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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 Will describe the Moksha-medicine experience as?

2. How does WIll react to the Rani's letter?

3. Gobind Singh struck up a friendship with who Paris that influenced his work?

4. What is the name of the parrot at Vijaya's?

5. What does their mushroom medicine take the biggest toll on?

Short Essay Questions

1. What are the differences between what Will remembers about the Oedipus play and what Mary recounts?

2. What is Shanta's opinion in regards to snakes and snakebites?

3. Why does Mrs. Rao believe that Pala is the place for stupid people?

4. What is the difference between the Palanese use of Pavlovian conditioning versus the rest of the world?

5. What does Will tell Susila on impulse and how does he expect her to react?

6. What is the advice to every pair of lovers?

7. How does Murugan's interest in consumer goods benefit Colonel Dipa?

8. What, in Shanta's words, makes Pala a nice place? Repeat in your own words.

9. Explain why Mrs. Narayan is a justified optimist.

10. What does Will notice about the women on the island?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write a 2000-word essay on the contrasts of light and darkness throughout the book, and the significance of this theme to the plot development. Why do you think the author chooses to use this theme?

Essay Topic 2

How do the Palanese prevent a great leader from arising?

Essay Topic 3

How do the Palanese deal with grief? How does it differ from the way we deal with it if we used Will's example? Which do you think is more healthy, theirs or ours?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 817 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample