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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. After taking care of his car, what does the narrator do at the start of the story?

2. What languages does the cashier say he speaks?

3. How does Triton try to protect himself from Joseph when he's left alone with him in the house?

4. Who is Lucy-amma?

5. Why does the cashier turn off the outside lights?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does the gas station cashier want the narrator to speak with his boss?

2. What does the London cashier say about the situation back home in Sri Lanka?

3. At the end of the first section, what does the narrator begin to talk about with the gas station cashier?

4. In the opening scene, what kind of trouble does the cashier experience?

5. What does Triton do right after he fills up the tank of his old Volkswagen?

6. When Mr. Salgado leaves for a weekend trip to his cousin's tea estate, what additional responsibilities does he give Triton?

7. Why is young Triton brought to Mr. Salgado's home?

8. Describe the relationship between Triton and Mr. Salgado.

9. Describe the relationship between Triton and Joseph.

10. When he is a boy, why does Triton regard Mr. Salgado's house as the "center of the universe"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Compare and contrast Triton, the narrator, with Mr. Salgado, the main character. Explain their differences and similarities. How does the reader view the world through the lens of the narrator? How does the narrator become one of the story's main characters?

Essay Topic 2

Although he starts out without any cooking skills, Triton evolves into an accomplished chef. Analyze how this culinary evolution mirrors Triton's personal transformation with respect to his self-esteem, confidence, and self-perception.

Essay Topic 3

Compare and contrast Triton's earlier years in Sri Lanka and his later years in England.

1. How does he recreate some of his Sri Lankan existence in England?

2. How does he free himself from the ghosts of his past?

(see the answer keys)

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