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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 is Komako engaged to, according to the old woman?

2. In the spring, how long had Shimamura spent in the mountains?

3. How does Shimamura claim money has been sent to him?

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

5. What is Komako's room like?

Short Essay Questions

1. What secrets about herself does Komako reveal when she visits Shimamura's room at night during his second visit to the resort town?

2. What does Komako find upsetting in her diary?

3. What has Komako cataloged since she was a teenager?

4. Why were there no geisha available when Shimamura requested one?

5. Why doesn't the young geisha sent to Shimamura interest him?

6. While sitting on the train on his way to the resort town, what does Shimamura discreetly look at?

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

8. What effect does the weather have on Komako's visit Shimamura's room during his first visit to the resort town?

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

10. What do his mountain trips mean to Shimamura?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the ending of the book. What is your interpretation of the ending scene? What significance does it have in regards to the novel as a whole? Is the ending satisfactory?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss art and culture as it relates to the novel. What traditional Japanese art and customs are mentioned in the novel? What significance do these examples have on the novel and characters?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the meaning of the seasons and the changing of the seasons in the novel.

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This section contains 613 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample