The Tiger King
What prediction does the astrologer make about the Tiger King’s death?
What is that he would be killed by the hundredth tiger?
What is the third level at Grand Central Station believed to represent?
An imaginary escape from modern-day stress.
What image of the mother evokes the theme of aging?
Her face is “ashen like that of a corpse.”
Who was the British official involved in the Indigo issue in Champaran?
The British landlords who forced peasants to grow indigo under the sharecropping system.
What change occurs in Franz’s school due to Prussian rule?
French is banned and replaced by German as the medium of instruction.
Why does the Tiger King start hunting tigers?
To defy the prophecy and prove the astrologer wrong.
What era does the protagonist believe he has accessed through the third level?
The year 1894.
What contrast is drawn between the mother and the world outside the car window?
The mother is pale and lifeless, while young trees and children outside are full of life.
What did Gandhi demand for the indigo sharecroppers?
Exemption from unjust indigo contracts and return of illegal money taken.
Why does Franz regret not learning French earlier?
He realizes the value of his native language only when it's taken away.
What ironic event leads to the Tiger King’s death?
He is killed by a splinter from a wooden toy tiger
What theme does Charley’s attempt to go back in time reveal?
Nostalgia and the desire for a simpler past.
What emotion does the poet try to hide from her mother at the airport?
The fear of losing her.
What strategy did Gandhi use to support the peasants?
Nonviolent civil disobedience and legal advocacy.
What message does Mr. Hamel give about language before leaving?
Language is the key to freedom and identity—“When people are enslaved, as long as they hold fast to their language, it is as if they had the key to their prison.”
What theme is emphasized through the King’s obsession with killing tigers?
The futility of trying to control destiny.
What role does Charley’s psychiatrist friend play in interpreting the third level?
He suggests it's a psychological condition caused by stress.
How does the poem reflect the passage of time?
Through the poet’s realization of her mother’s aging and mortality.
What broader theme does the Champaran episode highlight?
The awakening of political consciousness and empowerment of the poor.
What does the attendance of villagers in the last class symbolize?
Respect for their language and patriotism.
How does the story satirize the concept of power?
By showing the King’s irrational decisions and fear of a prophecy, despite his absolute authority.
What device is used to blur the lines between fantasy and reality?
A letter supposedly sent from the past by Charley’s friend Sam.
What literary device is used in the phrase “smile and smile and smile…”?
Repetition
How did the Champaran episode contribute to India's freedom movement?
It marked Gandhi’s first successful mass civil disobedience campaign in India.
What theme is reflected in the loss of the French language in Alsace?
Cultural oppression under colonization and the urgency of preserving one’s heritage.