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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 Three, Chapter 6, why does Ayame say she was late coming home to take care of Daisuke?

2. What is Goro promoting Mozasu to in Book Two, Chapter 16?

3. What does Etsuko's daughter, Hana, tell her on the phone in Book Three, Chapter 9?

4. What languages does the Baek family speak at family gatherings with Phoebe as described in Book Three Chapter 18?

5. What does Kyunghee say to Kim when he proposes to marry her in Book Two, Chapter 14?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. 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?

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

5. What does Kyunghee say to Kim Changho's marriage proposal in Book Two, Chapter 13, and how does Kim respond?

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

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

8. What does Noa realize about Akiko's attitude towards him after she interrupts his meeting with Hansu in Book Two, Chapter 19?

9. Why does Mozasu not want Solomon to take over the family business in Book Three, Chapter 21?

10. What case does Haruki go to investigate in Book Three, Chapter 7? What does Haruki learn when he meets the boy’s parents?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Throughout Pachinko, we see many side characters who are named and given a back story even if they are only mentioned once. Choose four of these characters and develop a thesis in response to the following questions: how does the addition of side characters contribute to the larger story of Pachinko? What effect is created by having these side characters fleshed out in the novel? Why is it important to have them in the novel in addition to the main characters?

Essay Topic 2

Do some research on the idea of "diaspora." Kim Changho returns to Korea because he longs to see his homeland. Noa eventually becomes a Japanese citizen and travels back to Korea. Meanwhile, the other members of the family are unable to get Japanese passports and can only have Korean passports, which are useless, and so they can not travel internationally or back to Korea. All of these events relate to longing for a homeland, diaspora, and the regulation of human bodies moving across geography. Use the concept of diaspora to focus on two characters in the novel and examine their connection to a homeland, their in-betweenness of identity and belonging, and how they navigate the policing of their bodies. How do they navigate heartache, pain, humiliation, and difficulties? Explain what diaspora is in relation to them.

Essay Topic 3

The theme of shame is prevalent throughout the novel Pachinko. When Sunja sleeps with Hansu, she brings shame upon herself and her family. Later in the novel, on the television show "Other Lands," a Japanese woman who has moved abroad says, "I have never been to Japan [...] but I hope wherever I am in life, I can be a good Japanese. I hope never to bring shame to my people" (419). Choose two characters and explore how shame shapes their lives. Where does this shame come from? What societal ideals or expectations hold up shame? Is it rational? How do characters find ways to absolve this pain?

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