Q & A

Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay.

Differentiation Suggestion: For English learners or struggling writers, strategies that work well include graphic organizers, sentence frames or starters, group work, or oral responses.

Scaffolded Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the bulleted outlines below. Cite details from the text that serve as examples and support over the course of your response.

1. Early in the novel, the inspector points out that Ram Mohammad Thomas has an unusual name.

• What is unique about Ram Mohammad Thomas’s name? (topic sentence)
• Explain how Ram Mohammad Thomas received his names, what they each represent, and how it relates to Thomas’s identity.
• In your concluding sentences, explain which of the names best describes Thomas’s personality.

2. Thomas has a recurring dream about a woman with black hair and an obscured face. 

• Who is this woman, and why is her face obscured? (topic sentence)
• Explain why the woman is important to the plot of the novel despite Thomas’s lack of familiarity and direct interactions with her.
• In your concluding sentences, explain what the woman reveals about Thomas’s underlying desires.

3. In Q & A, the characters are often confronted by corrupt organizations and government authorities.

• How does Swarup illustrate corporations as being complicit in the plight of India’s lower class? (topic sentence)
• Explain which organizations are involved in corruption and how they take advantage of the poor in India.
• In your concluding sentences, explain why you believe Swarup chose to portray India’s culture in this way.

Full Essay Assignments

Student Prompt: Write a structured and well-developed essay. Include a thesis statement, at least three main points supported by text details, and a conclusion.

1. Many characters in the novel do not turn out to be who they are assumed to be according to their title, position, or the way in which they portray themselves. Identify three examples of such characters in the novel, then describe the circumstances of each character, how and why the perception of the character changes, and the conflict that follows when their true character is revealed.

2. At the end of the novel, when Thomas is playing Who Will Win a Billion, Thomas believes he has already killed two people. What prevents Thomas from killing Prem Kumar despite his troubled past? How does Thomas’s decision reflect his understanding of justice? Why do you think Thomas decided not to report Prem Kumar’s crimes to the police?

3. Describe the role film production plays in the novel. What kind of films do Salim and Thomas prefer? Why do Salim and Thomas dislike films about poverty? How do the films help Salim and Thomas emotionally? How does Thomas ultimately acquire his fortune in film?