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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 happened to one of the administrative assistants at NYU?

2. How did Moushumi's engagement end?

3. What does Moushumi do with Dimitri's resume?

4. What does Gogol remember in the days after his first date with Moushumi?

5. Why can't Ashima get hold of Gogol to tell him of his father's death?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens the day after Gogol meets a girl named Maxine?

2. What does Gogol do after graduating from college?

3. What kind of wedding do Gogol and Moushumi have?

4. What does Gogol do when he learns of his father's death?

5. What bothers Gogol when he goes to Paris with Moushumi when she lectures there?

6. How does Gogol finally learn about his father's death?

7. How do Gogol and Mushumi react to one another after all this time?

8. What happens when Gogol takes Maxine to meet his family?

9. What do the Ratliffs do for Gogol in New Hampshire?

10. What call does Ashima get while working on the Christmas cards?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

Gogol's resistance to Indian traditions is a theme in this novel, but several times he return to those traditions. One time is after his father's death but there are others. Cite at least three times he returned willingly to his Indian traditions and what resulted from those choices. Do you think the author's decision to keep him coming back to those traditions helped or hindered the story? Support your answer with examples from the book.

Essay Topic 3

The author chooses to use a common third-person voice for the narrative, but tells the story as if in the present. This is not common in literature. Tell whether you think this works well for this story. Tell why or why not and support you case by citing examples from the book that you feel are best told this way or that would be better told differently.

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This section contains 670 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample