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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. The region of Sri Lanka that the cashier comes from is once what?

2. What do the police and neighbors discover at house number eight?

3. After recording information about his car, what does the narrator do?

4. Where does the cashier invite the narrator to?

5. At night, what does young Triton dream of?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens in 1962, when Triton's narration begins?

2. Where does this story begin?

3. Describe the relationship between Triton and Joseph.

4. At the start of the story, how does the narrator try to help the cashier?

5. The narrator speaks with a gas station cashier. How experienced is the cashier with his job?

6. What happens when Mr. Salgado returns home from his trip to the tea estate?

7. Why is young Triton brought to Mr. Salgado's home?

8. Describe the relationship between Triton and Mr. Salgado.

9. Who is the narrator of the story?

10. What are young Triton's main duties at Mr. Salgado's house?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Compare and contrast Triton, the narrator, with Mr. Salgado, the main character. Explain their differences and similarities. How does the reader view the world through the lens of the narrator? How does the narrator become one of the story's main characters?

Essay Topic 2

Compare and contrast the simplicity of Triton's life as a servant with the deep wisdom he exudes in his narration and philosophical musings. In what ways does Triton exhibit greater wisdom and maturity than the supposedly more important people he's talking about?

Essay Topic 3

Referring to specific passages from the book, explain the commentary the author makes regarding each of the following:

1. Human flaws.

2. Human resilience.

3. The persistence of hopes and dreams.

(see the answer keys)

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