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

Short Answer Questions

1. During an argument over dinner, what does Hanae accuse Yuki of being?

2. According to Yuki in Chapter 12, what will Hanae do with the things Yuki leaves behind?

3. In Chapter 11, how does Yuki offend her grandparents during dinner?

4. Why does Miss Sakaki send someone to collect leaves outside?

5. What does Mr. Kimura teach when he meets Yuki in Chapter 10?

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

Each character in the novel displays a different attitude toward death and the nature of loved ones passing. Compare and contrast the main characters of the novel: Yuki, Masa, Takeo, and Hideki. How do their approaches to grief vary? How have they grown and progressed by the end of the book? What understandings do they come to about death and those that have departed?

Essay Topic 3

For a young person, Yuki lives with a great deal of regret. Write an essay in which you explore the impact of this particular burden on Yuki. What is Yuki's biggest regret? What does she regret more, her actions or her words? Why? Do other characters regret their actions or words? If so, how do their regrets compare to those of Yuki?

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