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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 name has Lakshmi given to "the ugly one" among her cucumbers in "Confession"?

2. What answer does Auntie give to the turnip-nosed man when he asks about Lakshmi in "Numbers"?

3. What name has Lakshmi given to the cucumber that she refers to as "the gnarled grandmother of the group" in "Confession"?

4. What word from "A Trade" means favorable or conducive to success?

5. What color does Lakshmi describe her mother's hair as in "Something Beautiful"?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Lakshmi describe her journey in "A New World"?

2. Why does Lakshmi describe her first experiences of her journey to be "inauspicious" in "An Inauspicious Start"?

3. What are sons and daughters compared to in "The Difference between a Son and a Daughter"?

4. Describe the impact of Lakshmi's journey with Auntie on her perception of her surroundings and home. Why do you think Lakshmi is taken on this journey in the manner she is taken?

5. What is ironic about the setting of Happiness House?

6. What does a tin roof symbolize for Lakshmi in the novel?

7. How does Lakshmi describe her village's religious beliefs in "Something Beautiful"?

8. What is symbolized and foreshadowed by the woman who has been publicly shamed when Lakshmi gets off the train in India?

9. What is described in the vignette titled "Another Calendar"?

10. How do Lakshmi's impressions of Auntie change in "Questions and Answers"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe and analyze the characters of Bajai Sita and Auntie Bimla in the narrative. What is Bajai Sita’s position in Lakshmi’s village? Why does Auntie Bimla agree to take Lakshmi with her? What are the underlying motivations (objectives) of these characters?

Essay Topic 2

Analyze and discuss the character of Lakshmi’s stepfather in the narrative. Why does Lakshmi’s stepfather not work in the factories like the other men his age? How long has Ama been married to Lakshmi’s stepfather? Why is Lakshmi’s stepfather a hindrance to the family financially?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss gender roles and expectations in Nepal. How do arranged marriages influence the way that men and women are perceived differently in this region? How do the gender roles of Nepal differ from those within your own society? What has shaped the perceptions of gender in Nepal?

(see the answer keys)

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