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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 difference does Ashima notice in her days before and after Gogol's birth?

2. What does Ashoke do while pacing in the mens' waiting room at the hospital?

3. Who will name Ashoke and Ashima's baby?

4. What's the first thing that causes Ashima and Ashoke to suspect she's pregnant?

5. How do Ashoke and Ashima give in to American customs?

Short Essay Questions

1. How do Ashima and Ashoke feel about Ruth when they learn of their son's girlfriend?

2. What does Ashoke do for Gogol's fourteenth birthday?

3. How does Gogol react to the gifts he receives at his fourteenth birthday party?

4. What does Gogol do during the traditional rice ceremony when he is six months old?

5. Why don't Ashima and Ashoke have a name picked out for their baby?

6. What happens when Gogol wants to see his girlfriend, Ruth, over the Christmas holidays?

7. What do the Ganguli family do during Ashoke's sabbatical?

8. What job is Ashoke offered after finishing his college studies?

9. At college after changing his name, how does Gogol react to being called by his new name?

10. What do the Gangulis do differently when naming their daughter Sonali than they did when Gogol was born?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Moushumi experiences much the same cultural ambivalence as Gogol. Explain why this is so and cite scenes from the book that show this ambivalence.

Essay Topic 2

The author's previous book is a book of short stories. Some of the criticism of this book is that it is jerky and seems more like a collection of short stories than a novel. Cite examples from the book that you believe led to this criticism. Do you agree that the plot movement is jerky? Why or why not? Cite examples to support your answer.

Essay Topic 3

This book is the story of the lives of the Ganguli family that are both intertwined and separate. Tell how each family member's story is affected and changed by the actions of other members of the family. Explain how these interactions changes the outcome of the story.

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