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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 is the name of the child who discovered the collection of bloody supplies the teacher had been using to clean herself up?

2. Which of the following adjectives best describes Kafka's relationship with his father?

3. Which direction does Nakata want to travel on the Tomei Highway?

4. What is the name of the shy man who helps Nakata onto the train and gets him headed in the right direction?

5. Where is Sakura going when she boards the same bus as Kafka?

Short Essay Questions

1. What note does Sakura leave for Kafka when she leaves for work in the morning?

2. What does Hoshino do during the time that Nakata sleeps at their hotel?

3. What does Kafka steal from his father before he runs away from home?

4. How does Kafka react to the presence of the young woman's spirit in his bedroom?

5. How does Johnny Walker entice Nakata to kill him?

6. What complaints do the two serious women make about the library where Oshima and Kafka work?

7. How does Kafka negotiate a cheaper rate at the hotel where he is staying?

8. How does Nakata react to Johnny Walker's request to kill him?

9. What unusual prophecy does Nakata make before leaving the police station?

10. What does the elementary school teacher admit is the truth of what happened to Nakata in the woods?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Mrs. Saeki's song proves to be the thread that unifies all of the story lines in this novel. Choose at least two key elements of Mrs. Saeki's song and explain how these elements tie the story lines of Nakata and Kafka together. Then, explain whether or not you believe Mrs. Saeki's song is significant enough to warrant the title of this novel, and why.

Essay Topic 2

As a boy, Tamura decides that he would like to change his name to Kafka. First, describe how Tamura chose this name for himself. Then, compare / contrast the character of Kafka from the novel with the man whose name he borrowed, Franz Kafka. What is the same about these men? What is different? Finally, explain whether or not you think Kafka is an appropriate name for the protagonist of this novel, and why.

Essay Topic 3

There are many talking animals in this novel. First, create a list of animal characters and explain their role within the novel. Then, discuss your reaction to the presence of talking animals in an adult novel. Was their integration into the storyline successful? Why or why not? How does their presence make this novel fit into the genre of magical realism?

(see the answer keys)

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