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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 Lakshmi describe rubbing for good luck in "Before Gita Left"?

2. In what type of vehicle do Lakshmi and Uncle Husband travel in "Crossing the Border"?

3. Lakshmi says in Section 1 that her stepfather looks at her the same way he looks at what vegetables growing in front of their hut?

4. Who gave Lakshmi the notebook that she carries in her pack as she makes her way with Auntie?

5. How old does Lakshmi describe her mother as in "Another Calendar"?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Lakshmi describe her journey in "A New World"?

2. Describe the impact of Lakshmi's journey with Auntie on her perception of her surroundings and home. Why do you think Lakshmi is taken on this journey in the manner she is taken?

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

4. What does a tin roof symbolize for Lakshmi in the novel?

5. What are the instructions for womanhood that Ama relates to Lakshmi in "Everything I Need to Know"?

6. How does Lakshmi come to Happiness House? What is the reality of Lakshmi's situation when she arrives?

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

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

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

10. How do Lakshmi's impressions of Auntie change in "Questions and Answers"?

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

Analyze and discuss the character of Mumtaz in Sold. What role does Mumtaz play in the underground human trafficking market? How does Mumtaz establish control over the girls that she “owns” at Happiness House? How does Mumtaz avoid arrest?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss Lakshmi’s relationship with her mother, Ama, in the narrative. What does Ama teach Lakshmi about a woman’s roles and duties? How does Ama perceive the plight and suffering of women within her culture?

(see the answer keys)

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