The story itself
What religious group are Jamal and Salim a part of?
Muslim
Who directed this movie?
Danny Boyle
A coming of age story, in a sense. Slumdog Millionaire could be said to be this literary type.
A Bildungsroman.
Latika is often associated with the color yellow (her scarf, her dress, jewelry, etc). What does it symbolize?
Hope or fate = best answers.
What is the first major betrayal Jamal suffers from Salim?
Salim steals and sells Jamal's autographed picture of Amitabh Bachchan.
There are a few major points in the film when music plays a significant role. Pick any one of those moments and VERY briefly indicate the role music has.
Perhaps:
The riot at the beginning when Salim and Jamal are orphaned. The Hindi music with a driving techno beat draws out our emotions to the intensity and terror the boys feel.
The train montage set against MIA's song "Paper Planes" about being an immigrant, crime, and struggle.
The ending, with a Bollywood-style dance to celebrate the lovers being united.
This literary concept of bilingualism appears frequently in this movie. Since it's largely in English, offer one non-English phrase that adds an element of bilingualism to the film.
Such answers as:
Chaiwalla (a person who serves tea)
Chud, or motherchud (a profanity)
Computer jee (basically means "Mr. Computer")
Jai ho (common phrase means "Victory!")
et al.
There are many symbols in this film. Pick one and explain what it symbolizes.
NB: Symbols move from concrete objects in the film to abstract concepts in real life
Answers such as:
Yellow (Latika's dress, for example) symbolizes hope
Soda (offered by Maman) symbolizes betrayal. It is tasty and seems good, but is actually bad for you.
Latika's scar symbolizes the harms people suffer that might fade, but never vanish
et al
This literary term refers to a style of storytelling that involves unpredictable skips (back and forward) in time.
Non-chronological storytelling
Archetypes are used frequently in this film, since above everything else it is the hero's journey. Pick any two characters or moments and describe how they fit into the archetypes.
Jamal is the hero. Salim is the antihero. Latika is the princess. Maman is a false prophet. Jamal is tested. He falls (becomes a theif), but redeems himself.
Etc.
Motifs abound in Slumdog Millionaire! Pick one motif and name at least two times it appears.
Answers might include:
Fate - The opening title, Jamal's beliefs, the police interrogations, the questions that reference his life, etc
The Three Musketeers - The novel itself features twice, but also the three main characters refer to themselves that way
Trains - Symbolizing transitions, we see the boys grow up on one, Jamal find Latika at another, and trains appear in transitions as well
Money - Salim bathes in it, the brothers con people for it, and the prize at the end is made of it...