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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. How old is Otake?

2. At the end of the game, how does the Master appear?

3. What game does the Narrator play with the Master?

4. When the Master is playing, what does he do that is unusual, compared to other players?

5. What does Uragami believe is responsible for the Master's death?

Short Essay Questions

1. What are some concessions made for the game that seem very difficult to follow?

2. Why is Otake willing to forfeit the game?

3. What does Uragami notice in a photograph of the Master that he adds in his article?

4. What does Uragami associate with the Master and his death?

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

6. Why do many players play with the Master?

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

8. What are the events that happen immediately after the end of the match?

9. How does the Master seem to have trouble understanding the new rules?

10. How does Kawabata frame the novel through Chapters 2 and 4?

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 Wu. What is his role in the story? What was Kawabata trying to accomplish by creating the Wu' character in the novel?

Essay Topic 3

Explain the concept of loneliness as it exhibits in The Game of Go. Which of the individuals were lonely? Were they all lonely in some way? Explain the loneliness and the methods and attempts to overcome it.

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