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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 Freddie want Ichiro to do with him at after the funeral?

2. What man is balding with unsympathetic, dark eyes?

3. Who does Freddie kick during the fight in the alley before running to his car?

4. Who jumps in to save Freddie in the fight in front of Club Oriental near the end of the book?

5. What happens when Ichiro pulls up to the grocery store in the Oldsmobile following his trip home from Portland?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Ichiro's father so impressed with at Ichiro's mother's funeral?

2. What is the turning point in Ichiro's parent's marriage?

3. What news does Emi share with Ichiro after his mother's funeral?

4. What makes the priest at the funeral stand out?

5. Why does Tommy's memory stand out in Ichiro's mind?

6. Why does Ichiro's mother drown herself?

7. How does Freddie die?

8. How does Ichiro cause Bull's face to gush with blood?

9. Why does Ichiro's father feel a sense of relief following Ichiro's mother's death?

10. Why is Ichiro's father drinking so heavily?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe what it was like to be a Japanese-American following the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Include details about how other groups (whites, blacks, for example) reacted to Japanese-Americans, what options Japanese-Americans had, and how the war affected them.

Essay Topic 2

Does Ichiro relate more to Americans or Japanese? Give at least three examples to explain your answer.

Essay Topic 3

Explain why Kenji being an injured decorated war veteran was so important to the novel. Why was his injury and pain such an important component in his character makeup? What would have changed throughout the novel had he been happy, healthy, and a celebrated solider?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 570 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample