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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 relation are Murad and Jehangir to Nariman?

2. How does the cleaning woman awaken Coomy?

3. Why does Phoola Phoola quit?

4. How long does Nariman stay in the hospital?

5. Why does Coomy request that Phoola Phoola clean her room first?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the living conditions for the Chenoy family.

2. What is Yezad's solution when both boys want to sleep on the balcony, and what does it tell you about Yezad's character?

3. What effect is Nariman's prolonged stay having on Roxana and Yezad, and what does Nariman tell them to do about it?

4. Describe the atmosphere in the Vakeel home after Roxana and her family arrive.

5. What is Nariman's deepest regret?

6. Describe the tactics Coomy uses to convince Roxana to let Nariman stay at Roxana's.

7. What was the result of Nariman's visit from Dr. Tarapore at the beginning of Chapter 8?

8. What is Nariman's relationship with his family?

9. What is the subject of Nariman's flashbacks, and why is mention of his flashbacks important to the story?

10. Describe how Nariman's arrival changes things for the Chenoy family.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Throughout the book there are references to the Parsi faith, to Shiv Sena, and to the conflict over changing Bombay to Mumbai. How much did these issues affect the lives of the people in the story, and how much do such issues affect everyday life? Use examples from history and/or current events to help you support your view.

Essay Topic 2

For most of the story, Coomy seems to be the controlling factor among all the characters. Is Coomy truly concerned about her family? Is she materialistic? Nurturing? Selfish? All of the above? Focusing on Coomy's personality and the way she interacts with others, write a character description of Coomy.

Essay Topic 3

There are several negative forces in Family Matters: Coomy's nagging and crabbiness, Yasmin marrying for security instead of love, the constant search for money. And there are also several positive forces in the story: Yezad's search for faith, the love between Murad and Jehangir, Nariman's undying devotion to Lucy. Compare and contrast the positive and negative forces in Family Matters and show how each serve to move the story along and lend to its entirety.

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