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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Himiko can best be described as __________________.
(a) studious.
(b) eccentric.
(c) popular.
(d) lazy.

2. Who does Bird see standing at the windows of the hospital?
(a) Nurses.
(b) Physicians.
(c) Pregnant women.
(d) Visitors.

3. The older man who comes to Himiko's is a/an ___________________.
(a) neighbor.
(b) lover.
(c) professor.
(d) abortion doctor.

4. The doctor thinks the baby and the parents __________________________.
(a) need a lot of emotional support.
(b) will come through this trial just fine.
(c) look a lot alike.
(d) would be better off if the baby were dead.

5. Who is the central character of the book?
(a) Sloane.
(b) Maxim.
(c) Ruse.
(d) Bird.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is the baby's prognosis?

2. Who is Bird's fellow colleague who is a foreigner?

3. What does Bird note about Himiko's apartment?

4. When Bird catches a glimpse of Himiko's naked body, he ___________________________.

5. What had happened to Himiko's husband?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Bird think about after he leaves the shop and how does he avoid learning about the birth of his child?

2. Who is Delchef and how is he introduced into the story?

3. How does the doctor exhibit insensitivity toward Bird about the baby on the way to the hospital?

4. How is sex and sexuality a means for Bird to avoid responsibility?

5. Waking up sick with a hangover, what does Bird think might serve as partial restitution for the baby's dire situation?

6. What is the significance of Himiko's character in the story?

7. What is Bird's state of mind at the beginning of the book and what does the first chapter signify for his life?

8. In what ways could the women at the maternity hospital be symbolized as angels?

9. What is significant about Bird's hangover and vomiting in class?

10. What does Bird notice about the women watching from the windows of the maternity hospital?

(see the answer keys)

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