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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 type of person is Saeed Saeed?

2. What did his wife do when the judge first returned from England?

3. How do Lola and Noni feel about Sai's relationship with the cook?

4. Who is Sai's first tutor?

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

Short Essay Questions

1. 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?

2. What is the significance of the elaborate Christmas celebration in chapter 25?

3. In chapter 4, why do Sai and the cook justify the manner in which the police treated the cook?

4. As described in chapter 12, what is the difference between the effects of Catholic school on Sai and Noni?

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

6. In chapter 29, why does Gyan betray Sai?

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

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

9. In chapter 5, what is the symbolism of the two-level restaurants with basement kitchens where Biju works?

10. In chapter 21, how do Noni and Lola's views of the Nepalese liberation movement differ?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Sai's unusual family life and relationships influence her in specific ways. Which characters do you think have most shaped the person she is today? Do you think she would be different if she had been raised in a traditional Indian family with a mother and father and attended a regular school? If so, how would this impact her character, her behavior, her relationships, and the choices she makes?

Essay Topic 2

Gyan is constantly being pulled in different directions throughout the novel. His love for Sai feels improper because she could never be the submissive Indian wife his family would approve of. In addition, he feels as if he should put aside trivial things like his childish feelings for Sai and become a man in order to fight for the cause of a homeland. Do you think his romance and fighting for a cause are necessarily mutually exclusive? Do you think it is necessary for him to make a choice, or could he have both? If you had to choose between the two, which would you choose, and why?

Essay Topic 3

Sai is constantly arguing with Gyan over his accusations about her values and behaviors. How do Sai's perceptions of herself differ from Gyan's perceptions of her? To what factors can we attribute these differences in perception?

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