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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 drive does the Master possess despite his reserved nature at times?

2. How much does the Master weigh?

3. Why does Otake apologize many times on the first day of play?

4. Who greets the Master in his room when he is bent over oddly?

5. What is the Master able to do when he is playing a game?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does the Master do that reveals his intensely competitive nature?

2. How does the Master act during the game of go that is revealed in his breathing?

3. How does Uragami describe himself?

4. How is the Master described before his death?

5. Why is Otake willing to forfeit the game?

6. Why is Otake teased in the newspaper articles about the match?

7. Why does the Master go into another room with his white stone?

8. Why does the Master play the white stones versus Otake, who plays with the black stones?

9. How does the Master reveal his desire for enough time to not worry about time in games?

10. What is the controversy surrounding the match he had with Wu?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

One of the main themes in the book is ethical and social responsibility. List at least four examples where Kawabata employs this specific theme. Is the battle between making ethical choices obvious or subtle? What characters are involved in this kind of battle? Do you think the right person or group won? Does good always triumph over evil in the case of The Master of Go ethics? Where do these definitions appear vague or incomprehensible?

Essay Topic 2

Describe Otake's initial foray into game playing. What did he enjoy about it? What were his concerns? When The Master got offered a prestigious title, how did this change his life? What new skills did he acquire?

Essay Topic 3

Explain Kawabata's use of humor in the book. Cite examples of at least two different instances of humor and explain why the author used them where he did.

(see the answer keys)

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