View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What was done with Koichi's body, per the Pure Land custom?
(a) He was buried.
(b) He was cremated.
(c) He was embalmed.
(d) He was left in the casket for several days in his family home so they could mourn.

2. What did Osamu say about Koichi when he looked at his face after Setsuko removed the white cloth?
(a) He was such a kind person.
(b) It did not look like him.
(c) It looked like he was sleeping.
(d) He looked so much like his father.

3. What was Kazu's first job in Onahama?
(a) Fixing boats.
(b) Fishing.
(c) Cleaning houses.
(d) Taxi driver.

4. How old were Kazu's children when he left for Tokyo?
(a) 21 and 24.
(b) 14 and 18.
(c) 3 and 5.
(d) 10 and 12.

5. How many younger siblings did Kazu have?
(a) 0.
(b) 7.
(c) 2.
(d) 12.

Short Answer Questions

1. Who is typically the person to carry the funeral tablet at a funeral?

2. What does Kazu hear two women joke about when discussing toy poodles?

3. What are some of the ways Kazu recalls getting food when he was homeless?

4. What was Kazu distraught when his wife needed a midwife while she was in labor with their son?

5. How did Kazu and Setsuko know each other prior to getting married?

Short Essay Questions

1. How would Kazu get food when he was homeless in Ueno Park?

2. What does Kazu begin to feel about his life after his son dies?

3. Where was Koichi when he died, and how did Kazu find out about his son's death?

4. Who is Kazu and what is he doing in Ueno Station at the start of the novel?

5. Describe Kazu's family. Who were his parents? Where did they live? How many siblings did he have?

6. How did Kazu's family financial status impact them while his wife was in labor with their first child?

7. Describe what happened when Kazu took his children to Haramachi during a festival for the Bon holidays?

8. How old was Kazu when he first began to work, and what did he do for work?

9. What was Kazu's relationship with his children like while he was working in Tokyo?

10. Describe the conversation between the homeless man and woman after the woman repeats her disbelief that Shige is dead.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 817 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample