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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 Mozasu meet while he waits for Yumi in Book Two, Chapter 17?

2. At the end of Book Three, Chapter 12, what does Yangjin want to do before she dies that she is not able to do?

3. What does Senora Wakamura say on Other Lands in Book Three, Chapter 12?

4. What does Kazu tells Solomon about Japan in Book Three, Chapter 17?

5. In Book Two, Chapter 17, where is the missionary teacher, John Maryman, from?

Short Essay Questions

1. What causes Etsuko's divorce as described in Book Three, Chapter 9? How has this affected her relationship with her children?

2. Why does Mozasu tell Yumi they can not move to America in Book Three, Chapter Two?

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

4. Why have Hana and Solomon begun to hang out in Book Three, Chapter 13? How does Hana think of Solomon?

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. Why is Mozasu promoted to foreman of Paradaisu Seven in Book Two, Chapter 16?

7. How does Sunja feel seeing Hansu in the kitchen with her in Book Three, Chapter 4?

8. What does Kazu explain to Solomon as a "shit tax" in Book Three, Chapter 17?

9. Why does Hansu care so much about Noa's education from the background in Book Two, Chapter 18?

10. In Book Three, Chapter 21, what does Sunja find inside her bag while at Isak's grave and what does she do with it?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Isak tells Noa on his deathbed that "Men may be unfair, but the Lord is fair. You'll see. You will" (196). Does this idea that everything is fair in the end hold true for the novel? Choose two characters and explore their actions. Is what happens to them in the novel fair? Are their actions or what happens to them counterbalanced by anything else? What definition of "fairness" does the novel show?

Essay Topic 2

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.

Essay Topic 3

How is Pachinko arranged as a whole novel? Examine the structure of Pachinko in the first section, the second section, and the third section. Why is the novel divided in this way? What does each section say on its own, as an individual book? What is the message of the three sections put together overall? Consider the titles of each section as well as the epigraphs. What does the structure of the novel and the use of three sections say about the story as a whole? Use textual evidence to support your answers.

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