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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 is a "sadhu"?

2. Why does Bakha think that it is unlikely he will be able to lie to his father about the morning's events?

3. Why does Bakha decide it would be best not to let Ram Charan know about the hockey stick?

4. What does Bakha do after he sits down in the alley where he has been unable to get any attention from the houses?

5. What does Bakha think Ram Charan's sister looked like as a child?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the significance of Bakha asking Ram Charan to toss him a sugar plum instead of taking it himself?

2. What causes Bakha to tell his father about his morning's misadventures, and how does his father react?

3. Why do all of the sepoys and local children long to own the solar topee?

4. What surprises Bakha about the hockey stick Charat Singh gives him, and how does he react?

5. How does Chota react differently to Bakha's stories about the priest and the woman at the alley house?

6. How does Bakha react to Chota's suggestion that the friends "catch hold" of the priest one day (84)?

7. When Bakha is lying under a tree outside the barracks, what does he decide about taking so much time away from work?

8. When Bakha is on his way to see Charat Singh about the hockey stick, what strange feeling does he have about the errand?

9. What does Bakha tell himself about his decision to go to Ram Charan's sister's wedding, and what are his true motives?

10. What stories about Charat Singh's hockey career does Bakha think about while he is waiting for Charat Singh to appear?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay in which you consider the significance of including Gandhi as a character in Untouchable while omitting any mention of B. R. Ambedkar. Do you think it is possible that Anand was unaware of Ambedkar? If so, what does this say about Anand's devotion to the cause of Scheduled Caste people? How does this relate to questions about representation? If Anand was aware of Ambedkar, what might his motivations have been for including Gandhi instead of Ambedkar? How does this relate to questions about audience? How does this choice impact the novel's theme? Consider these questions at minimum as you advance and defend your claim.

Essay Topic 2

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.

Essay Topic 3

Consider the symbolic value of hockey in conjunction with the text's thematic concern with the effects of British rule in India. How does Bakha's involvement in hockey and its impacts on his life support the larger thematic concern with the British Raj? Support your assertions with evidence from the text.

(see the answer keys)

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