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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 May and the narrator met again after Ila's wedding, how long had it been since May's visit to India to see Tridib?

2. In 1964, what did some men throw at the school bus the narrator and other boys were riding home?

3. What day of the week did May fast?

4. What color silk was Ila wearing at dinner at the Price's after she and Nick were married in a civil ceremony?

5. Where does Ila want to take the narrator where there are cheap retail shops run by Indians and Bangladeshis?

Short Essay Questions

1. How did Alan Tresawsen die?

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

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

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

5. What is Brick Lane like when the narrator visits with Nick and Ila?

6. How did Dan die in 1940?

7. How does Tha'mma feel about a promotion Shaheb receives?

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

9. Why does Nick say that he left his job in Kuwait?

10. What did May and the narrator do after breakfast the morning after he stayed at her flat?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Tha’mma retired from her job at a girls’ high school when the narrator was ten. Was Tha’mma looking forward to retirement? Why did she find the adjustment difficult?

Essay Topic 2

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 3

Ila tells the narrator a story when they play house. What story does Ila tell the narrator when they play house under a very large table? Why is the story an allegory?

(see the answer keys)

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