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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. Who thwarts the narrator's efforts to introduce herself to the Woman while on her break one afternoon?

2. How long after her job interview does the Woman land her new job?

3. How does the narrator know The Woman in the Purple Skirt?

4. How does Supervisor Tsukada describe the job to the Woman in the Purple Skirt on her first day?

5. What article of clothing does the narrator use to define herself?

Short Essay Questions

1. Where does the Woman in the Purple Skirt live? What does this place reveal about the Woman?

2. Describe the interaction between Supervisor Tsukada and the Woman in the Purple Skirt on her first day after she gets her uniform.

3. Describe the first monthly staff meeting that the Woman attends. What is the focus? How does she behave?

4. What type of information does the narrator keep track of regarding the Woman in the Purple Skirt?

5. Describe the training the director gives to the Woman in the Purple Skirt on her first day,

6. In what way does the narrator feel she may have helped the Woman in the Purple Skirt win over the director and supervisor so quickly?

7. What happens at the park after the Woman sits with her apple after her first day of work?

8. What does the narrator to do try to get shampoo samples to the Woman? Is she successful?

9. How did the narrator once try to engage with the Woman in the Purple Skirt? What was the result?

10. Who is Mei-chan and how does she relate to the Woman in the Purple Skirt?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an analysis of the theme of invisibility in The Woman in the Purple Skirt. How is this theme expressed in the novel and why is it important?

Essay Topic 2

Examine the use of dialogue vs the use of description. How is each used in the The Woman in the Purple Skirt? Explain what makes these uses effective or ineffective.

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay analyzing Imamura's commentary on the theme of loneliness in The Woman in the Purple Skirt. How is this theme important to the story? How does it affect the narrative? Use textual evidence to explain your analysis.

(see the answer keys)

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