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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 Kenji go before picking up Ichiro at the grocery store?

2. Who is Ichiro fighting in the alley?

3. What happens when Ichiro pulls up to the grocery store in the Oldsmobile following his trip home from Portland?

4. Who jumps in to save Freddie in the fight in front of Club Oriental near the end of the book?

5. Why is Ichiro upset with the people who show up at his mother's funeral?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Kenji tell Ichiro to go back to Seattle without him?

2. What is one possible reason why Ichiro was offered a job by Mr. Morrison at the Christian Rehabilitation Center?

3. What is Ichiro's father so impressed with at Ichiro's mother's funeral?

4. Why is the violent ending to the book so significant?

5. How does Ichiro cause Bull's face to gush with blood?

6. What news does Emi share with Ichiro after his mother's funeral?

7. What does Kenji's family do together that night?

8. Why does Ichiro's father feel a sense of relief following Ichiro's mother's death?

9. Why is Ichiro's father drinking so heavily?

10. Why does Ichiro go to the Christian Rehabilitation Center?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How does the author use alcohol and drinking throughout the book? How does it make the characters look and behave?

Essay Topic 2

Compare and contrast Kenji and Ichiro answering ALL THREE of these questions:

1) What makes Kenji and Ichiro similar?

2) What makes Kenji and Ichiro different?

3) Who is in more pain and why?

Essay Topic 3

Compare and contrast who was the bigger coward: Ichiro or Taro. Be sure to define "coward" in your essay.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 528 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample