| Introduction |
Reading Questions
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| Your answers need not be
complete sentences, but must be specific. They should demonstrate your comprehension and interpretation. |
| Who's
who? Family
Tree Where are we? Gempei Map |
| Ch.
1 (p.
1), The Daughter of Lord Moriyuki |
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| 1. | How old is Takiko at the
beginning of the story? |
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| 2. | Why is Takiko’s family living with her aunt Uchinaka? | |
| 3. |
Notice the
behavior of Takiko with her mother and father. Give evidence of
strict social expectations. |
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| 4. |
Why must Takiko’s mother remarry
after the death of Moriyuki? |
|
| How is this different from today? | ||
| 5. |
What seems to be the servants’
opinion of the family? In other words, they think Takiko is: |
|
| and Moriyuki is: | ||
| How can you tell? | ||
| 6. | What is Takiko’s opinion of the servants? (Describe
the servants from her perspective.) |
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| 7. |
What adjectives would describe
Takiko’s attitude toward
servants in general? (Describe Takiko with adjectives.) |
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| Ch. 2 (p. 11), The Farm |
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| 8. |
What are Takiko’s first physical and emotional reactions to Goro? |
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| 9. |
Besides Goro’s appearance, what
makes Takiko feel that way? |
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| Ch. 3 (p. 18), A New Year | ||
| 10. |
Think of two adjectives to describe Takiko’s feelings during her first days at the farm. | |
| 11. |
Compare life on Goro’s farm with
life in the Uchinaka home. |
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| 12. |
Find two
ways that Takiko uses to get over her feelings. |
a. |
| b. |
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| 13. |
What breakthrough helps Takiko
and Goro overcome their estrangement? |
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| 14. |
Why does the news of a new baby
make Takiko feel cheated? |
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| Ch. 4 (p.
30) Ichiro |
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| 15. |
Goro teaches Takiko two skills: | a. |
| b. |
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| 16. |
What evidence shows that Ichiro has taken Takiko’s place in Goro’s heart? | |
| Ch.
5 (p.
38) To the Capital |
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| 17. | According to Kamaji, what is Takiko’s main qualification for a job in the capital? | |
| 18. | When Takiko is _____ years old, she begins to work for Princess Aoi. Notice how the Princess treats her, and how Takiko responds. Now that she is a servant, Takiko realizes: | |
Ch. 6 (p. 47) The Concert
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| 19. |
Notice the scene where Go Shirakawa composes a poem, which is continued by someone Takiko cannot see. How does this make her feel? Look for body language clues. | |
| 20. |
Where does Takiko go after the
concert? Whom does she meet there? |
|
| 21. | Give two reasons why this person is a dangerous lover for her. | a. |
| b. |
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| Ch. 7 (p. ) The Flight | ||
| 22. |
Soon Takiko has a new position. Where is it? Doing what, and for whom? | |
| 23. |
What does Takiko worry about after fleeing the capital? | |
| Ch. 8 (p. 71) The Devil's
Horsemen |
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| 24. |
What object does Goro find in
the palace? Why is it precious to him? |
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| 25. |
From the imperial ship, the
royal family watches the battle of Ichinotani between what two opposing
groups? |
|
| Ch. 9 (p. 84) The Cry of the Nightingale | ||
| 26. |
Takiko receives a poem from General Munemori. Why doesn’t she want him? | |
| 27. |
Why is it a problem to simply refuse him? | |
| 28. |
When Takiko finds Hideo in the garden, why is she there in the garden? | |
| And why is he there? | ||
| 29. |
Takiko has an internal conflict
about Hideo in the garden. Notice how
her actions are a compromise between her conflicting feelings. On one hand, she feels: |
|
| So what does she do? | ||
| However, she also feels: | ||
| So what does she do? | ||
| Ch.
10 (p.
96) The Rabbit Hole |
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| 30. |
Describe three ways that Takiko’s behavior shows her “lovesickness.” | a. |
| b. |
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| c. |
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| 31. |
What probably happens at the hilltop temple? (Please phrase this PG13, politely.) | |
|
Ch. 11 (p. 102) A Visitor
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| 32. |
How does Hideo demonstrate his feelings for Takiko? | |
| 33. |
Why does this prove that Hideo is also brave? | |
| 34. |
Takiko tells Goro that she can’t return home with him because: | |
| but her real reason is: | ||
| Ch.
12 (p.
108) Fire at Dawn |
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| 35. |
During
the attack on Yashima,
Yoshitsune makes three gestures to show he is not afraid of the
Emperor: |
|
| a. | ||
| b. |
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| c. |
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| Ch. 13 (p. 118) Plague | ||
| 36. |
Explain why Goro feels he is "condemned to life." | |
| 37. |
Is it justifiable to blame Takiko? ________ Why or why not? | |
| Ch.
14 (p.
123) The Land of the Dragon King |
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| 38. |
The Emperor’s grandmother jumps off the ship with the child. Why? | |
| 39. |
Why does she also want to keep the Imperial Regalia away from the Genji? | |
| 40. |
Explain Mieko’s action and meaning when she says, “You will forgive my rudeness if I precede you.” What is she doing? | |
| Why would this be “rude”? | ||
| Since Takiko is hesitating, Mieko might be secretly critical of her. How could you phrase her quote more bluntly? | ||
| Ch.
15 (p.
136) The Ill-Made Cup |
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| 41. | Name four persons who are missing after the battle of Dan no Ura is lost. | |
| 42. | Who discovers Takiko and promises to save her? | |
| 43. |
Describe the appearance of the “ill-made” cup. Shape: | |
| Lid: |
||
| Glaze: |
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| Underside of
the lid: |
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| 44. |
Explain how this cup is a metaphor to describe Goro. | |
| What would your "cup" look like? |
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| Ch. 16 (p. 150) Waiting | ||
| 45. |
Despite
Goro’s bitterness, find
three actions which show that he is
still concerned about Takiko, and is beginning to forgive her. |
|
| 46. |
Find the moment when Hideo recognizes Takiko. Notice the change that comes over his face. What does he see when he looks at Takiko? | |
| What do you think he fails to see? | ||
| 47. |
Complete
these descriptions of Hideo from page 160: "She was not sure whether his
eyes betrayed ______________ or _______________.
"But it was _____________ and not __________ that spoke." |
|
| What is your interpretation of how Hideo feels? | ||
| Ch. 17 (p. 161) To Change the Fragile Dream | ||
| 48. |
In the first page of this chapter, Takiko reviews her life. Think over the list of events, and reflect how her statement applies: “But this at last had made everything clear, and she knew what must be done to make recompense.” There is another hint on page 165. What wrong has she done that she must pay for? | |
| 49. |
The chapter title is a quotation from the poem before chapter 1, p. xv. Reread that poem now. What “fragile dream” must she give up? | |
| 50. |
Why does the Empress think about Goro’s cup, “It is not possible that the inside could be more beautiful than this” ? | |
| 51. |
Why should Takiko’s music have more healing power now than it did when she was “a vain and thoughtless child” ? | |
| 52. |
What has Takiko learned? |
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1. To what extent do Heian society's expectations determine Takiko's path through life? Explain with examples and alternatives. You might compare 12th century Japan with 21st century U.S.A. 2. Rank the characters from most to least beautiful in your estimation. Explain your criteria, including your definition of beauty. |
