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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. In Chapter 3, after the puppet show ends, what does Misako indicate it is a good time to do?

2. What do Misako and Takanatsu joke about Lindy?

3. Who is Aso?

4. In Chapter 6, what time does Misako wake up in the morning?

5. What season is it in Chapter 6?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Kaname compare the portrayal of women in Hollywood films to their portrayal in Japanese art from the Edo period?

2. Why is Misako glad that Takanatsu is taking Hiroshi to Tokyo for a few days?

3. How did Takanatsu inform his wife he wanted a divorce?

4. What sort of woman does Kaname tell Takanatsu he is looking for? What does Takanatsu joke about Kaname's post-divorce life?

5. What does Takanatsu let Misako look at in his suitcase? What jokes does Takanatsu make to Misako, which she reacts to in seriousness?

6. In Chapter 7, what does Misako think will happen to her after her divorce becomes public knowledge?

7. Who is O-hisa? What does Misako think of O-hisa?

8. Why is Kaname conflicted about going to the puppet theater with his father-in-law?

9. In Chapter 5, why does Kaname say he wants to get a divorce at a particular time of the year?

10. What does Takanatsu think of Misako's plan to divorce Kaname and marry Aso?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze and interpret at least three of the secondary characters of the novel. What sort of relationships do these characters have with Kaname? Do they have a significant role in the novel? Why or why not? Do these characters influence Kaname's decision to divorce his wife?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the theme of fantasy versus reality in the novel "Some Prefer Nettles." What are some of the fantasies that Kaname imagines throughout the novel? Why might he have these fantasies? How does his real life compare to his fantasies?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the theme of traditional versus modernity in the novel "Some Prefer Nettles." What are some examples of the traditional way or life in the novel? What are some examples of the modern way of life? What does Kaname think of traditional living and modern living?

(see the answer keys)

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