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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 "The Grove of Ascetics," who was the epigraphist who wrestled archaeological authority away from the Europeans?

2. In "A Brother," what size grenade could destroy most of a person's feet?

3. In "Sarath," where does Anil's friend Leaf live who sends her a postcard?

4. In "Sarath," how is a man killed on a train?

5. In "The Grove of Ascetics," what date does Anil give to the cache of bones where Sailor was found?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Sarath tell Anil he would like to write a book about someday?

2. What does Sarath tell Anil about the situation in Sri Lanka when they first meet?

3. Where are Anil and Sarath to work while she is in Sri Lanka?

4. In "A Brother," what is mentioned about a North Central Province hospital?

5. How had Palipana entered the field of archaeology?

6. When Anil examines a body with forensic students at the Kynsey Road Hospital, what does she discover?

7. At the end of "A Brother," what images did Sarath and Palipana once see in a cave?

8. In the Introduction, why is a woman sitting in a grave in Guatemala?

9. In the Grove of Ascetics, how is Palipana described?

10. When Anil arrives in Sri Lanka, how does the dawn arrive like thunder?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Ananda reconstructs a statue at the end of the novel. What does the broken statue represent? What is symbolized when Ananda reconstructs the statue?

Essay Topic 2

The novel takes place during Sri Lanka’s civil war. What is revealed about the uselessness of war? What is the role of war in the novel? What does war symbolize?

Essay Topic 3

Palipana's career ended when the runes for a translation he created could not be found. Why could Palipana not be proved right or wrong? Is there a difference between being wrong and not being able prove that someone is right? How does that relate to Palipana's situation at the end of his career?

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This section contains 922 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample