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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 does Freddie kick during the fight in the alley before running to his car?

2. Who is Tommy?

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

4. Where is Ichiro's father when Ichiro gets home from returning Kenji's car?

5. What do the funeral and Ichiro's mother's life have in common?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. Why does Ichiro's mother drown herself?

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

4. What is the turning point in Ichiro's parent's marriage?

5. Why does Kenji want to write a letter to Emi's husband?

6. What does Ichiro's behavior to the Japanese waiter at the Burnside Cafe symbolize?

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

8. Describe Kenji's father's house.

9. What does Kenji bring as a present for his father and why?

10. What does Ichiro finally start to understand about his past after taking the job at the Christian Rehabilitation Center?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe how other characters influenced Ichiro throughout the book. Use specific examples of how at least three different characters influenced Ichiro in either a positive or negative manner. Give examples.

Essay Topic 2

What would you have done if you had to chose between going to prison, fighting in a war you didn't believe in, or going to a relocation camp? Would your decision change if you didn't have any family? What sorts of things would you consider while making your decision?

Essay Topic 3

Compare and contrast Ichiro's family with Kenji's family. What are the major similarities and differences? How does Ichiro's decision not to go to war and Kenji's decision go to war play into the differences in the families? Explain the influence each family was to Ichiro and Kenji.

(see the answer keys)

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