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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 movie is the inspiration for Radha’s dress for the ceremony?

2. Toward the end of Part Three, Lakshmi laments the arrival of Radha in her life. What does she call her?

3. What happens to Radha during the dance lesson?

4. Why does Lakshmi believe Radha is not fully reconciled to the idea that the baby is to be adopted?

5. Whose home does Lakshmi go in the Pleasure District?

Short Essay Questions

1. What leads Hari to helping poor, injured women?

2. What does Radha say about her relationship with Lakshmi versus her relationship with Kanta?

3. How has Radha changed over the three months she has been with Lakshmi in regards to her relationship with Lakshmi?

4. Why does Lakshmi abort her pregnancies? How does this affect Hari?

5. What were signs that Maharani Latika was healing?

6. What were signs that Radha was pregnant?

7. How does Radha feel about the school she is attending in Part Three? How do these feelings surface?

8. How did both Lakshmi and Hari's mother hurt him?

9. What is the name of Maharani Indira’s parrot? Why is he named this?

10. Name at least three traditions that are part of a blessing for a new home in Hinduism, according to this story.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The Epigraph sets the tone and a taste of the culture found in this book. Describe the overall tone of this book. Is it happy or somber? Is it serious or light-hearted? How does this relate to Lakshmi’s personality? What subtle, and not so subtle, changes in tone take place? How does this emphasize events that take place? How does this affect you, emotionally, as the reader?

Essay Topic 2

What does the writer want the reader to get out of this book? What is her purpose for writing this novel? Has she succeeded? If so, how? If not, why not?

Essay Topic 3

Choose one of the main characters from this book and describe his or her character development throughout the story. What leads to this development? How do other characters and the events surrounding him or her influence him or her? Overall, what are your thoughts about this character? Did your opinion regarding this character stay the same or change? Explain.

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