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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. At the beginning of Part II, Chapter 20, when Raka comes home, what does Nanda tell her she is nothing like?

2. What arrives at Carignano at the start of Part II, Chapter 14?

3. In Part II, Chapter 12, Nanda tells Raka that houses may burn and maybe even what?

4. The letter Nanda receives from Asha tells news of whom?

5. What does Nanda tell Raka was needed in order to travel to Tibet back when her father went there when she was young?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who does Nanda tell Raka are destroying her quiet little place?

2. What fantastical stories does Nanda tell her about the things her father kept at their home in Kashmir?

3. What does Nanda consider doing at the end of Part II, Chapter 14, but decide against because it would require meeting with someone?

4. Even though Nanda prefers solitude, what does she continue to suggest to Raka as described in Part II, Chapter 9?

5. Where does Nanda tell Raka her Buddha statue came from?

6. What is Raka’s reaction to the wild costume party she sees at the club when she sneaks out in Part II, Chapter 10 and 11? What does it make her think of?

7. Why is Raka dismayed when Nanda says she will join her on her walk after tea in Part II, Chapter 7?

8. How does Raka feel about Carignano as described in Part II, Chapter 18?

9. What does Nanda ask Raka if she would like to take to Monkey Point, and how does Raka respond?

10. Who calls Nanda in Part II, Chapter 21 and what does this person want?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze Raka’s fascination with forest fires throughout the novel. What scenes show this interest and what does it tell the reader about Raka?

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

Describe Nanda’s voice in Fire on the Mountain. Use specific adjectives and examples from the text, analyze whether Nanda’s voice is positive or negative. If it is both, give examples of each.

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