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. How old was Kazu when he went to Tokyo to find work?

2. What does Kazu worry his life lacked?

3. Why did the midwife say the birth of their son Koichi was a blessing?

4. How much education did Kazu complete before going to work to help support his family?

5. Why was Kazu unable to take his children on a helicopter ride in Haramachi during the Bon holidays when they were young?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. What did Kazu and his father, mother, and wife each do to support and feed the family around the time his first son was born?

4. What did Kazu's mother tell him about his life after his son Koichi died?

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

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

7. What is the history of the Statue of Times Forgotten, which Shige told Kazu about?

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

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Pick a character from the novel and discuss their goals and motives. Do they achieve their motive? Do they share similar goals and motives with other characters? Do their goals clash with other characters? How do the characters' goals and motives affect their interaction with each other?

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay comparing and contrasting Kazu and Shige in Tokyo Ueno Station. What details help develop their character and what do these details tell you about them? What is their background? How do they know each other? How do they interact? In what ways are they similar or different? Explain.

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay analyzing the symbolic significance of Kazu's family's economic status has on the story. Why is this important and how does it develop the themes of the story? What would be different if his family were wealthy? Use examples from the text to support your viewpoint.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 781 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample