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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. With the exception of Yuki's father and new wife, what do adults say to Yuki when she does something deserving of praise?

2. According to Yuki, what does Hideki think about clothes and makeup?

3. What does Shizuko's mother say the morning of the wake?

4. What causes Shizuko to wake up from her nap in Chapter 1?

5. In Chapter 1, why is Yuki going to be late for dinner?

Short Essay Questions

1. During Takeo's heart attack in Chapter 14, what seems to be his pervading attitude?

2. Describe how Mr. Kimura appears to ten-year-old Yuki.

3. In Chapter 15, Yuki convinces herself that what she feels for Isamu is only friendship. Is Yuki telling the truth?

4. What does Shizuko wish that she had done differently on the day she decides to take her life?

5. Is the race in Chapter 5 a metaphor for Yuki's life?

6. Yuki often remembers her mother Shizuko through smells and colors. Describe some of the occasions in Chapter 9 in which Yuki recalls her mother due to these sensory catalysts.

7. Why does Yuki begin to pack away Shizuko's things without taking a single item for herself?

8. Why does Shizuko destroy one of the goodbye notes at the end of Chapter 1?

9. In the beginning of Chapter 12, what does Yuki intend to do with Shizuko's stored belongings in the attic?

10. What happens at the end of Chapter 2 after Yuki changes her clothes for the wake?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explore the mother-daughter relationships in the novel.

Part 1) Describe Shizuko's relationship with Yuki.

Part 2) Is Shizuko a traditional Japanese mother? Why or why not? In what way is Shizuko a role model to her daughter?

Part 3) Compare and contrast Yuki's relationship with Shizuko to Yuki's relationship with her stepmother Hanae.

Part 4) Compare and contrast Yuki's relationship with Shizuko with Sachiko's relationship with her mother, Mrs. Murai.

Essay Topic 2

Who is the protagonist and who is the antagonist of the novel?

Part 1) Examine the novel, taking into account the multiple points of view and lasting actions of each character, and determine an answer.

Part 2) What evidence supports each choice?

Part 3) What actions do the characters take that make them suitable for these roles?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the symbolism of flowers, specifically irises and azaleas, in the novel.

Part 1) Relate these symbols to Yuki's life and the novel's central themes.

Part 2) In what way do these symbols reveal Yuki's inner feelings?

Part 3) Explain how these symbols help to tell Yuki's story.

(see the answer keys)

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