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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. Baby Kochamma is whose younger sister?

2. What does Rahel think of as The Sound of Music "smell"?

3. Ammu says her phlegm is like what?

4. What about Velutha reminds Ammu of him as a child?

5. What is Estha thinking about as he silently watches Rahel go through their childhood notebooks?

Short Essay Questions

1. What do the twins do when they find a boat by the river?

2. What does Velutha do after he is fired from the pickle factory?

3. What does Ammu dream about the afternoon her children find her sleeping in her room?

4. What year is the author remembering at the beginning of Chapter 4, Abhilash Talkies?

5. How does the incident with the soft drink vendor affect Estha?

6. What does Ammu think about after she locks herself in the bathroom one afternoon?

7. What happens after Rahel and Estha see the Kathakali?

8. How long does the affair between Ammu and Velutha last?

9. What do the children notice in particular at the airport as they wait for Sophie Mol to arrive?

10. Why did Rahel and Estha not see each other for twenty-three years?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What pivotal role does Baby Kochamma play in destroying four lives in order to save the family name?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the following statement: "...it really began in the days when the Love Laws were made. The laws that lay down who should be loved, and how. And how much." What were the Love Laws and which ones were broken in the novel?

Essay Topic 3

What is the symbolism of the river in the novel?

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