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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. What is the name of Misako's father's mistress?

2. What does Misako say Takanatsu's breath smells like?

3. Why is Takanatsu regarded as an authority on divorce?

4. What does Takanatsu think Kaname should tell Hiroshi about his parents' marriage?

5. What is the name of Kaname's dog?

Short Essay Questions

1. In Chapter 5, what does Kaname realize he has been looking for during his entire marriage?

2. What does Misako notice about her relationship with Kaname when Takanatsu is around? To what does she attribute this difference?

3. In Chapter 5, what personality trait do Kaname and Takanatsu acknowledge that Kaname and Misako share?

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

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

6. What does Misako note about Peony's behavior when Peony and Kaname meet her at the train station? How does this relate to Kaname?

7. Why does Misako think communication is improved with Kaname when Takanatsu mediates?

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

9. What does Kaname think about on the train ride to the puppet theater?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What struggles does Kaname face throughout the novel? What are the causes of these struggles? How does he overcome them?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss Tanizaki's use of irony in the novel "Some Prefer Nettles." What are some examples of irony in the novel? How do these examples relate to the novel's themes?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the theme of marriage in the novel "Some Prefer Nettles." What problems are Kaname and Misako dealing with in their marriage? What does Kaname think of marriage in general? What does Misako think of marriage in general?

(see the answer keys)

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