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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. Near what bodily feature does Raza Hyder develop distinguishing black marks?

2. Whose left eye begins blinking when the news is delivered to Raza that his wife is pregnant again?

3. What significant action does Omar do to Farah before leaving her father's customs post?

4. What word best describes the personality of Bilquis' father?

5. What about Omar makes Farah incapable of returning his love?

Short Essay Questions

1. Briefly, what is the generally accepted reason that the husbands in the Hyder family "secretly" visit their wives in common in the night?

2. What effect does voyeurism-by-proxy have on Omar's mothers, and what is possibly the consequence of this effect?

3. In what idea do Raza and Bilquis put an undue amount of faith, and why is this a troublesome belief?

4. Why is Raza Hyder's military victory so greatly lauded throughout Pakistan?

5. What characterizes Farah Zoroaster's life in Q after returning from her forced marriage to Eduardo Rodrigues?

6. What is guaranteed to the Shakil sisters by the installation of their dumb-waiter?

7. Describe the end of Bilquis' father's business.

8. How does Sindbad Mengal meet his fate?

9. What are the important nuances of the word "sharam" that are not carried over into the English "shame"?

10. Why does the narrator appropriate the story of his friend, the poet?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

One of the most important connotations of sharam that is emphasized in Shame is the concept of modesty. Throughout the story, this concept plays an important role in shaping the behavior and attitudes of characters. In a well-developed analytical essay, discuss the various situations in which modesty plays an important role. Which characters adopt attitudes of modesty? How does a lack of modesty negatively effect some characters, and which are effected by it? What does the nuance of modesty carry that distinguishes it from other aspects of shame? What is modesty's role in the main theme of shame?

Essay Topic 2

Write a thoughtful analytical essay on the character of Rani Humayun Harappa. As one of the prominent female characters in the story, her actions and character are very important for discerning the significance of the story. In what ways is Rani significant? How does she impact the plot of the story, if at all? What is the significance of her impact, if she has any, and even if she does not? What particular actions demonstrate to the reader the character of Rani? Is she a virtuous character? Defend your answers with explicit references to the text.

Essay Topic 3

Periodically throughout the story, the fictional Pakistan undergoes periods of military coups and subsequent military rule. In an analytical essay, discuss the possible reasons and significance for this occasional turn to the military. What is sought by a military coup, implicitly or explicitly? What sort of men typically achieve high positions in the military? Why are such mean appealing in a time of instability? How do such men eventually also fall from governmental favor?

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