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. What are the date and location of Part IV?

2. How does Christopher's morning meeting with MacDonald go?

3. What does Christopher tell Jennifer about his love life?

4. What does Sarah say is all part of what Shanghai's all about?

5. Where does Christopher ask his driver to point him?

Short Essay Questions

1. How is Christopher treated at the police station?

2. At Christopher's welcome party, what is the crowd's response to the explosion heard outside?

3. What happens to Christopher as he is finishing his lunch on the day he is to leave for Macao?

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

5. Describe Christopher's return to his childhood home.

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

7. What does Christopher learn about Inspector Kung from Morgan?

8. Describe Christopher's reunion with his mother.

9. What odd habit does Christopher observe in the people of Shanghai?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The motif of the outsider is featured in WHEN WE WERE ORPHANS. Choose three scenes from the novel where Ishiguro uses this motif to advance the plot and develop characters. How is this done?

Essay Topic 2

WHEN WE WERE ORPHANS is written in first person. Why is this the most effective choice for Ishiguro's purposes? Discuss the impact of first person on character and story development.

Essay Topic 3

What role does the advent of World War II play in the novel? How does the shape of world events parallel events in Christopher's life?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 870 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample