View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is the name of the river Shinsuke visits with his father?

2. Who visits Tsuneko at the end of the story?

3. What does a traditional Buddhist funeral begin with?

4. What is the man sitting next to him on the train is wearing?

5. What is the title of the final story?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does the Life of the Stupid Man say about Akutagawa's state of mind?

2. What does Akutagawa hear on the phone?

3. How does Shinsuke deal with what he calls his fake parents?

4. What does the narrator say he remembers about his mother?

5. Why is Oshino suddenly unable to control his legs?

6. How does Oshino try to control his kicking legs?

7. What are the author's feeling about religion during this time?

8. Why does Shinsuke struggle to make friends?

9. What does the narrator remember about his father?

10. Why does the narrator say he feels guilty?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What information is in Henry Barrett's obituary? Why does the author include Henry Barrett's obituary at the end of Horse Legs?

Essay Topic 2

Why is Xiao-er unable to take the second chance given to him? What does his character say about human nature in general? How could you argue against the author's point of view?

Essay Topic 3

In what way is death a constant theme throughout the book? In what way do the Japanese view death differently to other western cultures? Does the author share this view?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 638 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample