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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 word does Colonel Hutchinson object to Bakha using to describe him?

2. What does Bakha think Ram Charan's sister looked like as a child?

3. What is the profession of the man that Ram Charan's sister is marrying?

4. What was the family's purpose in putting Bakha on the floor when he was so ill?

5. Why does Ram Charan remove his solar hat as the three friends walk back from the spring?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe Bakha's memory of seeing Ram Charan's sister on her way home from the brook one morning before dawn.

2. What surprises Bakha about the hockey stick Charat Singh gives him, and how does he react?

3. Describe some of the common elements in Bakha's dreams when he falls asleep in the alley.

4. Although Bakha is honored by Charat Singh's actions, in what sense are they also condescending and dismissive of Bakha's humanity?

5. What causes Bakha to tell his father about his morning's misadventures, and how does his father react?

6. What characteristics of Rakha does the narrator stress in the description of him coming home from the barracks with food?

7. Despite his hunger, how does Bakha end up too nauseated to eat the food his brother brings home?

8. What excuse does Bakha give for not bringing more food home, and how does his father's reply make him feel?

9. How does the first woman in the alley houses treat Bakha and the sadhu very differently?

10. What puzzles Bakha about his having had the courage to ask a sentry for the solar topee when he was a child, and why does it puzzle him?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Do some research into contemporary Scheduled Caste writers and artists. Consider how they use art to portray Scheduled Caste people and their concerns. Then, compare these portrayals with that of Bakha in Untouchable. Does Anand's caste-status seem to matter in his ability to portray the experiences and interior life of a Scheduled Caste man? Write an essay in which you use evidence from Scheduled Caste art and literature (or academic writing on these topics) as well as from Anand's novel to argue about the authenticity of Untouchable's portrayal of the Scheduled Caste experience. Be sure to cite all sources in MLA format.

Essay Topic 2

At the time that Untouchable was published, it was hailed as a remarkably unbiased depiction of a Scheduled Caste main character. Now that some time has passed and understanding of prejudice has evolved, does the novel's narrative voice still seem prejudice-free--or does the narrator actually exhibit some biases against Scheduled Caste people? Write an essay that takes and defends a position on this issue. Support your assertions with evidence from the text; if you use outside sources, be sure to cite these in MLA format.

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay that analyzes the character of Charat Singh. What positive and negative qualities does this character have, and how does he impact Bakha's life? Why is his reputation as a hockey player relevant? What is the purpose of the comical detail about his hemorrhoids? Consider these questions at minimum as you advance and defend a claim about the function that Charat Singh's character serves in Untouchable.

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