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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 killings does Christopher ask MacDonald about?

2. What does Christopher apologize to Jennifer for?

3. Where does the girl urge Christopher to go?

4. What does Christopher learn about his financial resources?

5. How does Christopher behave the morning after Sarah's invitation?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the Inn of Morning Happiness.

2. What happens when the lieutenant tells Christopher that they must wait before continuing to Yeh Chen's house?

3. Describe Christopher and Akira's entry into Yeh Chen's house.

4. Describe Christopher's encounter with Sarah and Sir Cecil at the Lucky Chance Club.

5. How does Christopher feel about his reunion with Akira?

6. How does Christopher spend his afternoon before meeting up with Sarah and Sir Cecil at the Lucky Chance Club?

7. How does the man driving Christopher to meet Sarah prove to be very useful?

8. What does Uncle Philip offer Christopher at the end of their meeting?

9. What does Uncle Philip say happened to Christopher's parents?

10. What is Jennifer's proposal for herself and Christopher?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Christopher's mother is one of the most prominent figures in his life both before and after her abduction. What qualities does Christopher inherit from his mother? How do these very qualities prevent him from giving up on finding her? How is Christopher's relationship with his mother transformed by her abduction? How is it transformed by her rescue?

Essay Topic 2

Kazuo Ishiguro is very specific about dates and years In WHEN WE WERE ORPHANS. Why is specificity of time crucial to the story? What does it reveal about the narrator? How does it affect the reader? How does this specificity contrast with Christopher's highly subjective memories of his past?

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay exploring the development of Christopher Banks. What is the reader led to believe about him at first? What things does Christopher say that encourage the reader to look at him differently? Is he a reliable narrator? How much more does the reader know about Christopher at the end of the novel?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 928 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample