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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. When does Mr. Biswas make the final decision to purchase the house?

2. What presents do the children receive the Christmas after Owad goes to England?

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

4. What sign does Mr. Biswas post on his house in Shorthills?

5. How does Mr. Biswas earn the $1,200 needed for the down payment on the house?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the Biswas family feel about the purchase of their new home?

2. How does Shama assist with the repairs to the new house?

3. How does Mr. Biswas earn his promotion as reporter for the "Trinidad Sentinel?"

4. Why does Mr. Biswas buy a typewriter, and what happens to it later in the story?

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

6. How does Mrs. Tulsi's return to Arwacas affect the family left in Port of Spain?

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

8. Describe the estate at Shorthills.

9. Describe the circumstances and events surrounding the destruction of Mr. Biswas' rose garden.

10. How do Mr. Biswas and other members of the Tulsi family end up living in the Port of Spain house for a second time?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

Mr. Biswas marries a woman he hardly knows. Discuss Mr. Biswas' relationship with Shama. Describe the attitudes they have towards each other early in their marriage. How does their marriage change when they have children? How does their relationship change when Mr. Biswas buys the clerk's house? By the end of their lives together, do they appear to be content with their relationship? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

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?

(see the answer keys)

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