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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 languages does the cashier say he speaks?

2. The cashier experiences technical difficulties with what?

3. Why does Triton seek refuge in the kitchen?

4. Does the cashier understand the suggestions the narrator gives him in a Sri Lankan language?

5. After taking care of his car, what does the narrator do at the start of the story?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. Through which character does the author choose to reveal the changing sociopolitical landscape of Sri Lanka across many decades?

3. When Mr. Salgado leaves for a weekend trip to his cousin's tea estate, what additional responsibilities does he give Triton?

4. In the opening scene, what kind of trouble does the cashier experience?

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

6. What does Triton do right after he fills up the tank of his old Volkswagen?

7. At the end of the first section, what does the narrator begin to talk about with the gas station cashier?

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

9. When he is a boy, why does Triton regard Mr. Salgado's house as the "center of the universe"?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze the transformation these characters experience from the start to the end of Triton's story. Include how, exactly, they evolve and which major factors trigger their growth and changes:

1. Triton.

2. Mr. Salgado.

3. Miss Nili.

Essay Topic 2

Analyze the tragic romance between Miss Nili and Mr. Salgado. Discuss the main stages of their relationship. What draws them together? What tears them apart? How is redemption found in the end?

Essay Topic 3

When she enters his life, and before she leaves him, Miss Nili "rescues" Mr. Salgado. Explain how she does this. Then, explain how the tables turn at the end of the story. How does Mr. Salgado become Miss Nili's rescuer?

(see the answer keys)

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