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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. Why was the judge able to marry a woman from a higher caste?

2. What percent of the Indian population are Gorkhas?

3. What do Saeed's in-laws encourage him to do?

4. What does Noni believe about the Nepalese?

5. What types of memories are instilled in the judge by the theft of his trunk?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Sai's having attended a Catholic school impact her identity in terms of the people around her?

2. In chapter 19, why does the author have both the cook and Lola experience difficulty communicating with a loved-one abroad?

3. In chapter 3, why doesn't Bijou consider himself a man?

4. In chapter 27, in what ways do Sai and Gyan view Christmas differently?

5. In chapter 22, what does it tell us about Biju when he leaves his job at Brigitte's and begins working at the Ghandi Cafe?

6. What effect does Gyan have on Sai when they first meet in chapter 13?

7. In chapter 17, when Biju and Saeed part ways, why does Biju vow never to let anyone get close to him again?

8. Why is the judge so critical of Gyan in chapter 18?

9. In chapter 9, in what way is Lola portrayed as a hypocrite?

10. In chapter 28, how does Jemu's family's reaction to him upon his return from England contrast with his expectations?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What is the significance of the fact that there are a number of characters who behave like the British, but there are no actual British characters specifically mentioned in the novel? Why are they so totally absent, and what is the end result of their absence for the characters who've tried to emulate them? At the end of the novel, do you think life is better for the Anglicized characters or those who view themselves purely as Indians, and why? Use examples of specific characters.

Essay Topic 2

How do the judge's behavior and actions upon returning from England to his family represent the English and Indian sides of himself? Has he adopted the best English customs and the worst Indian ones, or vice-versa?

Essay Topic 3

As civilization breaks down in the Indian village, the rich ultimately pay the price. Would they have been treated differently if they had given all their money to the liberation cause when the unrest had begun? Or is it inevitable that they would be viewed as upper class and shunned and taken advantage of, regardless of their current status?

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