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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. In what play is Kafuku acting at his main theater at the time of the story's narrative?

2. Tanimura describes college to Kitaru using which single word?

3. For what reason does Tanimura dislike baths?

4. What favor does the man who services Kafuku's car do for Kafuku at the beginning of the story?

5. What other fact is included alongside the narrator's statement that Kitaru had failed his college entrance exams twice?

Short Essay Questions

1. How do Tanimura and Kitaru first meet?

2. Which of Misaki Watari's qualities make her a perfect fit for her role as Kafuku's personal driver?

3. For what reason does Kitaru feel a measure of relief about failing his exams?

4. Describe Misaki Watari's appearance.

5. How does Kitaru feel about "things being smooth and comfortable" (52) in life?

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

7. What is the significance of Kafuku's reaction to sitting in the passenger seat of his Saab after 12 years of driving?

8. How does Kafuku feel about Misaki Watari's tendency to remain quiet as she drives?

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss Murakami's purpose for using the motif of dreams and visions within his short story collection Men Without Women.

Essay Topic 2

In what ways is the theme of hope depicted within Murakami's short story collection Men Without Women?

Essay Topic 3

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?

(see the answer keys)

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