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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 term refers to a king or prince in India?

2. Who is found with questionable friends at the racetrack betting on the horses in Part 7?

3. Who wants to have a picnic after leaving the dance club in Part 7?

4. Maan determines to learn what language in order to communicate with Saeeda Bai in Part 6?

5. Who does Pran tell his family Lata has eloped with in Part 3?

Short Essay Questions

1. What news does Mrs. Rupa Mehra learn from a letter in Part 15? What prevents her leaving?

2. What is the central concern of the Kapoor family in Part 16? What concerns are there of Maan?

3. How does Vikram Seth reveal his point of view through the writer Amit in Part 18?

4. What does Rasheed's family do when they discover his deal with Kachheru?

5. Why does Haresh go to see Sunil Patwardhan in Part 4?

6. How is the Mehra household depicted in the beginning of Part 7? Why?

7. What relatives of Mrs. Rupa Mehra does she visit with Lata in Part 9? How are they described?

8. What event brings the characters together in the beginning of Part 1? How many families does the novel center on?

9. What is the central political conflict in Part 10? How does it involve Rasheed?

10. How is Rasheed depicted in Part 8? What actions does he take?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe the Bihar Zamindari Act and its impact on the people of India. How does this legislation affect each of the characters in A Suitable Boy?

Essay Topic 2

Describe the theme of Muslim/Hindu animosity as portrayed in A Suitable Boy. What conflicts arise in the narrative to express this theme?

Essay Topic 3

Describe the similarities and differences between the Mehra household and the Chatterji household as depicted in Part 7. What differences exist within the parental figures? How are the children similar? How do they differ?

(see the answer keys)

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