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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 love besides movies did Akira's father pass down to him?

2. What colored animal did Akira Kurosawa think his family should have gotten when he was young?

3. With what evocative metaphor does Kurosawa describe his smugness in the second chapter of this section?

4. In what two subjects did young Akira fail his exams in this section?

5. What was the result of Uekusa's charge up a hill at a group of ruffians in Murasaki and Shonagon?

Short Essay Questions

1. In Honor and Revere, how did Akira improve his math skills?

2. Describe the memories of sound that Kurosawa describes at the end of this section?

3. Years later, what does Kurosawa think about his brother's insistence that they explore the carnage?

4. How was Kuosawa's new art teacher different from Mr. Tachikawa?

5. Why did Akira Kurosawa dislike his calligraphy tutor?

6. How was young Akira humbled in The Goblin's Nose?

7. What romantic gesture did Uekusa attempt at sixteen?

8. How did young Akira put is Kendo into practice in self-defense?

9. How did the earthquake provide an opportunity for violence in Tokyo?

10. What embarrassments did young Akira experience at his father's hometown?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Akira Kurosawa's SOMETHING LIKE AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY deals with the author's transition from insecure child to confident - even egotistical - adult. Write an essay about three defining and transforming moments in this transition:

Part 1) Akira is a crybaby and a weakling when he enters Mr. Tachikawa's class. What talents and opportunities does Mr. Tachikawa's instruction open up to him? How does Mr. Tachikawa empower both Akira and Uekusa? How does the teacher remain a fixture in the author's life for decades following?

Part 2) What are Akira's faults and weaknesses when Mr. Iwamatsu becomes his teacher? How does Mr. Iwamatsu foster his desire to learn in the midst of a rebellious phase? How does the author's skills improve over the course of his time with this teacher?

Part 3) How does Kajiro Yamamoto prove pivotal to the author's development as an artist? What role does Akira play on Kajiro Yamamoto's sets? Discuss the film skills that Akira develops under this director and how Yamamoto continues to play a role in his life.

Essay Topic 2

In the opening chapters of the book, Akira discusses the long days of school and activities he had as a pre-adolescent. Each of these extracurricular activities explains something about Akira's passions and attitudes toward the world. Write a three-part essay about these activities:

Part 1) How did Akira get involved in the kendo class? To what extent was his inclusion in the class something of a victory, one that refuted the assertion that he was a weakling? What other duties came with kendo? How did Akira eventually find his training put to good use?

Part 2) What was Akira's attitude toward his calligraphy lessons? Discuss why Akira's father was so insistent that his son take them. What about the calligraphy tutor was subpar or unhelpful, and how did the author deal with these classes? How did he eventually get out of them?

Part 3) Why was Mr. Tachikawa's house the last stop on Akira's itinerary every day? What was the significance of this visit, and why was it something that the author looked forward to all day? What function did Mr. Tachikawa serve in Akira's life?

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay about the dynamic that existed in Kurosawa's parent's household. What appearance do both his mother try to create, and how does this outward appearance conform to societal expectations? What is the reality behind Kurosawa's father's stoicism? What tenderness and passion exists there, and how does the father pass it onto his son? What does his mother's calm conceal? Is she really as subservient as she appears?

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