10 questions on plot, characters, and themes. Free to take, so you can see exactly what to review before class.
1. What event in 1969 sets off the chain of catastrophe that destroys the family?
2. Why does Estha stop speaking after the events of 1969?
3. What does Roy call the social rules that forbid love across caste and class lines?
4. How does Baby Kochamma respond when Sophie Mol drowns?
5. What is Velutha's caste, and why does it matter to the story?
6. When Rahel returns to Ayemenem in 1993, what has happened to Estha?
7. How does the family's behavior change when they learn that Margaret and Sophie Mol are coming to visit?
8. What happens to Ammu after Velutha's death and her affair is exposed?
9. How does Roy's non-linear narrative structure reflect the book's themes?
10. What does the novel suggest about the relationship between small, everyday moments and historical tragedy?
0 of 10 answered
How this guide is built
This guide is built from the original text to help you get oriented fast. It is designed for recall, paper planning, and getting unstuck, but it is still a paraphrased guide, not a substitute for the reading itself. Double-check anything important before you turn in formal work.
