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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 did Mahmud miss most?

2. Where was Bilquis' brother on the day they were going to visit?

3. What did Synnove Mitchell tell Bilquis was happening to her?

4. What did Mahmud say he would do if Bilquis died?

5. What did neighborhood children do that bothered Bilquis?

Short Essay Questions

1. What did Bilquis discover about her personality through her experience with the children and the plum tree?

2. What situation did Bilquis allow to make the decision about whether to travel to Singapore?

3. When Bilquis attended a second family funeral, what did the bereaved wife unexpectedly do?

4. What personal significance did Bilquis place upon the conference in Singapore?

5. What were the negative and positive results of the Christmas party?

6. Why did Bilquis decide not to replace all of the servants she lost?

7. What radical idea did Bilquis decide would revive the Sunday fellowship meetings?

8. Why had four of Bilquis' Christian servants fled from her house?

9. Why did Ken Old tell Bilquis that she had reason to rejoice even while she is sad at their departure?

10. What did Peggy Schlorholtz want Bilquis to do with her?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Many of the changes Bilquis undergoes are surprising to her. In your essay, discuss how she learns about the changes in her own personality and how this effects the credibility of her story to the reader.

Essay Topic 2

Many items that are repeated in this story could be interpreted as symbols. Select a story element that you believe is symbolic of a larger idea. Using quotations from the story, tell what you think the item symbolizes.

Essay Topic 3

Using the Internet, write an essay comparing the Pakistan described by Bilquis with the Pakistan of today. Is the country still 96% Muslim? Are there conflicts with other religions within the country? Are the Bhutto family members still in power? Is "biraderi" still the basis of family and tribal governance? What other differences and similarities do you see?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 722 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample