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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. Who does the main character hope does not come to her house in Chapter 1?

2. Chapter 9 describes how Nanda moved to Carignano after what event in her life?

3. Raka tells Ram Lal of the snake she saw and he tells her it is a daman, which means what?

4. Though Raka ignores Nanda with ease, Nanda realizes that her “rejection of the child” was what?

5. What has Nanda been practicing for an hour each day since she lived in the Vice Chancellor’s?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. In Chapter 2, what does the year 1947 signify in regards to Carignano?

3. Why does Nanda send Ram Lal to the taxi stand to meet Raka when she first arrives rather than going herself?

4. Who is the letter, which Nanda receives in Part I from and what is it asking?

5. How is Nanda’s life at the Vice Chancellor’s house described in Part I, Chapter 5?

6. How does Nanda feel about Carignano compared to the Vice Chancellor’s house?

7. How do Raka and Nanda behave toward one another when Raka first arrives as described in Part II, Chapter 4?

8. What is Nanda reading in Part I, Chapter 8 and what does it say?

9. 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?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay analyzing the ending of Fire on the Mountain. What are the two significant events that occur and how will they affect Nanda?

Essay Topic 2

Analyze the genre choice for Fire on the Mountain. Why did Anita Desai choose to write this fictional narrative and would it have been as or more effective written as non-fiction or memoir?

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay on the Kasauli club’s purpose in Fire on the Mountain. What does the club symbolize or represent, and how do scenes which include the club help move the narrative forward?

(see the answer keys)

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