator visit R's office in Chapter 10?

3. What type of document is presented within the text for the first, but not the last, time in Chapter 6?

4. At what sight do the narrator and the old man gaze during their discussion of the Memory Police in Chapter 7?

5. What is named as "the first duty of the Memory Police" (14)?

6. Who raps on the narrator's basement window in Chapter 4 and for what purpose?

7. What is the symbolism of the cabinet the unnamed narrator describes in relation to her mother in Chapter 1?

8. What particular aspect of the birds' disappearance bothers the narrator the most?

9. Once R agrees to accept the narrator's offer to hide him, what instructions does she give him?

10. For what reason do the Memory Police visit the unnamed narrator in Chapter 2?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay that discusses the symbolism of the cover art chosen for The Memory Police.

Essay Topic 2

How is the topic of surveillance treated within The Memory Police and how does its treatment relate to the novel's depicted messages?

Essay Topic 3

How do the themes of deception and secrecy function within The Memory Police and what is Ogawa’s message regarding these themes?

(see the answer keys)

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