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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 do the citizens call the dark age?

2. Why does Meet Singh believe Europeans have no morals?

3. What does the word Monsoon really signify?

4. What makes the police officers believe they have made a mistake?

5. What has always been an obsession for Chand?

Short Essay Questions

1. Tell the story Jugga recites on the way to the police station.

2. Explain the relationship between the Muslims and Sikhs at the beginning of the novel in Mano Majra.

3. Explain why the Subinspector evacuated Chundunnegger.

4. Discuss what Chand and the Subinspector note about the corruption of government officials in Chapter 1, section 2.

5. What is revealed about Jugga's physical appearance, and his father, in Chapter 1, section 2?

6. Explain why Iqbal and Jugga are treated differently at the police station, according to Iqbal.

7. Explain Iqbal's argument to Jugga about his status as a budmash, and Jugga's response.

8. Describe Nooran, as the dacoits describe her.

9. Describe how the villagers learn of what was in the train.

10. How does Malli and his gang come into possession of the evacuated Muslim's property?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Iqbal Singh makes several derogatory statements throughout the novel, in terms of the Indian people and their views and values. Choose two topics below and discuss Iqbal's view of that topic, in reference to the people of India:

1. Religion

2. Sexuality

3. Art and Music

4. Slavery / Freedom

Essay Topic 2

The inequality of the classes is a major plot theme throughout the novel. Describe the classes, as explained by Iqbal in the book. Who are considered the high class individuals? Who are considered lower class? How is this class system seen in government circles? How is it represented? Why does this concept seem to carry on, even if legislature abolishes it? Do you think Iqbal's social status has any ramifications in the book? Does the social status of Hukum Chand play a role? What about the social status of Meet Singh or the lambardar? What is the social status of Jugga? If you rank each of these characters, who is of the lowest class? By the end of the novel, who is the character who comes through, and saves the lives of the Muslims? What does this indicate about the value of the caste system, in terms of actual value of people?

Essay Topic 3

Foreshadowing is used very heavily in the novel and helps add both depth and realism to the characters. Give three examples of foreshadowing used in the book and explain how that instance is used to signify events that occur later in the novel.

(see the answer keys)

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