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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. Who comes to take Jiro to Okada?

2. Who does Jiro think is Saburto?

3. How is the play doing as Spring rolls around?

4. What do the other boys do for Kinshi?

5. What does a fishmonger arrive to tell those at the theater?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the conversation between Okada and Jiro.

2. What happens when the boys are sewing and practicing later that night and how does Yoshida react?

3. What does Jiro conclude after seeing the Samurai sword?

4. What does Jiro find when he goes into the storeroom and what happens as he trying to decide what to do?

5. Describe the latest theft Saburo pulls off.

6. What is the story that the puppeteer tells Jiro?

7. What is pinned on the door of the theater and how does Yoshida respond?

8. What does Kinshi say to Jiro the next morning?

9. What does Okada tell Tozo after Jiro leaves Okada?

10. What does Jiro think about concerning arranging a meeting with Saburo?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Over the course of The Master Puppeteer, Jiro grows as a person in both complexity and understanding. The Master Puppeteer might be considered a slice of Jiro's larger story of his "coming of age." It might be said that The Master Puppeteer is a "bildungsroman" of Jiro. Discuss the following:

1. Define Bildungsroman, or "Coming of Age," and give several examples from literature you have read.

2. Trace and analyze the character of Jiro as he changes from a more carefree, innocent boy to a wiser, young man. What are the significant events that change Rick?

3. After thoroughly analyzing Jiro's growth throughout The Master Puppeteer, do you think The Master Puppeteer could be considered Jiro's Coming of Age story? Why or why not?

4. Are there any other characters in The Master Puppeteer who go through a Coming of Age experience? Who? Why do you think so?

Essay Topic 2

In this story, the gap between people's wealth and their social position is particularly large. This is because it is a time of famine, and the farmers are forced to give most of their food to the daimyos. The rice merchants have grown extremely rich while the farmers and other peasants are poor and starving. The samurai might be considered very important on the social scale, but Jiro tells us that even some of the samurai are starving on very small rice stipends. This has made people very angry and restless, as the lowliest and undeserving members of society, the merchants are getting rich and fat while those who should be more important starve. The famine has only made these feelings worse, and has caused the peasants of the city to become desperate.

1. Compare a day in the life of a peasant with a day in the life of a Lord in feudal Japan. Use examples from The Master Puppeteer to support your reasoning.

2. Do you think the rice merchants have an obligation to feed the masses? Why or why not? Use examples from The Master Puppeteer to support your reasoning.

3. What kinds of behaviors do you think desperate, starving people will display and how does starvation of the masses enter into many revolutions in countries? Use examples from The Master Puppeteer to support your reasoning.

Essay Topic 3

Choose one of the following to discuss:

1. Choose two significant symbols and trace and analyze their appearance in The Master Puppeteer. Are these universal symbols? Would they be understood in any culture? Are there other symbols that would portray the same idea? What are they? Why do you think Peterson chooses the symbols he does?

2. Choose two important metaphors and trace and analyze their appearance in the novel. Are these universal metaphors? Would they be understood in any culture? Are there other metaphors that would portray the same idea? What are they? Why do you think Peterson chooses the metaphors she does?

3. Discuss Peterson's use (or lack ) of literary device (such as foreshadowing, clifthangers, deux ex machina, etc...), and how they add or detract from the story. Does Peterson use too many or too little literary techniques? State which of the five major elements of fiction the literary device is related to (style, character, plot, setting, theme).

(see the answer keys)

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