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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 relative urges Mr. Biswas to find a job after several months spent recuperating at Hanuman House?

2. What does Sharma blame for the failure of the store?

3. What does Mr. Biswas discover about Sharma after they move to The Chase?

4. Why does Shama destroy the gift Mr. Biswas gave Savi?

5. In the prologue, how much of the mortgage is left on Mr. Biswas' house?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Mr. Biswas' father die?

2. What motivates Mr. Biswas to become self-employed?

3. Describe Mr. Biswas' room in Green Vale.

4. What happens to the Biswas children after their father dies?

5. How does Mr. Biswas express his displeasure with his in-laws and his communal living situation?

6. How does Mr. Biswas attempt to improve the store's financial situation?

7. What role does Seth play in assisting Mr. Biswas to recover from his illness?

8. How does Shama react when Mr. Biswas loses his job?

9. What must Mr. Biswas and Shama do to reopen their shop and house in The Chase?

10. What happens to Mr. Biswas' house in Green Vale during his illness?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the meaning of the houses that Mr. Biswas purchases and/or builds throughout the story. What might each house's purchase or construction represent? What might the sale or destruction of the first several houses represent?

Essay Topic 2

Mr. Biswas and Mrs. Tulsi are two of the most influential characters in the story. Compare and contrast their personalities. What is the life goal for each character, and how does each set about achieving their dreams? What influence do these two characters have on the rest of the family?

Essay Topic 3

Describe the influence the farming venture at Shorthills had on the characters in the novel. What influenced the Tulsi family to try farming? What factors lead to the farm's demise? How does the failure of the farm affect the characters?

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This section contains 941 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample