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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 the narrator describe awaiting in the opening of Chapter 7?

2. Why does the narrator say that the woman in the window was happy when the baby fell asleep?

3. What do the protagonist and the Englishman share with one another in Chapter 1?

4. Who is the self-described sexologist that Mulaqat Ali took his son to see first?

5. What shared experience does Anjum conclude she shares with the imam in Chapter 1?

Short Essay Questions

1. What exchange takes place between Anjum and the blind imam in Chapter 1? What does Anjum realize from this exchange?

2. How did Aftab come to be introduced to the setting of the Khwabgah? What does "Khwabgah" translate to in English?

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

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

5. What animals are described in the Prologue? What is their connection to the story?

6. How old was Atfat when his mother finally told his father about his condition? How did Mulaqat Ali respond?

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

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

9. What led to Hazrat Sarmad Shaheed's execution? How was he killed?

10. What is signfificant about Zakir Mian's presence in Chapter 2?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the author's social commentary in The Ministry of Utmost Happiness. What do you think the author is attempting to convey to her audience in terms of the changes in India and the impacts of those changes upon the people who live there?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss elements of animal symbolism in The Ministry of Utmost Happiness. What are some of the animals that the author focuses on in the Prologue and in the final chapter? What do these animals symbolize to you? What is their purpose in the story?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the role of Amrik Singh in the narrative of The Ministry of Utmost Happiness. How do Singh's actions contribute to the development of the plot? Is Singh a protagonist or an antagonist? Why?

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