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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 is a shime-nawa?

2. How does Stephen describe the houses in the village of Yamaguchi?

3. How is Kenzo's body disposed of?

4. Where does Matsu invite Stephen after his father leaves?

5. What does Kenzo give Stephen?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Stephen describe Matsu's garden?

2. Describe the relationship between Kenzo, Matsu, and Sachi when Stephen first meets Kenzo.

3. What agreement do Stephen's parents seem to come to after his father's visit?

4. How does the visit to Sachi impact the relationship between Stephen and Matsu?

5. What implications are given that Matsu is becoming fond of Stephen?

6. How does Stephen feel about making friends with people once he is settled in the beach house?

7. How did Tomoko's death bring Sachi and Matsu closer?

8. What does Stephen's father reveal about Matsu's history?

9. What does Stephen think about the impact of the war?

10. Describe Yamaguchi.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Stephen is often forced to make choices about confronting situations or staying silent and keeping the peace. For each of the following occurrences, explain why Stephen made the choice he did, what values impacted his chosen course of action, and how it affected both him and others in the long run.

1) His father's affair.

2) Keiko's father.

3) Kenzo's attack on Sachi.

Essay Topic 2

Blame and shame are recurring themes in the novel, although they sometimes are related to honor and loyalty. Choose one of these four themes (blame, shame, honor, or loyalty) that you think most shapes the tone of the story.

1) Give at least three examples to support your statement.

2) Explain if or how that theme is related to the other three listed above.

Essay Topic 3

Starting with Stephen's reclusive quarantine in Hong Kong, the theme of loneliness is used through the Samurai's Garden.

1) Choose an event or incident from the story that is spurred by loneliness and explain how that loneliness triggers other specific events.

2) Choose a character in the story who seems lonely despite being near other people. Describe the actions this leads to.

3) Choose two characters in the story who seek each other out. Explain the result of this action and how it affects each one's loneliness.

(see the answer keys)

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