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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. In Book 2, Chapter 3, what gift does the family plan to give each child?

2. Why does Mrs. Tulsi evict everyone from the house in Port of Spain?

3. Which character does Owad attack verbally?

4. What about the house surprises Mr. Biswas?

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

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the Biswas family's trip to the seaside.

2. How does Mrs. Tulsi react to Owad's impending return from England?

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

4. Describe the estate at Shorthills.

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

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

7. Describe the conflict that arises between Owad and Anand.

8. Describe the final details of the sale of the clerk's house.

9. What threatens Mr. Biswas' job at the "Trinidad Sentinel"?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the power struggles evident in the book. Which characters are perpetually locked in a bid for power within the family? What factors assist characters in gaining or losing power? How do the power struggles evident among the adult characters affect the children? What cycle of power is evident in the book, and how does Mr. Biswas attempt to break that cycle?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the factors that led to the failure of Mr. Biswas' shop in The Chase. How does Mr. Biswas' attitude towards the Tulsi family influence his business decisions? How might his attitude towards mathematics and literature have affected his ability to run the shop? What other external factors could have affected the success of the shop? Whom could Mr. Biswas have learned from, and what could he have done to make the shop more successful?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the differences between Eastern and Western standards of success. Which standard does the Tulsi family follow? Which standard does Mr. Biswas follow? How does the conflict with the Tulsi family affect Mr. Biswas' attitude towards success? How might his attitude affect the future of his children and grandchildren?

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This section contains 996 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample