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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. After he joins the Liberation Movement, why is Gyan angered by all the time he spent with Sai?

2. What does Gyan realize as soon as he leaves Sai after apologizing?

3. What percent of the Indian population are Gorkhas?

4. How does Sai feel about the cook?

5. Who is Sai's first tutor?

Short Essay Questions

1. In chapter 10, why do you think Biju is the only immigrant he knows who seriously considers returning home one day?

2. In chapter 17, when Biju and Saeed part ways, why does Biju vow never to let anyone get close to him again?

3. In chapter 8, why is Jemu so determined to reject his father's traditional Indian customs by refusing to throw the coconut overboard?

4. In chapter 26, why does Gyan begin regretting the time he spent with Sai as he becomes part of the liberation?

5. In chapter 4, why do Sai and the cook justify the manner in which the police treated the cook?

6. In chapter 27, why does Sai have so much trouble relating to Gyan's ideas about a Gorkha homeland?

7. In chapter 27, in what ways do Sai and Gyan view Christmas differently?

8. In chapter 21, how do Noni and Lola's views of the Nepalese liberation movement differ?

9. How does Sai's having attended a Catholic school impact her identity in terms of the people around her?

10. What effect does Saeed Saeed have on Biju in chapter 14?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Why do you think the cook remains with the judge, even though the judge is distant and treats him unkindly? Why do you think the cook lies about being mistreated, rather than trying to do something about it? Do you think he would have remained with the judge if Sai had never come to stay with them? What role does Sai play in the cook's life?

Essay Topic 2

Gyan is constantly being pulled in different directions throughout the novel. His love for Sai feels improper because she could never be the submissive Indian wife his family would approve of. In addition, he feels as if he should put aside trivial things like his childish feelings for Sai and become a man in order to fight for the cause of a homeland. Do you think his romance and fighting for a cause are necessarily mutually exclusive? Do you think it is necessary for him to make a choice, or could he have both? If you had to choose between the two, which would you choose, and why?

Essay Topic 3

The judge tells Bose that he believes the present changes the past. Explain what you think he means by this. How does this apply to the judge's past experiences in particular? Do you agree with this assertion in a general sense, or do you believe that the past remains unchanged regardless of what happens later? Explain your reasoning.

(see the answer keys)

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