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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. Where does Kikuko agree to meet Shingo when she leaves her family's home?

2. What does a young girl put on the train seat to reserve a seat?

3. What disease did the young man have who was strangled by his grandfather?

4. Whose dying words does Shingo mention in Chapter 12, Section 3?

5. Where has Kinu moved?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Kikuko read about Aihara in the newspaper?

2. Why does Shingo take his shoe off his right foot on the train?

3. How does Kikuko describe the branches at the base of the cherry tree?

4. What does Shingo forget how to do in Chapter 16?

5. Why did Kikuko decide to see a widowed friend who gives tea lessons?

6. What did Shuichi do when he learned that Kinu was pregnant?

7. What does Fusako take from Kikuko in Chapter 12?

8. What is being celebrated and how at the beginning of Chapter 9?

9. Why does a friend of Shingo's say that he wants potassium cyanide?

10. How do Shingo and Kikuko describe the appearance of black lilies?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Shingo refers to Kikuko as both injured party and absolver. Discuss what Shingo means when he refers to Kikuko as an injured party and an absolver.

Essay Topic 2

The Ogata family attends a Kabuki play. Discuss Kabuki plays, and the play that the family attended.

Essay Topic 3

Shingo is told the story of an old friend who pulled out his hair and who then was put into a mental hospital. Shingo believed that there was an element of parody in the story. Discuss parody and the story.

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