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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. Why did Kazu's father speak to the mourners at the funeral?

2. Though the Soma gave Kazu's ancestor's land why were they unable to grow anything at first?

3. What year was Kazu born?

4. What did Osamu tell Kazu about Koichi at his funeral?

5. What did Kazu notice as he stared at his son's face after he died?

Short Essay Questions

1. What was Kazu's relationship with his children like while he was working in Tokyo?

2. What does Kazu begin to feel about his life after his son dies?

3. Describe the conversation between the homeless man and woman after the woman repeats her disbelief that Shige is dead.

4. Who is Kazu and what is he doing in Ueno Station at the start of the novel?

5. Who is Osamu and how did his presence at Koichi's funeral make Kazu feel?

6. How would Kazu get food when he was homeless in Ueno Park?

7. What did Kazu's mother tell him about his life after his son Koichi died?

8. What happened in the Tohuko region and Hokkaido after the Tokyo Olympics ended, and what type for work did Kazu do in Sendai?

9. How old was Kazu when he first began to work, and what did he do for work?

10. What does Kazu's father say to the tax officials who came into their home and marked property to be repossessed?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay examining the ending of Tokyo Ueno Station. How did the ending fit into the storyline? Do you think the ending was effective? What theme might the ending represent? What might the author have done differently?

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay analyzing narrative voice in Tokyo Ueno Station. Include thoughts on how the narrative voice of the story is effective in conveying the story’s themes.

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay discussing the settings in Tokyo Ueno Station. When does the setting change? In what ways does the setting impact your understanding of the story as well as the themes?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 756 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample