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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 are Stephen's feelings surrounding Penelope's war efforts?

2. What does the letter Stephen receives say about his mother's mood?

3. What does Sachi say Tanka should not have saved after the fire destroys Tanka's home?

4. What is the Kerria plant a sign of when it blooms late in the year?

5. What does Stephen's mother's letter tell him about her plans in the letter he receives in May of 1938?

Short Essay Questions

1. What information does Stephen get from Penelope's letter?

2. Where is the Kerria plant found and what does it mean?

3. Does Stephen feel that he is at danger from the war?

4. What does Stephen discover Matsu doing with his father's fishing knife and why is it important?

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

6. What is Sachi's relationship with Michiko?

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

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

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

10. Who is Sumiko?

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

For each of the gifts listed below, explain who it was to and from, what the reason for the gift was and how it affected the giver or receiver.

1) Daruma doll

2) Yoken

3) Paint brushes

4) Lucky stones

5) Another of your choice

Essay Topic 3

It's clear that characters in this story affect the lives of others around them. Imagine Kenzo without Sachi, or Sachi without Michiko's influence. For three characters, choose a single person in the story that you think has the most influence on them. How would each character's life be different without that person?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 795 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample