Chapter 1
1. What does the name “Uta-jima” mean?
2. Who is the Yashiro Shrine dedicated to?
3. Describe the boy talked about on page 6.
4. How old is the boy?
5. Who does this boy see while walking along the beach? Why is this girl so fascinating to him?
6. How is this boy rude without knowing it? How does he later feel about this behavior?
7. Why does the boy owe a debt of gratitude towards the lighthouse keeper?
8. What is the boy’s occupation?
9. What do we find out is the boy’s name?
Chapter 2
1. What is Shinji’s brother’s name? How old is he?
2. What is Shinji hoping to hear about at this point in the story?
3. Pg. 13, “Shinji always . . . being sick.” Is Shinji really sick? What is he actually experiencing?
4. How much of Uta-jima’s yearly catch is in octopus?
5. What is the name of the boy who works on the boat with Shinji?
5. Who is the master fisherman? What is the name of his boat?
6. Who is Hatsue? Describe the details of how she ended up in Uta-jima.
7. Who is Terukichi Miyata? What is he the owner of?
8. How is city life different from Uta-jima?
Chapter 3
1. What is the Young Men’s Association?
2. How does Shinji feel at the mere sound of Hatsue’s name?
3. Who is the president of the association?
4. Why does Yasuo leave the meeting early?
5. Where does Shinji go after the meeting?
6. What does Shinji pray for?
7. What is the “different sort of request” that Shinji includes in his prayer?
Chapter 4
1. Who does Shinji unexpectedly meet in this section?
2. Describe the circumstances of this meeting. (What happened that caused the two characters to meet?)
3. Why was she crying?
4. After Shinji introduces himself, what does he ask of the girl?
5. How does this change the nature of their meeting?
Chapter 5
1. How do city youths learn the ways of love? How is this different from Uta-jima?
2. Where do Shinji, his brother, and his mother go in this chapter and why do they go there?
3. How does Shinji’s father die?
4. What is the news Shinji’s hears in this chapter that turns his spirits “pitch-black”?
5. What is Shinji alarmed to find missing after leaving work one day?
6. Who comes to Shinji’s home when he is out searching f or the lost object? What does she bring?
7. What does Shinji ask Hatsue when he sees her?
8. What is the girl’s reaction and response?
9. What happens between Shinji and Hatsue on page 42?
10. What does Shinji say this moment is like?
11. Where are the two going to meet the following day?
Chapter 6
1. Where is the lighthouse keeper’s daughter?
2. What is the daughter’s name?
3. Who does Chiyoko ask about in her letter? What does the lighthouse keeper’s wife say this means?
4. Upon hearing this, what does Shinji do?
5. Why does Hatsue intentionally walk past Shinji without speaking?
6. What made Hatsue so mad?
7. What does Shinji say about what made her mad?
8. What are Shinji’s dreams for the future?
9. What is different about the village when Shinji and Hatsue return from Yashiro Shrine?
10. What might this symbolize in the novel?
Chapter 7
1. Where does Hiroshi go in this chapter? Why?
2. Which two previously mentioned characters are onboard the ship for the return crossing to Uta-jima?
3. Describe Chiyoko.
4. How had Chiyoko’s father contributed unknowingly to her gloomy disposition?
5. What does the word “homely” mean?
6. What is Chiyoko always wishing for? (pg. 59)
7. Does she have hope that this experience will occur in her life?
8. What kind of “bet” does Chiyoko make with herself on page 61?
9. Have you ever made this type of bet with yourself?
10. Besides the generator being fixed, what other news does Yasuo provide Hatsue with regarding the island?
11. According to Yasuo, what is “everybody in the village” saying about him and Hatsue?
Chapter 8
1. Interpret the following quote on page 65 – “Before, he had hated days . . . . festival days to him.”
2. What does Shinji pick up while on the beach?
3. Where does Shinji go at this point?
4. When Shinji wakes up, what does he see?
5. How does he “trick” Hatsue at this point?
6. When Hatsue tells Shinji to keep his eyes shut, what does Shinji do?
7. What does Hatsue tell Shinji would keep her from being ashamed?
8. After Shinji jumps over the fire, Hatsue tells Shinji, “It’s bad for a girl to do that before she’s married” (77). What is she talking about?
9. Immediately after saying this, we learn important information from Hatsue and her hopes for the future – what is it?
10. What item does Shinji give Hatsue?
11. What does Chiyoko see at the end of the chapter?
Chapter 9
1. What is the funny story Hiroshi tells in his letter about the seats in the movie theater?
2. Why do you think Yasuo does not smile or say hello when he sees Shinji?
3. Who has Chiyoko told the information she learned in the last chapter to?
4. How do you feel about Chiyoko having done this?
5. Who draws water on Uta-jima – men or women?
6. What is the “unbearable thought” Yasuo has on page 87? Why is this thought unbearable to Yasuo?
7. What does Yasuo own that makes him very proud?
8. Where does Yasuo go in the middle of the night? Why?
9. What happens as Yasuo watches Hatsue drawing water that gives him away?
10. What does Yasuo try to do at this point? Does he succeed?
11. What rescues Hatsue?
12. What does Yasuo ask Hatsue to promise?
13. What does this tell the reader about Hatsue’s father?
14. How do you feel about Yasuo and his actions? What caused him to act in this way?
Chapter 10
1. While playing with his friends, what gossip does Hiroshi learn about his brother?
2. What does omeko mean?
3. What question does Hiroshi ask his mother?
4. What is her reaction to this piece of information?
5. What does his mother ask Shinji later that night? What is Shinji’s response?
6. According to Jukichi, what is the reason for Yasuo’s viciousness?
7. What else does Jukichi say that reveals his loyalty to Shinji?
8. What information does Terukichi overhear while at the bathhouse?
9. What does Terukichi do to the bathers?
10. Do you believe the bathers got what they deserved?
Chapter 11
1. What does Hatsue give to Jukichi to give to Shinji?
2. What is the “post-office system”Hatsue describes in her letter?
3. Who becomes the new “postmaster”?
4. What does Shinji say is the reason for all of the chaos and drama? (Pg. 113) Do you agree?
5. What does Jukichi say “it takes to catch a fish”? (114).
6. According to Jukichi, what “is sure to win in the end”? (114).
7. What turns Chiyoko’s heart black with feelings of guilt?
8. What question does Chiyoko ask Shinji?
9. What is his response?
10. How does Shinji’s response make Chiyoko feel?
11. What does this conversation make Chiyoko want to do?
Chapter 12
1. Describe the legend of Prince Deki.
2. What is Hatsue’s lucky dream?
3. Where had Shinji visited the night before?
4. What is constantly on Shinji’s mother’s mind?
5. Where does Shinji’s mother go? Why?
6. What message does Hatsue reluctantly give Shinji’s mother from her father?
7. What is Shinji’s mother’s reaction and response to this message?
8. In her letter, where does Hatsue ask Shinji to meet her?
9. What happens once Shinji glimpses Hatsue on the steps?
Chapter 13
1. What “contest” do the women divers have on the beach?
2. Why does Shinji’s mother believe the rumors about Shinji and Hatsue died out?
3. Describe the contest the peddler suggests.
4. Who is the first woman to announce her name for the contest?
5. Who is the only young girl to enter the contest?
6. Who wins the contest?
7. What prize does she unexpectedly choose? Who does she give this prize to?
8. Why does Hatsue do this?
9. What are Shinji’s mother’s feelings for Hatsue at the end of the chapter?
Chapter 14
1. What is a “rice-rinser”?
2. Who does the Utajima-maru belong to?
3. Why is it strange that Shinji was approached by the captain of this ship to be a rice rinser?
4. Who else is asked to be a rice-rinser on this ship?
5. What is this person’s reaction?
6. Why does this person reluctantly agree to the apprenticeship?
7. Describe the content of the package from Hatsue. What does it contain?
8. What is Hatsue’s theory about the two boys being put on the ship?
9. What do Shinji and Yasuo decide while on the ship?
10. What does Yasuo say while on the ship that puts him in a bad light? (Pg. 155)
11. What is the first deliberate lie Shinji tells in his life?
12. What is Shinji and Yasuo’s job when he typhoon hits? (Pg. 159)
13. What do they see happen?
14. What question does the captain ask Shinji and Yasuo? (Pg. 161)
15. Who volunteers?
16. Does he succeed?
17. What does this show about Shinji’s character?
Chapter 15
1. What does Chiyoko confess in a letter to her mother?
2. What does Chiyoko ask her mother to do?
3. What is Chiyoko’s mother concerned about?
4. What shocking news does Terukichi tell the lighthouse keeper’s wife? (AKA Chiyoko’s mother.)
5. What was Terukichi’s plan?
6. According to Terukichi, what is the only thing that really counts about a man?
7. Do you believe this?
Chapter 16
1. What is Shinji waiting to accomplish before the wedding?
2. What does Hatsue show Shinji that she has kept?
3. What does Shinji show Hatsue that he keeps in his shirt pocket?
4. Why are Hatsue’s eyes “full of pride” when she looks at this item?
5. How do Shinji’s thoughts contrast with Hatsue’s regarding this idea?
6. What do you think about Shinji’s feelings about this?
The Sound of Waves
Yukio Mishima
Reading & Unit Guide
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