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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. What does Deven decide he will do despite knowing the calamities they lay ahead at the end of the story?

2. What does Nur tell Deven in the postcard Sarla gives him at the start of Chapter 8?

3. What does Deven tell Siddiqui about Nur, which makes Siddiqui wonder if Deven is living in a fantasy?

4. Who is Dhanu?

5. Which department at the college is more likely to receive funding?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Deven call Murad in a panic the first time he meets with Nur in the room Nur's wife had arranged? How does Murad help Deven?

2. What information does Nur's first wife want Deven to include in his letter to her telling her when he can interview Nur?

3. Why is Nur's interview room bare when Deven and Chiku enter at the start of Chapter 10?

4. What good news does Deven receive from Mr. Rai in the registrar's office at the end of Chapter 6?

5. What happens when Deven brings his host a basket of fruit as a thank you? How does Deven feel about this and why?

6. Describe Deven and Sarla's conversation about the fact that he no longer goes to Delhi at the start of Chapter 8.

7. Though Deven goes to Nur's at a time when the is sure he should be alone, he finds a large crowd. Why are they there?

8. What does the old woman, who Deven assumes must be Nur's first wife, tell Deven about Imtiaz when she is ill in Chapter 7?

9. Instead of getting a hotel, with whom does Deven stay while he is interviewing Nur? How does he know this person? How is this person described?

10. How is Raj described? In what way was Deven's friendship with Raj different from his friendship with Murad?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay analyzing Desai's commentary on marriage in In Custody. How is marriage represented in the story? How does it affect the narrative? Use textual evidence to explain your analysis.

Essay Topic 2

Write a detailed analysis of tone in Desai's In Custody. Include whether the tone changes or remains the same. If it changes, include details on when, why and whether this change is effective.

Essay Topic 3

Away from the main character examine the way the author uses the other characters in the book. When does he introduce and take them away from the story? What effect does it have on the story?

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