View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What baseball reference does Tanimura use to indicate how far he had gone sexually with his girlfriend before going to college and breaking up with her?

2. Tanimura's father had worked in what position during Tanimura's childhood?

3. Before their friendship ends, Takatsuki tells Kafuku that it is impossible to take what action?

4. What does Kafuku tell Misaki Watari after stating that he has wanted to tell her for a while?

5. Kafuki tells Watari that he likes what objects because they are "easier than CDs" (9)?

Short Essay Questions

1. What precipitates Kafuku's need for a driver?

2. What is the reason that many of the conversations between Kitaru and Tanimura take place through a crack in the bathroom door?

3. What vivid image does Tanimura create to depict the character of Kitaru in the first few lines of the story "Yesterday"?

4. Compare and contrast Kitaru's and Tanimura's feelings about taking baths.

5. How do Tanimura and Kitaru first meet?

6. Discuss Murakami's use of Tanimura and Kitaru as character foils for one another.

7. How does Tanimura characterize the Kansai dialect spoken by his friend Kitaru?

8. How does Kitaru justify to Tanimura his butchering of the lyrics to the Beatles' song Yesterday?

9. In what activities do Erika and Tanimura take part during their date together?

10. How does the theme of perseverance emerge within Erika's comments about Tanimura's break-up with his high school girlfriend?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explicate the theme of courage within Haruki Murakami's short story collection Men Without Women. What is Murakami's message regarding courage and how do you know?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the author's messages about guilt and responsibility within Haruki Murakami's short story collection Men Without Women.

Essay Topic 3

Write a critical essay about Haruki Murakami's short story collection Men Without Women while using the critical power theory lens of Marxist theory. Use textual evidence to back up your strong, specific claim regarding the book's treatment of issues such as socioeconomic status, hierarchies, wealth, class, or any other issues related to Marxist theory that can be found in the book.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,117 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample