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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 the bus smell like, according to Lakshmi in "On the Bus"?

2. For how long have Auntie and Lakshmi been walking in the beginning of "Questions and Answers"?

3. What type of agriculture is grown around Lakshmi's village?

4. What does the bus do when it encounters a cow sleeping in the middle of the road in "On the Bus"?

5. What has been done to the woman that Uncle Husband says has been punished for running away from her husband in "Disgraced"?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is symbolized and foreshadowed by the woman who has been publicly shamed when Lakshmi gets off the train in India?

2. How is the economy of Lakshmi's village described in "Calendar"?

3. How is Lakshmi punished when she bites the old man in "The Old Man"?

4. Why does Lakshmi describe her first experiences of her journey to be "inauspicious" in "An Inauspicious Start"?

5. How does Lakshmi describe her village's religious beliefs in "Something Beautiful"?

6. What are sons and daughters compared to in "The Difference between a Son and a Daughter"?

7. How are the themes of corruption and gender inequality illustrated in Section 2 of the narrative?

8. What is ironic about the setting of Happiness House?

9. Who is Lakshmi promised to marry when she comes of age? Why does she not marry this character?

10. How is irony employed as a significant literary device in Sections 1 and 2 of the novel?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze the character of Shahanna in Sold. How is Shahanna’s appearance described? About how old do you think Shahanna is? How does Shahanna differ from the other characters in her treatment of Lakshmi? Why do you think Shahanna shows kindness to Lakshmi? What are examples of kind acts performed by Shahanna?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the realities of the child sex slave trade in India and worldwide. How many children are estimated to be involved in India’s sex trade? How many of these children are involved against their will? What is the draw for customers in India (and other nations) to have sexual relations with children, particularly virgins?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the themes of sexism, disgrace, and humiliation in Sold. What are Lakshmi’s impressions when she observes the woman whose head has been publicly shamed upon arriving in India? How much do you think culture and religion play a role in gender equality in the narrative?

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