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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. Other than money, what does Joncour have for his trip to Japan?
2. What is Madame Blanche's street address?
3. When people ask Joncour about Africa, what does he say?
4. Who was Joncour's dad?
5. Who came to Japan in 1853?
Short Essay Questions
1. Why does Baldabiou share the secrets of silk? What does this say about Baldabiou?
2. It is against the law to sell silk eggs in Japan. Why is it reasonable in the eyes of the silk manufacturers to break a law in Japan? Are they concerned for the welfare of Joncour? Why? Why not?
3. Is Joncour really disinterested in what is happening in Japan as the novel progresses? Is he following the news? Does he care if he ever gets back? What is holding his interest in his leisure time?
4. Why are the silkworms of Japan not affected by disease? What is their history of trade?
5. How does the author describe the character of the Mayor? How is the telling of his story told in a circular fashion?
6. When Joncour turns 33-years-old, how does the author describe his life? How is peace compared to rain? Why do you think the author used this description?
7. When Hara Kei asks Joncour who he is, what does he tell him? Why does he give so much detail? Is it necessary to tell the whole truth? Why does Joncour do this?
8. How much of the year does Joncour work? How much time does he have for leisure? Describe his work routine.
9. Why does the mistress bring an Asian girl for Joncour? What is this a symbol of for both of them?
10. What is Madame Blanche's calling card? What does she give the men she sleeps with?
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
What do the two English characters, the one in France at the party, and the one in the Japanese village, have in common? How are they different? Why do you think the author introduced these two characters, one in each country, to play off the main characters? What do they bring to the story? How would the story have been different without them?
Essay Topic 2
Joncour is a hero to his town, giving nearly all the town a way to make a living, and yet, he blindly pursues the mistress, knowing full well that he could lose everything for his town. Why does Joncour, in chapter after chapter, move toward his own destruction with little or no reservation to the damage he will do to his town or his wife? How can this man be so blind?
Essay Topic 3
How, in the end, does Joncour live in peace? How does he find peace? When he discovers that Helene wrote the letters, what does he feel that he lost? Does this discovery take away his peace? How?
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This section contains 1,009 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) |
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