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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 finds Will?

2. What was the habit the old Raja couldn't break?

3. What is the difference between Will and Susila's pain?

4. Who is Will's boss?

5. What folly were the Raja and Andrew contemplating for the people of Pala?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the difference between a Wife of Love and a Sister of Mercy?

2. What did Will find humiliating about working as a journalist?

3. In what major way do the doctors of Pala and the doctors of the rest of the world differ?

4. What are Murugan's plans for Pala?

5. Nurse Radha was offended by Ambassador Bahu before. How?

6. How do the Palanese keep from feeling despair when reading about history?

7. How does Will initially react to the death of his wife?

8. What are practices of James and Janet MacPhail on their children that would be outlawed today?

9. What does Will say to Mary about his mother and how does she react?

10. Murugan appears at Will's bed and engages in a dialogue. What does this dialogue portray Murugan to be?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write a 2000-word essay on the contrasts of light and darkness throughout the book, and the significance of this theme to the plot development. Why do you think the author chooses to use this theme?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss reasons why Will may have suddenly decided to admit to Susila his underhanded dealings. Why do you think Susila seems to have forgiven him so immediately? What is the real problem of Pala that she is aware of and why is it a major problem?

Essay Topic 3

Compare Pala's views on literature, and the purpose literature serves in our culture. Whose version of what literature is and does more accurate? Is it entirely subjective? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 850 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample