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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. In what month did Toru run into Naoko on the train?

2. Where does Toru tell the dorm head that he is going when he leaves for Ami Hostel?

3. What does Toru say that angers Naoko?

4. What makes a crunching noise under Naoko and Toru's feet?

5. What sort-of-forbidden treat do Reiko and Naoko share with Toru?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why is Toru writing this book?

2. What is Midori's job?

3. How did Naoko and Toru spend their afternoon together after meeting on the train?

4. How does Midori feel about her father?

5. How was Toru's dorm room different from most of the others?

6. How did Toru and Naoko celebrate her twentieth birthday?

7. What was the morning ceremony at the dormitory where Toru lived as a college student?

8. What did Naoko tell Toru in the letter she sent him in July 1969?

9. How do Toru's living arrangements change after summer break?

10. How does Naoko describe the conditions in which she writes her letter to Toru?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

One of the themes of this novel is the superficiality of things and people and the world. Discuss how Murakami develops this theme in "Norwegian Wood."

Essay Topic 2

In addition to the connection between the mind and the body, Murakami explores the difference between living totally in one's mind and living totally in the outside system of the world. Using at least two characters as examples, discuss the author's development of this idea throughout the novel.

Essay Topic 3

In what way does Reiko's story of her own life encompass all of the main themes of Murakami's novel into one tale-within-a-tale? Please be specific.

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