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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 book is Kaname reading in Chapter 6?

2. What season is it in Chapter 6?

3. What does Misako wish she didn't have to deal with in regards to the upcoming holiday?

4. Why does Takanatsu joke that Kaname will ruin his second marriage?

5. In Chapter 1, on what grounds does Misako say she will attend the show?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Misako think communication is improved with Kaname when Takanatsu mediates?

2. What have Misako and Aso decided together that Aso need not promise her?

3. In chapter 3, what does Kaname consider he has always hated? What does Kaname admit Osaka reminds him of?

4. What is at risk for Misako when she and Kaname divorce?

5. What does Takanatsu advise Hiroshi about getting his two dogs to be friends?

6. Why does Kaname wish Misako was a loose woman?

7. In Chapter 5, what does Kaname realize he has been looking for during his entire marriage?

8. What does Takanatsu let Misako look at in his suitcase? What jokes does Takanatsu make to Misako, which she reacts to in seriousness?

9. What does Kaname think about on the train ride to the puppet theater?

10. What does Takanatsu think of Misako's plan to divorce Kaname and marry Aso?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the theme of divorce in the novel "Some Prefer Nettles." Why do Kaname and Misako want to get a divorce? What is making the decision hard to make? How was divorce viewed by Japanese culture in the 1950's?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss Tanizaki's use of contrast in the novel "Some Prefer Nettles." What are some examples of contrast? How do these examples relate to the themes of the novel?

Essay Topic 3

Analyze and interpret Kaname's epiphany. What does he finally come to realize? What events or moments cause him to reach this realization? How might his epiphany change his life?

(see the answer keys)

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