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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 Murasaki and Shonagon, how does Kurosawa assume he knew about the literary soldiers he referenced as a child?

2. What did Akira decide to do regarding the two speeches he was given to read?

3. Why was Akira Kurosawa initially rejected for military service?

4. What two virtues did Kurosawa's father attribute to movies in Babyhood?

5. In My Rebellious Phase, what dangerous material did Akira use on some of his pranks?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why did Akira Kurosawa dislike his calligraphy tutor?

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

3. How did Kurosawa's brother toughen him up as a child?

4. What bad relationship did Akira develop at Keika Middle School?

5. How was Akira Kurosawa introduced to film at an early age?

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

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

8. Why was Akira sent to Toyokawa Village by his father?

9. In Whirlwind, what sort of decline did Akira's older brother have?

10. What was Kurosawa's experience at Morimura Gakuen?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Akira Kurosawa spends a large portion of SOMETHING LIKE AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY discussing his difficulties in class. Write an essay about these shortcomings and how he does or does not overcome them. What role did both his kendo instructor and Mr. Iwamatsu have in improving his performance in certain arenas? How did Kurosawa fair when military training was introduced into the curriculum? Was he able to overcome his incompetence in this realm?

Essay Topic 2

Throughout SOMETHING LIKE AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY, Akira Kurosawa finds his way through the film industry with contemporaries. Write an essay about three individuals of approximate age to his. How did each affect his decisions regarding the career of filmmaking? To what extent is each a collaborator and a foil to him? Does he break company with any of them? If so, what is the reason for this parting, and how does it affect Akira?

Part 1) Akira's brother.

Part 2) Uekusa.

Part 3) Mifune Toshiro.

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay about the relationship Akira has with his older brother. When the author is young and considered a crybaby, what pointed differences exist between him and his brother? How does his brother toughen him up at this age, and what other tactics does his brother use to make him tougher over the years that follow? how does the relationship develop in the years leading to Akira's brother's suicide? What similarities between them become clear only after the brother's death?

(see the answer keys)

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