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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. How does Chid's chanting affect the narrator?

2. Where does the narrator say she is staying in her February 16th entry?

3. What does Maji say will happen after the pilgrimage party reaches the tree line of the mountain base?

4. Why does the narrator say she buys Indian clothing after settling into her new place in Satipur?

5. What prompts the narrator to investigate the royal tomb on March 30th?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does the narrator decide to travel to the town of X in the final chapter?

2. Describe a typical day for the narrator, according to her March 8th journal entry.

3. How does Harry's reluctance to bring Olivia to the palace forecast events to come?

4. Is Maji sympathetic to the narrator?

5. Describe the behavior and actions of the midwives during Olivia's abortion.

6. Describe the narrator's first night, and impressions of, Bombay.

7. Are Mrs. Saunders and Olivia similar, based on their first meeting in Section 8?

8. Explain the importance of the red strings in Section 26.

9. Describe Olivia and Douglas's relationship in Section 23.

10. Describe Chid's appearance when the narrator finds him in the royal tomb.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In Heat and Dust, the narrator explores the life of a woman who lives in a different era, while living in a culture different from her own. Answer the following questions with these points in mind.

1) Is Ritu's treatment by her husband, mother-in-law and the narrator acceptable? Explain.

2) Why is Olivia's behavior so readily condemned by her English peers?

3) Explain why the old beggar woman who dies in Maji's arms is pivotal to the narrator's journey.

Essay Topic 2

Select two characters from the story that have different perspectives of the same event. Write two letters, one from each character addressed to the other, describing their event and what happened. For example, you might use Douglas and the Nawab's account of Olivia's pregnancy, Chid and Inder Lal's perceptions of the narrator's journey, or Dr. Saunders' and the Begum's perception of Olivia's abortion.

Essay Topic 3

The relationships explored in Heat and Dust span generations, cultures and bloodlines. Of course, the connection between Olivia and the narrator is intriguing as they are not related by blood, and will never meet, yet Olivia's life is having a strong impact on the narrator's. Analyze the following aspects of this unique relationship.

1) Is Olivia a good person? Is the narrator?

2) Is it disloyal of the narrator to give so much attention and energy to the woman who betrayed her grandfather?

3) How would the story be different if the narrator was able to meet Olivia?

(see the answer keys)

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