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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 is Jaya's job?

2. What did Jaya's mother want her to be a doctor?

3. What is the name of the man Jaya finds in her mother's childhood home?

4. Why does Ravi refuse to eat with Jaya?

5. Why is Amisha sick in Chapter 8?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Neema's father tell Amisha about her class?

2. What writing prompt does Amisha give her class on her first day as a teacher?

3. How did Ravi learn to speak English?

4. Why did Chara become kinder to Amisha before dying?

5. What is the reason for Lord Ganesha's elephant head?

6. Where does Amisha suggest that Stephen take his mother?

7. How does Jaya know where to go when she arrives in India?

8. What does Ravi tell Jaya about the ownership of the school and the mill?

9. What is Amisha's dowry when she gets married?

10. What does a restaurant owner reveal to Jaya about Ravi in Chapter 23?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Jaya is convinced that she and Patrick will be happy when they have a child. How does Jaya's perspective change over the course of the novel?

Essay Topic 2

There are several Indian holidays mentioned in the text. Write an essay in which you examine how the writer uses holidays either to develop characters or propel the plot (or both). Cite specific holidays and narrative descriptions thereof in your analysis.

Essay Topic 3

Jaya frequently mentions that her mother is distant. Write an essay in which you examine how Lena's upbringing affected her disposition. Use evidence from throughout the text to support your analysis.

(see the answer keys)

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