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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 day of the week does Midori finally call Toru?

2. What did Midori and her sister get drunk on after their father's funeral?

3. What object does Toru tell Naoko triggered memories of Kizumi at the pool hall?

4. Where does Midori ask Toru to take her the next time they meet?

5. What kind of calendar hangs over Midori's desk?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happened to precipitate Reiko's first mental breakdown?

2. What does Toru learn about Naoko from Reiko's letters?

3. What kind of student was the young girl Reiko taught?

4. What is Midori's theory about Toru's girlfriend?

5. What happens in the middle of the night on Toru's second night in the women's apartment?

6. What is Reiko's advice for Toru regarding Midori?

7. What does Toru usually do on Sundays?

8. What is Toru's explanation about the importance of the subjunctive tense?

9. Describe Toru's apartment.

10. Where did Hatsumi learn to play pool?

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

Throughout "Norwegian Wood" there are a lot of ways in which characters have difficulty communicating. Midori's father can barely speak. Naoko has trouble writing. Toru isolates himself at his house and loses touch with everyone he knows. Discuss the novel's position on the importance of communication.

Essay Topic 3

How does grief play a role in shaping the characters in this novel? Please use at least three examples.

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