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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. When Aunt Emily comes to visit Obasan and Naomi, who picks her up from the airport?

2. For how many years are Naomi and her family in relocation?

3. How many rooms does the hut that the Nakame family is relocated to have?

4. Which of the following characters is NOT held in a SIck Bay?

5. Which character developed a limp during WWII?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Obasan awaken Naomi in the middle of the night and take her into the attic?

2. What does Naomi find particularly irritating about Mr. and Mrs. Barker when they come to visit?

3. How does the family react to the news that the war is over?

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

5. What change is made in Naomi and Stephen's education after Uncle arrives to Slocan?

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

7. Who is Sigmund and how does he treat Naomi?

8. While Naomi is recovering in the hospital, what does she remember about the schoolboys that had a penchant for making things suffer?

9. What are Sick Bays?

10. What are the Nakane family allowed to take with them during their relocation from Slocan, and how do they pack their belongings?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Naomi has a very strained and complicated relationship with her Aunt Emily throughout the course of the novel. Compare / contrast the story of Emily's journey as it is presented in her journals with the story of Naomi that is presented to the reader. How are their journeys the same? How are they different? Explain why Naomi is much more like her Aunt Emily than she would like to admit. How does Emily's political struggle reflect Naomi's bi-cultural struggles?

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

The Nakane family spreads over three generations within the novel. Briefly characterize each of the three generations of the family, and describe their different relationships with their heritage, and their new home in Canada.

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