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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. As the situation in Kalimpong worsens, what happens to Lola and Noni's property?

2. How does Gyan feel after his grandmother becomes involved in his decision to be part of the liberation effort?

3. Why did the cook sacrifice a chicken and goat?

4. What do the police do to an innocent drunk man six months after the library visit?

5. Soon after Biju's phone call, what does Biju start to tell people when he doesn't want to talk to them?

Short Essay Questions

1. How is the cook's reaction to the worst of the civil unrest in chapter 44 unique?

2. Why does Biju feel as though he can see clearly for the first time in years, now that he is back home in India?

3. In chapter 36, what does the author convey by the bad connection on the phone line between Biju and his father?

4. In chapter 30, why does the cook suddenly begin having superstitious fears for Biju's life?

5. Which of the characters has not lost everything by the end of the novel?

6. Does Biju make the right decision in returning to India?

7. In chapter 37, does Noni make the right decision by allowing the GNLF boys to stay in their home? Or should she have listened to Lola and tried to make them leave?

8. Why do Bose and son continue to try to improve Indians' lives, no matter how unsuccessful they are?

9. In chapter 41, how does Biju's reaction to the travel agent's advice reflect Biju's idea of what constitutes a "better life"?

10. In chapter 40, how does Sai react when she discovers that Gyan lives in poverty and what does this signify?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Biju is different from the other major characters in a number of ways. The most obvious difference is that he is the only character who lives or has lived in America. Is he more like the Americans around him, or have they had a different effect on him? How have his unique experiences set him apart from the other characters? In what ways is he different from the other characters at the end of the novel?

Essay Topic 2

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?

Essay Topic 3

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?

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