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 Ira wear on her wedding day?

2. When does Nathan accompany Rukmani into the village?

3. Who helps Rukmani when she is in childbirth and then while she recovers from the delivery?

4. At the beginning of Chapter 5, what does Kenny do for the first time?

5. How many older sisters does Rukmani have?

Short Essay Questions

1. Is the strike successful? Why or why not?

2. With only three weeks until the rice is ready for harvesting, what is Rukmani most afraid of regarding Kuti?

3. At the end of the strike's first week, what do the tannery officials announce?

4. When Arjun and Thambi return home from the tannery after Rukmani and Nathan could not find them for lunch, what do Rukmani and Nathan learn about the day's trouble?

5. When the landlord's assistant comes to collect the rent, he feels bad for Rukmani and Nathan. Why?

6. Why does Nathan refuse to eat any of the food that Ira brings into the house?

7. At the beginning of Chapter 28, Rukmani is very excited. Why?

8. The monsoon season strikes early. How does the village fair?

9. Why is Sacrabani isolated from the other children?

10. Who are the three women that Rukmani first meets at the river shortly after arriving in Nathan's village?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Death is one of the themes visited throughout the novel.

a. Kuti, Raja, and Nathan all die in the novel. Describe their deaths. Who were they surrounded by? What circumstances led to their deaths? Could their deaths have been prevented?

b. Compare and contrast the effect each of their deaths has on Rukmani (Kuti, Old Granny, and Nathan).

c. How were deaths handled in the city versus in the village?

d. After Old Granny's death, Rukmani realizes something about the nature of people. What is it? Do you agree with Rukmani? Support your answer.

Essay Topic 2

Rukmani and Nathan travel to the city to find their son. Instead of finding their son, however, they find his wife and learn that their son has deserted her. Ammu is now a single mother, as is Ira back in the village. Single parenthood drastically changes both of their lives.

a. Compare and contrast the lives of Ammu and Ira as single parents.

b. Compare and contrast single parenthood in the novel and in our society.

c. How did living in the city versus being in the village impact the situations of both Ammu and Ira?

Essay Topic 3

The opening of the tannery impacts life in the village in many ways, both positive and negative.

a. Describe three positive and three negative impacts the tannery has on the village.

b. Describe three impacts the tannery has personally on Rukmani.

c. In Rukmani's opinion, what is the biggest positive consequence of the tannery's opening?

d. In Rukmani's opinion, what is the biggest negative consequence of the tannery's opening?

e. Do you agree with Rukmani's opinions (your answers to c & d)? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 825 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample