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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. The doctor describes the baby as __________________.

2. What place has Bird always wanted to visit?

3. What does Bird do to send the gang's fighter to the ground?

4. What puts Bird in a good mood?

5. What had Himiko been doing before Bird got to her apartment?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Bird's father-in-law give to Bird during the visit and why is this an unlikely offering given Bird's troubles with addiction?

2. What is the significance of the two men who come to Himiko's home?

3. What does Bird learn about the child's birth when he calls his mother-in-law?

4. What is unusual about the doctor who speaks to Bird about the baby?

5. What is Bird doing at the beginning of A PERSONAL MATTER? What is going on with Bird's wife and how does Bird think his life will soon change?

6. What does the glass-eyed doctor tell Bird they will know more about the baby's condition?

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

8. Who are the people who Bird encounters when he gets to the maternity hospital?

9. How does Bird learn that his child has a problem?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Create a character study of Bird. What are his physical characteristics? What are his motivations? What are his fears? What are his dreams? What else can you say about Bird?

Essay Topic 2

Describe the role of the family in A PERSONAL MATTER. What does it mean for each of the main characters? How does the family evolve in its support of each other? How typical is this family to most Japanese families living during the 1960s?

Essay Topic 3

What is the overall setting setting for the novel? Be sure to include geography, time period and any pertinent popular culture events. Why did Oe choose to use these places in the novel?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 898 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample