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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. Who was Muashi protecting when he ran away?

2. What is Kojiro more interested in doing then teaching?

3. What kind of food is Matahachi selling?

4. What does Kojiro say he is interested in serving?

5. What does Gonnosuke study?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Musashi test Sannosuke's skills?

2. What sacrifices does Sannosuke have to make to become Musashi's student?

3. Why is Matahachi happy with his punishment?

4. How does Sannosuke become Muasashi's student?

5. How does Gempachi know Matahachi killed Tenki?

6. What does Musashi learn about Kosuke?

7. Why is Matahachi trying to throw the gun away?

8. How does Matahachi mistakenly kill the man who stole from him earlier?

9. How does Musashi attack Denshichiro and his followers on the mountain?

10. Why does Musashi agree to stay with Yoshino at her teahouse?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Examine the life of a samurai warrior.

1. Who are samurai warriors and how do they view life?

2. What influence have samurai warriors had on popular culture?

3. How does the author express both the negative and positive aspects of samurai life? How has samurai values shaped the lives of the main characters?

Essay Topic 2

Why do Muashi and Matachi fall out with each other during the novel? What does it say about there friendship that they eventually reconcile? What does the novel say about friendship in general?

Essay Topic 3

Examine the book's reception in three different countries including the country in which the book was written. How do their opinions about the books differ? Was the book more influential in one country than another? If so, why?

(see the answer keys)

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