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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 does Phatik say when he opens his eyes to see his mother?

2. In "Once There Was a King," when does the princess finally tell the Brahman's son that she will answer his question?

3. How much money does Venu steal?

4. What does Bishambar offer?

5. What does Venu say that his father is planning to do?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Venu react to Haralal leaving?

2. What favour does Venu ask of Haralal, and why does Haralal say no?

3. How does Phatik's aunt react when he loses his lesson book?

4. How are 14-year-old boys characterized in "The Home-Coming"?

5. What does Phatik's aunt think of him moving in?

6. How does the king react to first seeing his daughter after 12 years?

7. What is Calcutta like for Haralal when he walks through it?

8. What does Haralal do when he finds the money missing and reads the letter from Venu?

9. How has Venu changed when Haralal goes to see him after his mother's death?

10. What does the narrator of "Once There was a King" say that children did not need to know?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

"Once There was a King" can be seen as a fairy tale about fairy tales, in which the story is used to comment upon a generational divide. Analyze Tagore's presentation of this commentary and how he uses the narrative to support it.

Essay Topic 2

In "Subha," the titular character is often a witness to events in which she is powerless to intervene. How does Tagore use this dynamic in his critique of society?

Essay Topic 3

Tagore's stories regularly involve social divides in class and caste. What message do his stories send about these divides, and how is this message conveyed?

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