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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 does Mrs. Patton want Arun to teach her?

2. What does Arun see Melanie eating in the kitchen in Chapter 25?

3. Of what is Rod aware concerning Melanie?

4. Where does Dr. Dutt want Uma to work?

5. What does Melanie eat after leaving the meal Arun cooks?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Arun think upon walking to the Patton house for the first time?

2. How has Mrs. Patton changed over the course of the summer?

3. How does Uma seem different from the other guests at Mrs. O’Henry’s?

4. What does Arun receive from Uma before he moves out of the Patton home?

5. What is Rod Patton like?

6. What does Mrs. Patton encourage Arun to cook?

7. What do Arun and Mrs. Patton have in common?

8. What does Mrs. Patton say upon hearing that Arun is a vegetarian?

9. What does Anamika's husband say about her death, and how do the neighbors contradict him?

10. What does Arun try to get the courage to tell Mrs. Patton?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the following:

a) Who is/are the protagonists of Fasting, Feasting, and how do you determine this?

b) Who is/are the antagonists of Fasting, Feasting, and how do you determine this?

c) Which 3 secondary characters have the greatest impact on the plot of Fasting, Feasting?

d) Are any of the characters in Fasting, Feasting dispensable? If so, which ones? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

Chapter 6 makes very clear the questionable prospects of young girls who are married off to seemingly suitable husbands. Anamika's fate is sealed at the hands of her abusive husband and mother-in-law. She cannot leave the marriage because leaving would bring shame on her own family according to Indian culture. Even Uma notes the irony in the situation that the beautiful and gifted Anamika, to whom life has always been kind, suffers a miserable fate, even more miserable than the suffocating and hopeless existence lived by Uma.

a) Do you think arranged marriages should be legal? Why or why not? Use examples from Fasting, Feasting to support your answer.

b) Discuss the concept of family honor in the context of Anamika leaving her marriage. Use examples from Fasting, Feasting to support your answer.

c) Compare and contrast Anamika’s fate with Uma’s fate.

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the following:

a) What do you think are the characteristics of a successful novel?

b) Analyze and discuss Fasting, Feasting based upon the criteria you decide upon in a.) and judge if it is a successful novel.

c) Do you think the criteria for a successful novel should be different if it is written for adults versus young adults? Why or why not? Would most adults consider Fasting, Feasting a successful novel? What about young teens?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 849 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample