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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 nationality was Kenji's father?

2. In Chapter 28, how old does Benny remember he was when he and his father bought the yellow apron his mom is wearing?

3. In Chapter 16, what does Benny do on the bus when the noise gets too much?

4. In Chapter 19, why is Mrs. Wong in the hospital?

5. How much does Annabelle pay for a Hansel and Gretel snow globe in Chapter 22?

Short Essay Questions

1. How is Kenji's body transported to the crematorium?

2. What does Benny hear when he steps on some Christmas ornaments?

3. How did the author of Tidy Magic decide to become a monk?

4. How does the old hobo help Benny get in the library the first time Benny skips school?

5. Where does Annabelle work?

6. Why does Benny punch a window in his school classroom?

7. In Chapter 20, why is Mrs. Wong in the hospital?

8. Why does Benny stab himself with a pair of scissors?

9. How is Benny the first summer and fall after Kenji's death?

10. What book does Annabelle buy at Michael's and how does the Book explain the purchase?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

An allusion is a figure of speech that does not directly refer to a person, place, or thing. What are some allusions in The Book of Form and Emptiness? Why might it be difficult to decipher an allusion just by the context of a passage in a book? How do the allusions Ozeki uses help readers’ understanding of characters or concepts?

Essay Topic 2

Puns are figures of speech that involve wordplay and double means or using words that sound similar but have different meanings. How does Kenji use puns? How and why does the fact that English is Kenji’s second language affect his use of puns?

Essay Topic 3

Backstories are used to present information about events that happened before events in The Book of Form and Emptiness. How do backstories provide insight into characters and events? What is the importance of backstories in the novel?

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