View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Nataraj's wife do when interviewed by the police?

2. What does Rangi tell Nataraj when she comes to his home?

3. Who comes to visit Nataraj at home while he is resting?

4. As time goes by after Vasu's death, what does Nataraj convince himself of?

5. What does Sastri divulge about Rangi?

Short Essay Questions

1. What did the police determine killed Vasu? Who were there suspects?

2. What is the final interaction that Nataraj has with the adjournment lawyer? How is this different than the previous ones?

3. What does Sastri learn from Rangi about how Vasu died?

4. Describe the uncomfortable interaction between Nataraj and the poet when Nataraj sees the poet passes by the fountain.

5. How did the police investigation turn out? What was the common belief about Vasu's death?

6. What happens when the group with the police inspector go to visit Vasu?

7. What is Nataraj's first plan to keep Vasu from shooting Kumar?

8. How is Vasu's death discovered and made known?

9. What day do they choose for the celebration, and how do they choose it?

10. What happens between Vasu and Nataraj with Vasu's purse?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Vasu is a central character in The Man-eater of Malgudi. Write an essay about Vasu.

Part 1. Describe the character of Vasu. Who does he represent from the history of India?

Part 2. Give examples from the book of the actions of Vasu and explain how they parallel and symbolize the English occupation of India.

Essay Topic 2

The author of The Man-eater of Malgudi is a respected and prolific author. Write an essay about R.K. Narayan.

Part 1. Biography. Where did R.K. Narayan grow up and study? When did he live and what important events did he witness?

Part 2. What influence on his work did the political situation of era he lived in have?

Part 3. What others works has he produced and what recognition has he received?

Essay Topic 3

All the main characters in The Man-eater of Malgudi represent some faction or sentiment of the English occupation of India.

Part 1. What does each character represent? Are they blatant or subtle?

Part 2. How is each character identifiable as representing the person or thing of historical India? Give some examples of how each character is identifiable.

Part 3. Do any of the characters change during the book? If so, what does this mean, and do they represent a historical change as well?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,037 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample