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This test consists of 5 short answer questions and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Harry once again accompanies the Nawab to pick up Olivia after having been absent due to his illness. What does Olivia notice about his behavior on his first reappearance?

2. How does the narrator feel about her pregnancy when she visits Maji's hut?

3. What is different about Chid when he returns on August 15th?

4. What accounts for the intensely hot weather in Section 25?

5. How do the midwives perform Olivia's abortion?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The use of religion and culture to justify a character's actions occurs in different ways in Heat and Dust.

1) Find 3 incidences of these occurrences and discuss their impact on the story.

2) Explain the differing attitudes toward abortion that are seen in the story.

3) Choose a character from the novel and explain how he or she is judged based on that person's religious or cultural beliefs.

Essay Topic 2

Throughout Heat and Dust, the narrator discovers negative traits about Olivia, yet this only seems to fuel her desire to discover more about this intriguing woman.

1) Compare and contrast the things that motivate Olivia and the narrator.

2) Explain how positive and negative traits in the narrator inspire her to learn about Olivia.

3) Explain how Olivia's decisions impact the narrator's decisions.

Essay Topic 3

Analyze the roles of tradition and symbolism in Heat and Dust. Be sure to explain how the examples you give helped or hindered the people involved, why they chose to participate in acts or events, and why the symbols or symbolic acts or traditions were meaningful to the plot and storyline.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 357 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample