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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. What comes down the river in a dugout?

2. What does Indar say about Raymond?

3. What does Salim think when he is shown the collection of African masks?

4. How does the President manage the war in the town and surrounding area?

5. What is Ferdinand's dilemma?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is going through Salim's mind as he travels deeper into the interior?

2. Describe what made Mahesh's wooden spoon venture a failure.

3. What makes the trip longer and more complicated?

4. Give some details about Father Huismans' hobby.

5. Describe Mahesh and his desire to strike it rich.

6. What is the situation at the beginning of the novel?

7. What is happening with the town shortly after Salim arrives?

8. Describe Salim's family.

9. Describe the reunion of Salim and Indar.

10. Why does Salim's family send the slave, Metty, to him?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In Chapter 9, Indar describes his visits to the Indian High Commission in London. Write a paper on how Indar exhibits the prejudices of the caste system of India even though he had never been to India in his life. Write your paper on your feelings about classifying people according to the color of their skin, the clothes they wear, and the level of their education.

Essay Topic 2

The theme of living in fear runs throughout the novel. Write an essay on how humans are affected by constant fear. Explain how you would deal with the constant threat of corrupt police, high crime, and instability of the government.

Essay Topic 3

Write about what you have learned about third world countries from reading A BEND IN THE RIVER. Mention the difficulties of travel, the problem of endless red tape, the disparity between the rich and the poor, and the uncertain political climate that seems to change from day to day.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 707 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample