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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 Gyan's house look like?

2. When Sai sees someone approach the house at the end of the novel, who does she hope it is?

3. Who does Sai see marching with the Gorkhas?

4. What is the first thing the judge prays for after years of being an atheist?

5. Who does Sai visit first while hoping Gyan will come back?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does the judge's reaction to Mutt's disappearance in chapter 46 reveal about his character?

2. What is the significance of Sai catching a cold in chapter 39 while she is obsessed with thoughts and feelings regarding Gyan?

3. Why does Biju feel as though he can see clearly for the first time in years, now that he is back home in India?

4. In chapter 40, how does the judge's refusal to help the drunkard's family highlight his thinking only of himself?

5. As revealed in chapter 32, what role did Bose play in transforming the judge's identity?

6. Would the judge's character be different if his father had not sent him away to school?

7. In chapter 37, does Noni make the right decision by allowing the GNLF boys to stay in their home? Or should she have listened to Lola and tried to make them leave?

8. In chapter 38, could Lola and Noni have prevented the village community from shunning them if they hadn't flaunted their wealth all their lives?

9. In chapter 41, how does Biju's reaction to the travel agent's advice reflect Biju's idea of what constitutes a "better life"?

10. What do Biju's childhood memories reveal about his character?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Do Sai and Gyan's recognition of a common ancestral connection to the British bring them closer together, push them farther apart, or do both at different times? Are these similarities equally important to Sai and Gyan? Why are their connections to the British so important, so troublesome, or both?

Essay Topic 2

How does Lola's attempts to exterminate the insects in her home parallel the INS's efforts to weed out all the illegal immigrants in America? How effective are each of their efforts, and what is the end result in each case?

Essay Topic 3

Sai is constantly arguing with Gyan over his accusations about her values and behaviors. How do Sai's perceptions of herself differ from Gyan's perceptions of her? To what factors can we attribute these differences in perception?

(see the answer keys)

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