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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 did the boys' mother do on the morning after visiting his father?

2. The father admits to poisoning the water and ______________.

3. What has happened to the family possessions locked away in a room of the house?

4. The boy recalls his father promising to ________________________.

5. Where had the boy left his bicycle before leaving home?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the social environment like for the Japanese-Americans when they return home?

2. Describe what the family did after the father's arrest when they did not know what had happened to him.

3. What does the father want to imply to whoever is hearing his confession?

4. Describe how the winter takes its toll on the people in the camps.

5. What valuable advice does the boy receive from his father in a letter?

6. How do people in town react to the family when they return from the camp?

7. How long had the family been away from their home and what has being institutionalized done to their sense of fear at night?

8. Describe the room where the father was first taken for questioning.

9. What could account for the family's not receiving much mail while they were detained in the camp?

10. How does the author show that the characters are not considered to be real people, but rather just nameless prisoners?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Otsuka is a master at dramatic devices. Choose an example of symbolism, metaphors, and irony, briefly describe them and identify the technique which they embody.

Essay Topic 2

Explain Otsuka's use of regionalism in the book. Cite examples of at least two different instances of regionalism and explain why the author used them where he did.

Essay Topic 3

The author uses more than one iteration on the theme of character. Identify at least two examples about character in the book. Then explain how each example supports the theme of character.

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