Burnt Shadows Quizzes

Burnt Shadows Quiz 1

1 Where is the first section of Burnt Shadows set?
Nagasaki, Japan

Karachi, Pakistan

Hiroshima, Japan

Okinawa, Japan
2 How old is Hiroko when the novel opens?
21

25

43

29
3 How old is Konrad?
33

36

21

29
4 Why is Konrad in Nagasaki?
He was escaping wartime Germany

He accidentally ended up there after boarding a ship he thought was headed towards Okinawa

He followed Hiroko there, who he believes to be the love of his life

He got into a fight with his sister, Elizabeth, and needed to leave her home in Delhi
5 How many years has Konrad been in Nagasaki?
12

7

2

5
6 How did Hiroko and Konrad meet?
Konrad saved Hiroko's life by pulling her out of the way of a passing train

Konrad and Hiroko are working on a translation project together

Hiroko's father and Konrad are good friends

Hiroko is Konrad's German teacher
7 Why does Konrad hang his journals from a wire in his backyard?
Because they contain stories about his past life and he can no longer bear to look at them

Because they contain notes on foreigners in Japan, which has become enough grounds to imprison him

Because they contain lewd drawings of Hiroko

Because he wants to make Hiroko smile
8 What does Konrad ask Hiroko the last time they see each other?
to meet her father

to translate his upcoming novel

to move to England with him

to marry him
9 Where does Hiroko go immediately after she leaves Nagasaki?
she moves to New York City in the hopes of starting a new life

she moves to Delhi to look for Konrad's sister, Elizabeth

she moves to Tokyo, where she does translating work for some Americans

she moves to Karachi, where she meets Sajjad, who she will eventually marry
10 Why does Hiroko eventually stop working for the Americans?
because they justified the atomic bomb as it "saved American lives"

because one of them tried to hit on her

because they see her as tainted by the bomb, a hibakusha

because she felt like she was betraying her country
11 Why does Hiroko hate the word "hibakusha"?
after she leaves Japan, she refuses to speak Japanese ever again

it is a mis-translation of another Japanese word

it was Konrad's nickname for Hiroko

it is used to refer to survivors of the atomic bomb derogatorily
12 How do Elizabeth and James treat Hiroko when she first arrives at their home?
they shower her with condolences and pity

they welcome her but treat her with suspicion

they ask her a million questions about what life was like in Japan

they refuse to welcome her in to their home and take time opening up to her
13 Why does Hiroko begin classes with Sajjad?
she wants to learn about Indian history

he wants to learn about Japanese history

she wants him to teach her Urdu

she wants to teach him German
14 Why is Sajjad working for James Burton?
Sajjad likes James and considers him a dear friend

James is a solicitor and Sajjad wants to be a lawyer one day

James made a deal with Sajjad's parents

Sajjad wants to "move up in the world" by associating with the English
15 What is putting Sajjad's arranged marriage on hold?
Sajjad's mother cannot decide on a suitor because no one seems to be good enough for her favorite son

Sajjad rejects every possible suitor because he wants to marry Hiroko in particular

Sajjad rejects every possible suitor because he wants to marry a "modern woman"

political unrest in India and the threat of the upcoming Partition
16 Why did Sajjad shake his head at Hiroko the first time that they met?
She asks him if he remembers Konrad and he doesn't

He didn't understand this new foreigner and was threatened by her presence in her employer's home

He saw that Hiroko was about to address him as an equal, which would have upset the Burtons

He is put off by Hiroko's immodest clothing
17 How do Konrad and Hiroko find mutual understanding?
They share a mutual fascination with language

They express mutual annoyance at the Burtons

They share memories about Konrad

They are the same age and they both love cricket
18 What is the first Urdu term that Sajjad teaches Hiroko?
the first letter, alif

the word for neighborhood, "moholla"

the word for family, "kunba"

the word for headscarf, "dupatta"
19 How are Urdu and Japanese similar?
they have similar etymologies

they share the same word for neighborhood, "moholla"

they are both incredibly difficult to learn

their scripts are both not written left-to-right
20 How do Elizabeth and James feel about Hiroko's Urdu lessons?
they feel like it's a waste of time

they think that it means Hiroko is "one of them"

they feel like it's just a passing fancy, which will soon be replaced by other interests

they think it is suspicious and makes Hiroko suspect
21 What request does Hiroko make that leads to Sajjad taking her and the Burtons to Qutb Minar?
She says she wants to go sightseeing

She asks to see Sajjad's world

She says she needs to leave the Barton residence

She says she wants to learn more about the history there after reading about it in a book
22 Who seemingly "disrupts all hierarchies" between Sajjad and the Burtons?
Elizabeth

Hiroko

Konrad

Lala Buksh
23 What does Elizabeth refer to as "the stigmata of the blue-blooded"?
injuries from playing cricket

ink spills

stains on clothing

scars in the shape of birds
24 Which of these characters does Elizabeth write a letter to in "Veiled Birds"?
her cousin Willie

her brother Konrad

her husband James

her friend Rachel
25 Where is James and Elizabeth's son during "Veiled Birds"?
he is working for the CIA in Pakistan on a covert operation

he is in boarding school in England

he is living in Miami

he has died from a freak streetcar accident

Study Guide for Burnt Shadows

Burnt Shadows study guide contains a biography of Kamila Shamsie, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

Read the Study Guide for Burnt Shadows…

Burnt Shadows

by Kamila Shamsie

Burnt Shadows Quiz 1

Burnt Shadows Questions and Answers

Study Guide for Burnt Shadows

Lesson Plan for Burnt Shadows