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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 happened to the woman whose cottage burned down, according to the story Ram Lal tells in Part II, Chapter 6?

2. What is Tara’s daughter recovering from, according to the letter in Chapter 4?

3. What book is Nanda reading at the start of Part I, Chapter 8?

4. When Raka looks for Ram Lal at the end of Chapter 2, what does she find him doing?

5. In Chapter 4, Nanda writes Asha to tell her what about Raka?

Short Essay Questions

1. When Nanda receives the letter, how does she think she will respond regardless of the request?

2. What has Nanda been doing for one hour each day, even when she lived at the Vice Chancellor’s?

3. How does Nanda feel about Asha’s request to have Raka stay with her in Carignano for the summer?

4. What does Ram Lal tell Raka of the house that had burned in a forest fire in a the end of Part II, Chapter 6?

5. Why did Nanda move to Carignano?

6. The end of Part I, Chapter 7 tells of the Vice Chancellor dropping off a guest at her home. What does this description hint at to the reader?

7. In Chapter 1, why does Nanda Kaul hope the postman does not stop at her house?

8. In Part I, Chapter 9, when Nanda is feeling uneasy about Raka’s visit, what does she discuss with Ram Lal?

9. How does Nanda feel about the hoopoe nest outside her window?

10. How does Nanda feel at the end of Part I about the possibility of Ila Das visiting Carignano?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Though the majority of the novel is written from Nanda’s perspective, the author employs omniscient narration, showing the reader the thoughts of experience of another character. Write an essay about why Anita Desai may have chosen to do this and whether you think it is effective or not.

Essay Topic 2

Analyze the ending of Fire on The Mountain. Describe what happens and how these events help to develop the theme of solitude.

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay analyzing Nanda’s relationship like with her daughter Asha. Use direct examples from the text to support your viewpoint.

(see the answer keys)

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