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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 lie does Gohtaro tell Shuichi about his reason for coming into the past?

2. What causes Gohtaro to panic when he first realizes he has returned to the past?

3. What does Kyoko believe about her brother not attending their mother's funeral?

4. When does Kazu tell Miki she will be old enough to pour the coffee?

5. From the context, what is it likely "sakura" means when Shuichi tells Haruka that "the sakura were in full bloom" on the day of her birth (36)?

Short Essay Questions

1. Which characteristics of Shuichi's give Gohtaro "grounds for faith" that Shuichi will quickly understand that Gohtaro has traveled back in time (31)?

2. Why is Kazu especially concerned with whether Kyoko's brother understands the rule about not being able to change the present?

3. Why does Haruka's plan to marry mean that she will inevitably discover her true parentage?

4. What happens to Gohtaro physically when Kazu pours the coffee?

5. How does the exchange between Kyoko and Kazu about Kazu's boyfriend characterize both women?

6. Describe the atmosphere of the time-traveling café.

7. How did Gohtaro end up raising Shuichi's daughter?

8. What item does Kazu offer the ghost, and how do her emotions change during this encounter?

9. Before Gohtaro goes into the past, what is his plan to deal with the revelations that will occur upon Haruka's marriage?

10. What does Kyoko reveal about her brother's reaction to their mother's death?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Miki is portrayed as an eccentric child who is happiest when she is singing loudly, showing off her new backpack, pretending to be French, or mischievously criticizing her father or trying to persuade him to allow her to pour the coffee. How does this characterization relate to the "collectivistic" and "shame" aspects of Japanese culture? Would Miki's eccentricities be depicted as charming in an older character? Write an essay contextualizing the characterization of Miki within the collection's depictions of what honor, pride, and shame look like for older characters. Support your assertions with evidence drawn from throughout the text, and be sure to cite outside sources and any quoted evidence in MLA format.

Essay Topic 2

Now that you have read several Kawaguchi stories, you will have noticed a structural pattern. How does he begin each story? What kinds of exposition does he interrupt the narrative flow with, and at what points does he generally interrupt? How--and when--does he use flashback, and what is distinctive about his style of flashback? Write an essay in which you consider how Kawaguchi generally structures his stories and what connection this structure has to the themes he is developing in these narratives. Support your assertions with evidence drawn from throughout the text, and be sure to cite any quoted evidence in MLA format.

Essay Topic 3

What does Tales from the Café convey about the fleeting nature of human life? Because life lasts a finite and unpredictable amount of time, what does this text advise people do to maximize their happiness? What are some issues from the past that might encroach on a person's present happiness? How does the text advise people to deal with these issues? Write an essay in which you take and defend a position on the theme of Tales from the Café. Support your assertions with evidence drawn from throughout the text, and be sure to cite any quoted evidence in MLA format.

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This section contains 1,267 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample