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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 happened to Hokkaido after the Tokyo Olympics?

2. What did the priest tell Setsuko is "humanity's worst impulse" (72)?

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

4. What year was Kazu born?

5. What event coincided with the birth of Kazu's first son?

Short Essay Questions

1. What was Kazu's first job in Tokyo?

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

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

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

5. What happened in the Tohuko region and Hokkaido after the Tokyo Olympics ended, and what type for work did Kazu do in Sendai?

6. What does Setsuko wonder about her son's death and how does the priest respond?

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

8. What did Kazu's ancestors believe happened to the dead?

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

10. When did Kazu move to Tokyo? Why? How often did he see his family?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay analyzing Yu Miri 's commentary on class and classism in Tokyo Ueno Station. How is class important to the story? How does it affect the narrative? Use textual evidence to explain your analysis.

Essay Topic 2

Write a detailed analysis of tone in Yu Miri 's Tokyo Ueno Station. Include whether the tone changes or remains the same. If it changes, include details on when, why and whether this change is effective.

Essay Topic 3

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?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 695 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample