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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. When Naomi's mother abandoned her, where does Naomi remember her mother moved to?

2. When Aunt Emily is giving the speech about racism throughout the world, what reaction does Naomi have?

3. When Obasan awakens Naomi in the middle of the night, where does she take her?

4. During their relocation, what part of Stephen's body is in a cast?

5. When Naomi was being sexually abused as a child, who does she remember telling?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the rest of the Nakane family's reaction to Aunt Emily's revolutionary thinking?

2. What was Naomi's relationship to Old Man Gower?

3. At the onset of the labor camps, what happens to Naomi's family?

4. What reaction does Naomi have to the newspaper clippings and letters that she finds of Aunt Emily's?

5. What was life like for Naomi while she was living on the beet farm?

6. What story does Rough Lock Bill tell to Kenji and Naomi when they are out exploring the woods?

7. How is Grandmother Nakane's funeral described in the novel?

8. How does the family react to the news that the war is over?

9. How is Obasan described when Naomi goes to visit her?

10. After Germany surrenders in the war, what changes about life in Slocan?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

When Naomi is a child, she is frequently told the story of Momotaro.

Part1.) Describe the story of Momotaro as it was told to Naomi.

Part 2.) Compare / contrast Momotar's story with Naomi's childhood story. What was the same about their upbringings? What was different?

Part 3.) Explain how Momotaro's story has a much larger effect on Naomi as she is remembering it in her adulthood.

Essay Topic 2

All throughout the novel, Naomi struggles with authority in her life.

Part 1.) Explain the ways that Naomi struggles with authority in her personal adult life.

Part 2.) Describe the ways that Naomi's struggle with authority begins to penetrate her dreams.

Part 3.) Theorize why Naomi has such trouble with authority based on her childhood.

Essay Topic 3

Throughout the novel, Kogawa uses many different forms of figurative language including personification, simile, metaphor, and onomatopoeia. Describe the ways that Kogawa uses figurative language to propel the momentum of the storyline, and explain the ways that these tools of language affect the reader's relationship with the text.

(see the answer keys)

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