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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. Which of the following best describes the conditions of the internment camps?

2. What does Obasan give to the woman with the baby on the train?

3. What is interesting about the giant creature in Naomi's dream?

4. Who does Father ask to care for the family possessions in the case that he will be sent to internment?

5. In what country does the novel take place?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Naomi accused of when she is at the bathhouse, and how does she respond?

2. What reaction does Naomi have to the newspaper clippings and letters that she finds of Aunt Emily's?

3. What story does Rough Lock Bill tell to Kenji and Naomi when they are out exploring the woods?

4. What theories are spreading throughout the Nakane children about the welfare of their mother in Japan?

5. After sorting through the boxes in Obasan's attic, what does Naomi dream about?

6. What happened after Naomi's parents purchased her baby chicks?

7. After Germany surrenders in the war, what changes about life in Slocan?

8. What was Naomi's relationship to Old Man Gower?

9. How does Naomi cope with the truth of her mother's life and death?

10. What preparations are made for Uncle's arrival in Slocan, and how is he greeted?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Silence is a revered characteristic in Japanese culture. Explain the significance of silence to the characters in the novel, and explain the effect that silence has on an individual character level within the novel, as well as a cultural level in the era that this novel is set.

Essay Topic 2

Colors act as very strong symbols throughout the novel, appearing both in Naomi's dreams and in her realities. Choose one color and generate a list of three times that this color was used throughout the novel. What do you think this color symbolizes in Natalie's story?

Essay Topic 3

Naomi cares for many young animals throughout the course of the novel. Briefly describe two of the caretaking roles that Naomi took on growing up and explain how caretaking provided an outlet for Naomi's grief.

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