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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 part of the reason that Stephen says that time has slowed to a crawl?

2. What does the letter Stephen receives indicate his mother thinks about his staying in Japan?

3. What does Sachi say Matsu told her when he discovered she ran away rather than take her own life?

4. What are Stephen's feelings surrounding Penelope's war efforts?

5. How old was Sachi when she became engaged to Kenzo?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who is Sumiko?

2. Why is the fishing knife of great importance to Matsu?

3. What is the tone of Keiko's meeting with Stephen at the shrine?

4. What do Stephen's lack of journal entries due to rebuilding in Yamaguchi indicate?

5. How does Keiko feel about her father's behavior?

6. What do the readers know about the relationship between Fumiko and Matsu?

7. Compare Matsu and Tomoko as teenagers.

8. Why aren't there any journal entries for a month after Kenzo's funeral?

9. How does Sachi change after Michiko's death?

10. How does Stephen feel when Matsu walks in and interrupts Sachi's story?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Marriage and fidelity are on Stephen's mind after the revelation of his father's affair. However, both Stephen and his mother seem to accept the new arrangement even if they don't like it. How would the story be altered if Stephen's father had never admitted to the affair? How would it change if Yoshiko had been introduced to Stephen? Would a more detailed history of the marriage between Stephen's parents be pertinent to the storyline? Explain your answer.

Essay Topic 2

Honor is a theme explored in many circumstances and relationships in the Samurai's Garden. In regards to Stephen's parents, their marriage and the way both dealt with the revelation of his father's affair, discuss what it means to be honorable. Give specific examples and explain why you believe that his parents did or did not act honorably in each one. What do you feel they should have, if anything, done differently? What information that you do not have would change your perceptions of them and their actions?

Essay Topic 3

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.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 844 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample