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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. Which high-paying government agency is Mr. Biswas invited to join?

2. In Book 2, Chapter 1, where does Mr. Biswas find his mother living?

3. After Mr. Biswas completes his house In Book 2, Chapter 3, which relative moves in with him?

4. How is Shekhar's wife, Dorothy, different from the other Tulsi women?

5. In Book 2, Chapter 3, what gift does the family plan to give each child?

Short Essay Questions

1. How do Owad's communist views affect the Tulsi family?

2. Describe the final details of the sale of the clerk's house.

3. How does the Deserving Destitutes Fund cause hardship for Mr. Biswas?

4. What is the Deserving Destitutes Fund, and how did Mr. Biswas become involved in it?

5. How does Mr. Biswas get his first job for the "Trinidad Sentinel?"

6. Describe the estate at Shorthills.

7. How does Mrs. Tulsi react to Owad's impending return from England?

8. What threatens Mr. Biswas' job at the "Trinidad Sentinel"?

9. Why does the Biswas family leave Mrs. Tulsi's house in Port of Spain after Owad's return?

10. Describe the Biswas family's trip to the seaside.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Writing, as well as literature, played an important role in Mr. Biswas' life. How does writing allow Mr. Biswas to express himself safely? How does his career as a newspaper reporter assist him in his quest for freedom and independence? What conflicts arise from his writing at the paper? What effect does his venture as a fiction writer have on his character?

Essay Topic 2

Mr. Biswas suffered from a short period of depression. Describe potential causes for his depression and the effects it has on his character. What factors lead to his depression? How does the depression affect his character? What is the pivotal factor that helps him overcome his depression? What other factors assist him in overcoming his depression?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the influence that English literature and education has on the characters in the book. Choose three characters and describe how an English-based curriculum influences their attitudes early in life. How does Mr. Biswas' love of English literature affect his personal philosophy throughout his life? What difficulties do he and other characters experience that can be attributed to the influence of English literature and education?

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