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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 kind of box does Lilia keep beside her bed?

2. How soon is the baby due when Shukumar goes to an academic conference?

3. Where did Shoba and Shukumar go on their first date?

4. What phrase accompanied all of Boori Ma's stories?

5. How old is Boori Ma?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens after Mr. Pirzada returns to Pakistan?

2. Why does the Das family tour take a trip into the hills of Udayagiri?

3. What is similar between the Das marriage and the Kapasi marriage?

4. What are the national distinctions between Pakistan and India that Lilia is unaware of?

5. What happens when Shukumar attends an academic conference in Baltimore during Shoba's pregnancy?

6. What do Shukumar and Shoba do the first night the power is turned off?

7. What does Lilia do with the candy after Mr. Pirzada returns to Dacca?

8. What secret does Mina Das reveal to Mr. Kapasi?

9. What are the rituals Mr. Pirzada follows nightly?

10. Without the Dalals around to protect her, what happens to Boori Ma?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How is the baby in "A Temporary Matter" a metaphor for the marriage of Shoba and Shukumar?

Essay Topic 2

Compare and contrast the characters of Boori Ma and Bibi Haldar. What did each of them represent in society?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss how the "telling game" was used to further both the plot and the themes of "A Temporary Matter."

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