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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 book does Sai read while hoping Gyan will come back?

2. Why does Biju go to Kathmandu?

3. When the judge asked his wife if she was stupid, what was her reply?

4. When Biju arrives in Calcutta, how does the airline handle lost luggage?

5. What burden has been lifted for Biju now that he's returned home?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. In chapter 38, could Lola and Noni have prevented the village community from shunning them if they hadn't flaunted their wealth all their lives?

3. What do Biju's childhood memories reveal about his character?

4. Is the judge justified for blaming the cook for Mutt's disappearance in chapter 51?

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

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

7. In chapter 42, how do Gyan's grandmother and Sai exert similar forces on Gyan?

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

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

The judge tells Bose that he believes the present changes the past. Explain what you think he means by this. How does this apply to the judge's past experiences in particular? Do you agree with this assertion in a general sense, or do you believe that the past remains unchanged regardless of what happens later? Explain your reasoning.

Essay Topic 3

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?

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