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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 news does Ono give Matsuda about Noriko?

2. What news does Ono give Matsuda about Setsuko?

3. What does Ono believe should give Matsuda and him satisfaction as they review their lives?

4. What qualities does Ono claim he shared with Matsuda when they were younger?

5. How does Matsuda describe the contribution he and Ono made?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Matsuda say he never married?

2. How does Ono console himself that he did not visit his old friend as often as he had intended to?

3. Years ago, Matsuda had accused Ono of having a narrow artist's perspective. What does Ono say about his perspective now that he is retired?

4. Why does Ono approve of his teacher's distancing himself from his students' discussions?

5. After re-establishing contact with Matsuda during Noriko's marriage negotiations, what contact have Ono and Matsuda had before Matsuda dies?

6. What effect did Moriyama try to create in his paintings?

7. What does Matsuda believe was his and Ono's great misfortune?

8. Why is Ono irritated at Setsuko's insistence that Saito never heard of Ono until the miai?

9. Ono recalls the influence of Moriyama on his own behavior. What does he say he adopted from his teacher?

10. Why did Moriyama's students never comment directly to him about his paintings?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The Bridge of Hesitation is an important symbol in this story and Ono says that he spends a great deal of time there. What does the bridge represent? Are there various possible meanings? Consider the fact that in the midst of the destruction of much of the area, the bridge remained.

Essay Topic 2

Compare and contrast the personalities of Noriko and Setsuko based on their conversation and behavior. Remember that Ono comments on the character of the two girls. Do your observations agree with his?

Essay Topic 3

What do you see as Ishiguro's overarching theme in this story? Why did he write it? What is he trying to teach, and to whom? Consider the fact that the book was published first in English.

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This section contains 663 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample