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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. The day Reiko's students felt sick, what did she ask Reiko for?

2. What kind of store does someone want to open in what is the Kobayashi Bookstore?

3. What cocktail is Midori drinking when Toru arrives at DUG?

4. Why is Midori's father in the hospital?

5. What does Toru receive an invitation to in the spring of 1970?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens in the middle of the night the first night Toru is in the women's apartment that is unusual?

2. What have Midori and her sister decided to do with the bookstore?

3. How does Toru's second visit to the Ami Hostel go?

4. How does Nagasawa think he and Toru are alike?

5. Describe Naoko's sister.

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

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

8. What happened to Reiko's marriage?

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

10. What does Toru usually do on Sundays?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the meaning of Murakami's use of letters throughout the novel.

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

Using several examples, discuss how Murakami uses the recurring motif of a group of three characters throughout the novel to develop Toru's character.

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