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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 advised the men to trample on the picture?

2. What is ladled over the people tied to the stake?

3. Who meets Rodrigues at the meeting point?

4. What do the officials do with the two dead bodies?

5. What does Kichijiro agree to find for the priests in Japan?

Short Essay Questions

1. In what way do Garrpe and Rodrigues' opinions differ when the two men ask them to come to their village?

2. What does Rodrigues do during his stay in Odomari?

3. Describe the two priests' life at the village.

4. How do the sailors know they have reached land?

5. Why is there distrust among Christian villagers?

6. Why does it seem the priests cannot enter Japan?

7. What does Ferreria say happens to seven Christians in Japan?

8. What problems did the three priests have to overcome to get to India?

9. How does the village cope with the raid in Chapter 4?

10. Describe the storm at the beginning of Chapter 2.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Look at the structure of the novel.

1) How does Endo use character and dialogue to drive the narrative?

2) Discuss elements of the narrative structure: exposition, conflict, complication, climax, resolution and conclusion. Do all the elements make for a logical and linear story? How does the story's structure express the novel's themes?

3) Aside from the main character, Rodrigues, examine the way Endo uses the other characters in the story. When does he introduce and take them away from the story? What effect does it have on the story?

Essay Topic 2

Silence is described as historical fiction and therefore the reader would expect aspects of the novel to be historically accurate. What parts of the novel do you think have to be accurate? In what parts does Endo need to exaggerate the truth and why? Can such a book ever be regarded as an accurate historical account?

Essay Topic 3

Look at the main religions and institutions in Japan, and using examples from the book and two other sources, discuss how Christianity could conflict with traditional Japanese beliefs.

(see the answer keys)

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