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. When he feels cold, what does Shimamura decide to do?

2. What country is "Snow Country" set in?

3. The day after Shimamura and Komako sleep together, where does Shimamura depart for?

4. What can be said of Komako's mood when she is with Shimamura in the first half of Part One of the novel?

5. How does Shimamura admit he acted toward the young geisha?

Short Essay Questions

1. What are Komako's living arrangements like?

2. What do his mountain trips mean to Shimamura?

3. What hobby interest does Shimamura have?

4. What kind of relationship does Shimamura apparently want with Komako?

5. What symbolism does Shimamura see in the reflection of Yoko's face in the window?

6. Who does Shimamura observe on the train on his way to the resort town?

7. What happens with Komako on a night during Shimamura's first visit to the resort town that contradicts a decision he made earlier?

8. Why has Komako started working as a geisha, according to the person Kamako meets on his way home from Komako's room?

9. What does Komako find upsetting in her diary?

10. What excuse does Shimamura use to leave his room with the geisha?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss and interpret the imagery used at the end of the novel. For instance, what is the meaning behind the Milky Way and Yoko's body floating?

Essay Topic 2

What have you learned from reading the novel "Snow Country"?

Essay Topic 3

Kawabata makes numerous allusions to the Tanabata legend. Discuss the effectiveness of this comparison in the story and why Kawabata makes the comparison.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 573 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample