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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. Why is there a ceremony for the Jain monk in the stadium?

2. No longer interested in women, Nitin is interested in _____.

3. What does the monk claim he will gain from enduring the trials of being a monk?

4. How is Nitin protected from the struggles in India?

5. What is the Jain monk's real name?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the fault Tariq Mia observes about the narrator's attempt at enlightenment?

2. What is crucial to Nitin's state of mind (then and now) that we learn through his relationship with Rima?

3. What are the benefits of being a courtesan?

4. How does Ashok's father feel about him becoming a monk?

5. What new attitude does Nitin develop while managing the tea estate?

6. In the doctor's opinion, is Nitin possessed and can he be cured?

7. What is Tariq Mia's advice about "destiny" and how does it contradict to what the narrator has been told through the book?

8. Are the father's teachings nonsensical?

9. Is the narrator obsessive compulsive?

10. How does the narrator feel about Tariq Mia's village?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the use of class and wealth in the characters in the stories of "A River Sutra".

Essay Topic 2

Discuss paternity and childhood in "A River Sutra". Where can this type of relationship be seen in the text? Who is involved, and how does it drive the plot?

Essay Topic 3

Based on the various and vastly different accounts and interpretations of "enlightenment" in "A River Sutra", discuss what it means as a whole to the book.

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This section contains 777 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample