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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 word in Chapter 1 refers to an evening of entertainment poetry or concert of Indian classical music?

2. Who was supposedly made a scapegoat for Jalib Qadri's death?

3. What does the narrator say the poor villagers were treated as in the opening of Chapter 3?

4. To what story does the English man compare the story of Laila and Manju in Chapter 1?

5. What incident did Dr. Azad Bhartiya refer to as "the second assassination attempt" (135) on him in Chapter 4?

Short Essay Questions

1. How is Tilo's appearance described during her second wedding? What caused this change in appearance?

2. What information is announced on Dr. Azad Bhartiya's sign?

3. What information is related in the document from the social worker in Clovis, California that Biplab Dasgupta found in Chapter 7?

4. Why were Anjum, Mr. Aggarwal, and Ustad Hameed arrested in Chapter 3?

5. What is the significance of the vultures' deaths in the Prologue?

6. How does the narrative style shift in the opening of Chapter 7? Why do you think the author makes this transition?

7. How is the protagonist described as living in the cemetery in Chapter 1?

8. How did Jahanara Begum react when she first discovered her "son's" sexual circumstances? Why?

9. Where was Hazrat Sarmad Shaheed from and why did he come to India?

10. How are the photographs described that Biplab Dasgupta first observed in Tilo's apartment in Chapter 7?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the characters of Miss Jebeen the First and Miss Jebeen the Second. Are these characters related? What led to Miss Jebeen the First's death? Who died with her? Where was she buried? How does her life compare with that of Miss Jebeen the Second?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the historical context of the novel. What time periods are covered in the course of the narrative? What major events in India and globally are discussed? What statements do you think the author is making about these historical events and circumstances?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the theme of gender and gender identity in The Ministry of Utmost Happiness. What are hijras and what is the history of their culture within Indian society? How does the author explore the theme of gender through symbolism? How is it explored through character?

(see the answer keys)

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