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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. In Book Two, Chapter 20, what does Yoseb say to tell Mozasu about Noa's leaving?

2. Who interrupts Noa's monthly meeting with Hansu in Book Two, Chapter 18?

3. Why does Etsuko's husband divorce her as described in Book Three, Chapter 9?

4. What does Hana ask Solomon if he wants to do in Book Three, Chapter 13?

5. In Book Three, chapter 20, what does Goro-san tell Solomon about the old Korean woman’s property?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Solomon get fired from his job in Book Three, Chapter 19?

2. How does Solomon get his name as told in Book Three, Chapter 10?

3. Why does Noa go to Nagano in Book Three, Chapter 1 after he finds Hansu is his father?

4. What does Etsuko think about her role as a mother in Book Three, Chapter 10?

5. How are the women in Phoebe's family different than in Solomon's family as described in Book Three, Chapter 18? Why is this the case?

6. What does Noa's letter to Sunja and the Baek family say Book Two, Chapter Twenty after he learns Hansu is his father?

7. What does Solomon want to do for his and Hana's relationship in Book Three, Chapter 14?

8. What does Hana tell Solomon in their final meeting in Book Three, Chapter 20?

9. How does Sunja meet Noa in Book Three, Chapter 8? What does she do when she sees him?

10. What does Kuroda-san lecture about the Jewish people in Daniel Deronda that Akiko reacts against in Book Two, Chapter 15?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In the third book of Pachinko, with the war over, Japan begins to rebuild and Western influences begin to change society. What new ideas are introduced? How does this shape what the characters think of and what they want? What characters display new ideas or Western influence? Akiko and Yumi may be two examples of characters whose outlook is shaped by the ideas of the United States and Europe. Use at least three examples from the novel to develop a thesis: How does the outside influence of the United States, Europe, and the West affect the characters lives in the third book of Pachinko?

Essay Topic 2

Analyze Pachinko for its protagonist/antagonist relationships and overall structure. Choose two of the protagonist/antagonist relationships to compare to one another. How do you know one character is the protagonist and the other is the antagonist? What effect is achieved in the novel by having multiple protagonists and antagonists at different points in the novel? Use at least two textual examples to support your argument for each of the protagonist/antagonist relationships you choose.

Essay Topic 3

Isak tells Noa, "You are very brave, Noa. Much, much braver than me. Living every day in the presence of those who refuse to acknowledge your humanity takes great courage" (197). How do the Japanese view and treat the Koreans in the novel? How do Koreans in the novel deal with the prejudice shown to them by the Japanese? Choose at least three characters, and compare/contrast their views against one another. Develop a thesis answering the question: what allows them to carry on life in the face of discrimination and prejudice? What shapes their ability to handle what happens to them? Some examples to chose from may be Mozasu, Yoseb, Noa, Sunja, and Hansu. Explain what the characters you choose have to deal with and then show how they are or are not able to handle certain aspects of discrimination.

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