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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 city do Kaname and Misako live in?

2. What does Osaka remind Kaname of?

3. What does Misako avoid as she helps Kaname dress for the show?

4. What book is Kaname reading in Chapter 6?

5. What is Kaname looking for in the book he is reading in Chapter 6?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Kaname wish Misako was a loose woman?

2. Who is Takanatsu? What does Takanatsu bring Hiroshi as a present?

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

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

5. How does Misako feel at the beginning of Chapter 6?

6. What does Takanatsu advise Hiroshi about getting his two dogs to be friends?

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

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

9. What does Takanatsu encourage Kaname to do in Chapter 4?

10. How does Kaname think Osakans are different from Tokyoites?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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?

Essay Topic 2

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

Essay Topic 3

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?

(see the answer keys)

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