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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 does the narrator do to let Sonoko know he is aware of the chaperone?

2. How old is the narrator when he attempts to lose his virginity?

3. What does the narrator do to promise Sonoko he is considering her for marriage?

4. Why does the narrator think it unusual that Chieko is cheerful?

5. When debating marriage to Sonoko, who does the narrator turn to for advice?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the narrator feel after going to the brothel?

2. What is the narrator's opinion of the factory that produces war planes?

3. After the narrator kisses Sonoko, what does she expect from him?

4. What impresses the narrator about the refugees that he sees?

5. Why do the military doctors think the narrator has tuberculosis?

6. In addition to being the first female the narrator feels capable of loving, what additional benefit does Sonoko offer the narrator?

7. On the train, what does the narrator do that makes Sonoko blush?

8. After the visitation with Kusano, what sight confronts the narrator on his train ride home?

9. Why does the quote "The measure of a woman's power is the degree of suffering with which she can punish her lover" bother the narrator?

10. Upon witnessing the sight of the air raid victims, what does the narrator want to do?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In Confessions of a Mask, the narrator's body betrays him repeatedly. Write an essay discussing the various ways the narrator's body betrays him and how this drives him to hide his true self behind a mask.

Essay Topic 2

The imagery and metaphor of masks appear throughout the novel. Choose three examples of this type of imagery from the text and analyze its purpose in the story.

Essay Topic 3

When the narrator loses his sister, he experiences true devastation over the loss of a loved one. This surprises him, as believed himself incapable of feeling true emotion because of a lifetime of masks. Write an essay taking a stand on whether the narrator ever truly lost himself because of the masks that he wore.

1) Why does the narrator begin wearing masks?

2) How do these masks distance him from real life?

3) Does the narrator ever really lose himself? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

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