View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Why is turnover in May Kasahara's wig factory such an issue?

2. Whose words does Toru remember after killing Noboru Wataya in Room 208?

3. Who warns Toru that his life is in danger in Chapter 33?

4. What was Nutmeg before she was a healer?

5. How many secret healers does M consult in Chapter 12's article?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does May Kasahara remember about the Myawaki's in Chapter 28?

2. What sad reality does May Kasahara admit to in Chapter 18's letter?

3. Describe Mamiya's assassination attempt on Boris in Chapter 32.

4. What war atrocity occurs in Chapter 26's story?

5. That is Nutmeg's concern in Chapter 24?

6. What plan does Kumiko reveal in Chapter 17?

7. How does May Kasahara express her attitude to her wigs in Chapter 15?

8. What does Toru do after Nutmeg and Cinnamon stop coming to the residence?

9. What questions about The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle does Toru have in Chapter 27?

10. How did Nutmeg first discover her healing powers?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The world of Murakami's novel is one in which the spiritually powerful are revered. No one questions the validity of their abilities. In an essay, write about three spiritual seers/healers. What is their place in the plot, and how do they become necessary to other people's lives? With whom in the novel does each interact, and what service do they perform? Is each character viewed by the reader as benevolent or dangerous?

Part 1) Mr. Honda.

Part 2) Malta Kano.

Part 3) Nutmeg.

Essay Topic 2

The central antagonist of the novel is Noboru Wataya, a generally unpleasant but popular politician. Write an essay exploring the character arc of Noboru Wataya. How does he go from malcontent intellectual to beloved politician in such a short period? What is his opinion of Toru Okaka, and Toru's opinion of him? Describe the initial secret that Toru knows about Noboru and how this secret gives rise to a much large incrimination of Noboru Wataya. In the end, does Noboru get what he deserves?

Essay Topic 3

The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle is replete with images of imperiled children such as young Nutmeg, Kumiko, and her sister, Cinnamon. Write an essay about the world of the novel as a place when the innocent are not safe, focusing on three wounded adults who are trying to escape childhood traumas. What trauma is each trying to escape? How does this fear lead each to make an equally destructive choice in adulthood? In conclusion, what is Murakami saying about the relationship between childhood and adulthood?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 893 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample