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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. Where does Oko allow the two men to sleep?

2. What does the man Matahachi drinks with know Sasaki to be?

3. What does Tojo own?

4. What is the name of the military captain's commander?

5. What kind of business does Oko run?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Musashi feel about his talk with Nikkan?

2. How does Musashi find Otsu again?

3. What are the reasons Seijuro cannot fight in this chapter?

4. Who is Jotaro?

5. Why does the blacksmith want to kill Musashi?

6. What signs are there that stealing from corpses is becoming a lucrative business?

7. What is Matahachi's life like with Oko?

8. Why does Akemi's mother demand Akemi continue to steal from corpses?

9. How has Matahachi's life changed for the worse at the beginning of Book III?

10. How does Oko prepare for Tsujikaze's visit?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Pick two characters from the book and discuss their goals and motives. Do they achieve their motives? Do they share similar goals and motives with other characters? Do their goals clash with other characters? How do the characters' goals and motives affect their interaction with each other?

Essay Topic 2

How does Yoshikawa represent Japanese culture? How does it compare to other representations of Japanese culture?Does anyone criticize Yoshikaw's representation of Japanese culture?

Essay Topic 3

What are the main turning points of the book? How does Yoshikawa develop his story to get to each turning point? What happens to the story after a major turning point?

(see the answer keys)

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