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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 the narrator say prevents the crowd from accepting Bakha's apology?

2. What is a "cantonment" (3)?

3. On page 6, what do the outcaste boys start calling Bakha after he starts wearing British clothing?

4. What did Lakha borrow money from Ganesh Nath, the bania, to pay for?

5. What are the walls of the houses of the outcastes made of?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the incident with the crowd in the street draw to a close, finally?

2. Why is the man that Bakha bumps into in the street so angry?

3. What rhetorical purpose is served by the long passage in which Pundit Kali Nath thinks about all of the foods he has recently eaten?

4. How do the incidents that take place with Bakha and Sohini at the temple reinforce the text's claims about power and status?

5. Describe Bakha's initial reaction to the man who accuses him of bumping him on the street.

6. What altercation does Sohini get into at the well, and why does it happen?

7. How does Bakha feel as he enters the temple courtyard, and why does he have these feelings?

8. Which habits of Indian people does Bakha find crude and unsophisticated?

9. What is insincere about Bakha's offer to rub his father's side with oil?

10. Describe the conditions in which Bakha's family lives.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

At the time that Untouchable was published, it was hailed as a remarkably unbiased depiction of a Scheduled Caste main character. Now that some time has passed and understanding of prejudice has evolved, does the novel's narrative voice still seem prejudice-free--or does the narrator actually exhibit some biases against Scheduled Caste people? Write an essay that takes and defends a position on this issue. Support your assertions with evidence from the text; if you use outside sources, be sure to cite these in MLA format.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay that explores Anand's use of paradox and irony to convey messages about "cleanliness" and "purity." How does he employ the devices as he explores these themes, and what messages, specifically, is he trying to convey? Offer both quoted and paraphrased evidence from the text in support of your claims.

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay that analyzes the significance of the images of nature in Untouchable. Describe the characteristics of these images and then analyze their function. Offer both quoted and paraphrased evidence from the text in support of your claims.

(see the answer keys)

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