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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. When did the narrator's father become General Manager of his firm?

2. When did Mike die when his minesweeper was torpedoed by a U-boat?

3. Where do Ila, Nick, and the narrator arrange to meet when Ila wants to take the narrator clothes shopping?

4. When Tridib took May and the narrator to the Victoria Memorial, what did Tridib give the narrator to get something to eat?

5. What month did the narrator fly back to Delhi after he came to London for a study fellowship?

Short Essay Questions

1. What did Tridib think of May when he saw her as a baby?

2. Who does Ila live with in London, and what do they do in the evenings?

3. What happened when Tridib, May, and the narrator were driving to the Diamond Harbor?

4. What was May's reaction to the Victoria Memorial, and how did Tridib try to help her?

5. What happened between Tha'mma and the narrator's mother shortly after Tha'mma retired?

6. How did Ila's parents arrange for the present they got her and Nick for their wedding?

7. What does the narrator say about Tha'mma's job?

8. What does Nick do for Ila and her housemates?

9. Why did Nick and Ila have two weddings, and what were their weddings like?

10. Why was the narrator late for the wedding dinner for Ila and Nick?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Ila, Robi, and the narrator go to a nightclub. Why is Robi upset with how Ila behaves at the nightclub? What does his attitude reveal about gender roles in India at that time?

Essay Topic 2

The author does not tell the story in chronological order. How does the author use a non-linear narrative to relate the story? How does that affect what readers know about characters and events?

Essay Topic 3

Cliffhangers are a literary device that leave readers wondering what will happen next. How does the author use cliffhangers in the novel? How do cliffhangers create suspense?

(see the answer keys)

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