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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 beverage does Maneck's family produce?

2. What is Rustom going to purchase when he is killed?

3. Which of the characters introduced in the prologue is considered to be the wealthiest?

4. What type of petal is being thrown from the helicopter onto the Prime Minister's stage?

5. What article of clothing do Ishvar and Narayan sew for their father?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the subject of the speech that the Prime Minister is giving to the villagers?

2. Who is Shankar and what is significant about his body?

3. What kindness does Dina show Om in Chapter 7?

4. Why is Narayan murdered?

5. What is Ishvar and Om's reaction to the work that they must do in the relocation camp?

6. Why does Dukhi send for his sons to be sent to live with Ashraf?

7. What happens after Om is hit by the car while following Dina's taxi?

8. How is Ishvar's face disfigured?

9. What are Sergeant Kesar and the facilitator sent to the streets to do?

10. How do the passengers on the train react to the sudden halt in their travel?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

When Maneck commits suicide at the end of the novel, his final thought is that he is happy to be holding the chess board. This thought is a bit ambiguous as to whether Maneck is feeling guilt, or if he is overwhelmed with the way that the world has turned out.

Part 1.) Argue what you believe to be the meaning to Maneck's final thoughts.

Part 2.) Argue why you think it was so important to Maneck that he is holding the chess board, especially after he spent years not taking care of it, or missing its presence.

Essay Topic 2

Dina Dalal is described as a very tough woman. There have been many mishaps in her life that have shaped her. Describe two incidents in Dina's life that have shaped her into the independent woman that she is. Also, compare/contrast Dina's relationships with her brother Nusswan and Rustom. Which relationship do you think had a larger impact on her?

Essay Topic 3

Om and Ishvar are forced to move around quite a bit within the novel. The main places that they call home are the slums, the work camp, the doorway, and Dina's home. Briefly describe the characters lives in each of those homes, what was positive about each of them, and what was negative.

(see the answer keys)

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