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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 Bakha gets home, where is he told that his brother has gone?

2. What makes Bakha think that the hockey stick is "the best stick that had been manufactured in the world" (95)?

3. What instruction does Charat Singh give Bakha about the hockey stick?

4. What has Gulabo accused Bakha of, in the past?

5. Why is Lakha so eager to talk to the town's families about when their daughters will get married?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why do the sweepers all spend so much time outdoors, even when they are not working?

2. Even before Charat Singh gives Bakha the hockey stick, what does he do that causes Bakha to feel very honored?

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

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

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

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

7. How does the younger of the babu's sons end up getting injured?

8. What characteristics of Rakha does the narrator stress in the description of him coming home from the barracks with food?

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

10. Although Bakha is honored by Charat Singh's actions, in what sense are they also condescending and dismissive of Bakha's humanity?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay in which you analyze Untouchable as a circadian novel. Which elements of the novel might be de-emphasized or even omitted in a novel that takes place over a longer time frame? How does the inclusion and emphasis of these elements help shape the reader's understanding of the novel's meaning? How is the reader's empathy for the novel's characters affected by its circadian form? How does the time frame of the novel affect the reader's perception of the problems Bakha faces? How does it impact the reader's faith in the potential solutions offered near the novel's end? 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 analyzes the character of Charat Singh. What positive and negative qualities does this character have, and how does he impact Bakha's life? Why is his reputation as a hockey player relevant? What is the purpose of the comical detail about his hemorrhoids? Consider these questions at minimum as you advance and defend a claim about the function that Charat Singh's character serves in Untouchable.

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)

This section contains 1,262 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample