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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. Besides being with Sai, how does Gyan want to occupy his time?

2. Into what caste was the judge's father born?

3. At which of his jobs does the boss leave Biju and his co-workers in charge?

4. Why is Biju fired from his delivery job?

5. What effect does her first meeting with Gyan have on Sai?

Short Essay Questions

1. In chapter 9, in what way is Lola portrayed as a hypocrite?

2. In chapter 3, why doesn't Bijou consider himself a man?

3. In chapter 22, what does it tell us about Biju when he leaves his job at Brigitte's and begins working at the Ghandi Cafe?

4. In chapter 26, why does Gyan begin regretting the time he spent with Sai as he becomes part of the liberation?

5. In chapter 10, why do you think Biju is the only immigrant he knows who seriously considers returning home one day?

6. As described in chapter 12, what is the difference between the effects of Catholic school on Sai and Noni?

7. What effect does Gyan have on Sai when they first meet in chapter 13?

8. What miscommunication exists between Biju and the cook in chapter 15?

9. How does Sai's having attended a Catholic school impact her identity in terms of the people around her?

10. In chapter 11, what do we learn about Indian servants' preferences for employers?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What is the significance of the fact that there are a number of characters who behave like the British, but there are no actual British characters specifically mentioned in the novel? Why are they so totally absent, and what is the end result of their absence for the characters who've tried to emulate them? At the end of the novel, do you think life is better for the Anglicized characters or those who view themselves purely as Indians, and why? Use examples of specific characters.

Essay Topic 2

As civilization breaks down in the Indian village, the rich ultimately pay the price. Would they have been treated differently if they had given all their money to the liberation cause when the unrest had begun? Or is it inevitable that they would be viewed as upper class and shunned and taken advantage of, regardless of their current status?

Essay Topic 3

How does Lola's attempts to exterminate the insects in her home parallel the INS's efforts to weed out all the illegal immigrants in America? How effective are each of their efforts, and what is the end result in each case?

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