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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 does Gyan's house look like?

2. How do the men in Thapa's Canteen respond to the cook's news that the judge's dog is missing?

3. What does Sai tell Gyan is the purpose of her visit to his home?

4. As they gain power, who do the GNLF use it against?

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

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does the author leave out Biju's reactions to the airport scene around him in chapter 48?

2. Are the characters searching for Mutt in chapter 49 all actually searching for someone else? If so, for whom are they searching?

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

4. In chapter 31, what does Sai's assertion that it is unwise to read old books tell the reader about her?

5. In chapter 34, what is the significance of Father Booty's deportation after living in Kalimong for 45 years?

6. Would the judge's character be different if his father had not sent him away to school?

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

8. 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?

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

10. How are the cook's feelings about Biju in chapter 43 similar to the feelings Biju expresses about his home in chapter 41?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Do Sai and Gyan's recognition of a common ancestral connection to the British bring them closer together, push them farther apart, or do both at different times? Are these similarities equally important to Sai and Gyan? Why are their connections to the British so important, so troublesome, or both?

Essay Topic 2

What happens to the system of justice in the Indian village as the GNLF men take over? Explain how one of the characters in the novel is unfairly victimized by this situation. Do you think the people should have fought harder against the unfair policies? Do you think they should have tried to organize and fought back as one large body? Would this have been an effective technique? Or would this just have made things worse?

Essay Topic 3

Biju and the judge were both sent away by their fathers in order to have a better life. Compare and contrast the two characters' experiences abroad, and how they ultimately affected each character. Why do you think things turned out so differently for the two characters? Does it have to do with their experiences? Their upbringing? Their personality?

(see the answer keys)

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