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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 Ashoke tell Ashima is the reason he's in the hospital?

2. Was Moushumi's fiance comfortable with her Indian heritage?

3. What unexpected effect does the wedding have on Gogol and Moushumi?

4. How does Gogol meet Maxine?

5. How do the Ganguli family friends react to the news of Ashoke's death?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens to change a friendly evening into an intimate encounter between Mushumi and Gogol?

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

3. What do Gogol and Moushumi have in common when they first meet?

4. After Gogol breaks off his relationship with Maxine, who does his mother introduce him to?

5. Why doesn't Gogol know immediately of his father's death?

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

7. What does Gogol do for Moushumi's Christmas gift?

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

9. How does Gogol feel about Maxine's family?

10. What does Gogol do after graduating from college?

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

The author uses Gogol's romantic relationships to explore different aspects of his character. Follow the development of Gogol's romantic life throughout the book and examine Gogol's character in each relationship. Cite examples from the book to support your answers.

Essay Topic 3

The Ganguli family lifestyle is central to the story. Compare and contrast the Ganguli family's lifestyle to the lifestyle of the Ratliffs. Cite examples from the novel that show differences and explain how those differences are important to the story.

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This section contains 648 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample