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 does Madame Blanche say the note reads?

2. What are the caged animals at the entrance to Hara Kei's house meant to signify?

3. Where is the party that Hara Kei holds and invites Joncour to on his third trip?

4. When Hara Kei was a child, his father told him to shoot an arrow into the air. What was Hara Hei supposed to do after that?

5. What happens to Joncour's neighbor in the end?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does the mistress bring an Asian girl for Joncour? What is this a symbol of for both of them?

2. What animal does Baldabiou ask about upon Joncour's return from his first trip abroad? What does he do later to pay tribute to these animals? What are these animals a symbol for?

3. Why does Madame Blanche tell Joncour that the girl will not die without him? Is she trying to help him? What does she know that he does not?

4. When Hara Kei tells Joncour that the mistress "doesn't speak your language", is he referring to more that French? What is he trying to tell Joncour?

5. When Joncour meets the Englishman in Japan who is selling guns, he asks about the girl. What is the Englishman's reply? Do you think the Englishman has seen the girl? Do you think he knows more than he is saying? What?

6. 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?

7. Do you think Joncour's feminine attributes played into his father's decision that Joncour should pursue a life in the military? What does this say about the character of Joncour's father? What does this say about Joncour?

8. How does the author describe the character of the Mayor? How is the telling of his story told in a circular fashion?

9. How many silk eggs can you hold in your hands? Why did they refer to this as "a fortune in your hands"?

10. On his second trip to Japan, Joncour sits at the lake with Hara Kei and they are described as "Holding their peace." What do you think the author means by this? Where else have you heard this expression? Do you think there is a connection between a reference to a wedding and a mistress?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Who does Baldabiou play billiards against? Why is his loss before he leaves town important? How is his job as mentor over?

Essay Topic 2

Japan is described twice in the novel as "the end of the world." Who describes it that way, and when? Are the two incidents connected in any way?

Essay Topic 3

Why do you think Helene runs after Baldabiou at the train station? What do you think their relationship was? Why do you think that? What else happens that indicates that they have a close relationship? Do you think Helene experienced the same thing as her husband in the months he was away from her? Why do you think that?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,227 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample