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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 doesn't Gogol want to go to school when he begins Kindergarten?

2. What kind of people are Ashima's neighbors in her first home in America?

3. What does the nurse do when Ashoke and Ashima are first together with their child?

4. How do Gogol and his friends celebrate his fourteenth birthday party?

5. What does the man who lends Ashoke the book on the train tell him that he should do?

Short Essay Questions

1. How do Ashima and Ashoke feel about Ruth when they learn of their son's girlfriend?

2. What does Ashoke do for Gogol's fourteenth birthday?

3. Why doesn't Ashima's grandmother name their grandchild as Ashima and Ashoke requested?

4. Why aren't Ashoke and Ashima concerned that they don't have a name picked out before the birth of their child?

5. Why does Ashoke choose the name Nikhil for Gogol when he begins school?

6. What do the Gangulis do differently when naming their daughter Sonali than they did when Gogol was born?

7. At college after changing his name, how does Gogol react to being called by his new name?

8. What does Ashoke think about while Ashima is in labor?

9. What does Gogol decide to do when he turns eighteen?

10. What happens when Gogol's train coming home from college is late?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

This book is the story of the lives of the Ganguli family that are both intertwined and separate. Tell how each family member's story is affected and changed by the actions of other members of the family. Explain how these interactions changes the outcome of the story.

Essay Topic 2

The author uses unexpected events to change the direction of the story. One such event is Ashoke's death, but there are others. Cite at least three other examples of other such events and tell how they change the direction of the plot.

Essay Topic 3

The author uses the character of Gogol's sister Sonia as a counterpoint to Gogol's character. Follow the development of her character throughout the book and show how her character differed from Gogol's and what the author accomplished through Sonia's character. Cite examples from the book to support your answer.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 700 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample