View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. After the kiss on the beach, Ishmael finds himself

2. Fujiko is furious that Hatsue was seeing a white boy, but also because

3. Hatsue's father is frightened by the Pearl Harbor news and

4. Kabuo Miyamoto's demeanor at his trial reveals

5. Perhaps Kabuo's worst lingering memory of the war was

Short Essay Questions

1. Why was Ole Jurgensen unwilling to hand over the Miyamoto's seven acres to Kabuo?

2. Why is Ishmael forced to pretend he does not have feelings for Hatsue?

3. Why would Horace Whaley even consider that someone of Japanese descent had hit Carl Heine in the head?

4. Ishmael's experience at war is as horrendous as it gets. What is his attitude toward Hatsue by now, and why?

5. What is the agreement made between Zenhichi Miyamoto and Carl Heine, Sr.?

6. Explain the hysteria on San Piedro Island when the news of the Pearl Harbor attack is announced.

7. Why does Kabuo's demeanor seem cold and hard?

8. When the aging Ole finally sold his farm, to whom did he sell it?

9. What has caused Ishmael Chambers to be so cynical?

10. We learn that Carl Heine is a precise, organized and capable man. Can you think of a reason that the author is giving us such a detailed description of a deceased person?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Review Snow Falling on Cedars with an eye toward symbolism. Guterson masterfully plants words and ideas that transport the reader along through the story, and allow us to look back and understand the symbolism that we may have missed as the story unfolds. Focus on one character, such as Hatsue, and analyze each symbolic passage Guterson has created, explaining why he did it and what it means. An example: Note Hatsue's "knife-sharp" pleats and "long darts."

Essay Topic 2

Research and write an in-depth essay about the Japanese internment camps in the US during World War II. If possible, find someone to interview who has some childhood memories of the experience and interview him or her. Has the US, in your opinion, reconsidered its decision to place people in camps when their native country is at war with us? Has it reconsidered the decisions that were made back then? Is there a general consensus about the advisability of such a program? If possible, include some photos.

Essay Topic 3

With illustrations and an essay, teach us about women's clothing in 1943, especially the clothing that would help us understand the knife-pleats and long darts of Hatsue Miyamoto's outfits that she wore to her husband's trial. Try to find old newspaper ads, and provide details as to fabrics and embellishments.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 862 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample