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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 Bilquis claim she is sewing when her husband inquires?

2. Which of the following is NOT involved in the coup against Raza Hyder that is prematurely unveiled?

3. Which military man arrives to arrest Iskander Harappa when the coup is pulled off?

4. At what event does Naveed Hyder first see Captain Talvar Ulhaq?

5. What is Raza Hyder's military rank upon the opening of Chapter 7?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the nature of the relationship between Omar Khayyam Shakil and Shahbanou?

2. How does Raza Hyder restore the morale of the deflated Pakistani army?

3. How do Omar and Raza escape the residence of the C-in-C and the house arrest?

4. Why does the narrator include the anecdote about seeing a London performance of Danton's Death?

5. What change takes place in Iskander Harappa at the age of 40, and why?

6. How do Raza and Omar disagree when it comes to dealing with Sufiya Zinobia's condition?

7. Why, in the opinion of Omar Khayyam Shakil, does Sufiya Zinobia become intensely ill?

8. How do the 18 shawls embroidered by Rani over the six years of home imprisonment depict the life of Iskander Harappa?

9. Why does the Pakistani man in London, referred to by the narrator at the beginning of Chapter 7, murder his own daughter?

10. What is revealed by Rani Harappa's uncovering of the deceased Iskander's face?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Even without the terrifying monster that lurks within her, Sufiya Zinobia is a character that deserves much consideration. Compose a thoughtful analytical essay on the character of Sufiya Zinobia as an entity separate from the Beast that resides within her. What sort of character is she? How do the other characters interact with her? What sort of feelings does she generally inspire in the people around her? Why might Omar Khayyam Shakil have some legitimacy in his attraction to her? What is her primary significance in the story?

Essay Topic 2

Develop a character analysis of Maulana Dawood in an analytical essay on the archetypal religious zealot. In what ways does Maulana Dawood contrast with the rest of the characters in the story? Do his positions and arguments seem reasonable, or are they mere rantings of a fanatic? Are any of Dawood's objections, arguments, or opinions valid even when and if they are not fully reasonable? How do his actions and opinions influence others in the story (consider characters in addition to Raza Hyder)? What is his ultimate significance to the whole of the story?

Essay Topic 3

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?

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