Study Questions

1. Is Aziz tolerated in this Hindu state? What is the most important distinction there?

2. Why doesn’t Aziz know that Fielding has married Mrs. Moore’s daughter?

3. How has Aziz’s life changed since he left Chandrapore?

4. Who is Colonel Maggs? Why is he unable to influence the Rajah against Aziz?

5. Why does Aziz tear up Fielding’s note?

6. Why is the news of the Rajah’s death concealed?

7. Who is and who is not stung inside the Shrine of the Head?

8. What conditions at the Guest House cause Fielding to complain?

9. What reveals Aziz’s mistake about Fielding’s marriage?

10. What is Aziz’s reaction?

Answers

1. Aziz is tolerated in this Hindu state, where the greatest division is between Brahmin and non-Brahmin, the highest caste Hindus and the lower castes.

2. When the letter arrived in Chandrapore, Aziz read only the first lines, then tossed it to Mahmoud Ali to answer. Aziz tore up all of Fielding’s other letters.

3. Aziz now lives with a woman and has his children with him. He runs the small hospital himself, instead of working under an Anglo-Indian.

4. Colonel Maggs is the political agent. It seems that the British Viceroy has changed policy and the Hindu rulers are aware that the political agent no longer has much power over them.

5. Aziz assumes that Miss Quested is the woman Fielding married; he wants nothing to do with the couple.

6. The news of the Rajah’s death is concealed so that the festival can proceed joyfully.

7. Fielding’s brother-in-law is stung; Aziz’s son Ahmed, who entered earlier, was not stung.

8. There are no eggs and the mosquito nets are torn. They want to go out in a boat, but cannot find the oars.

9. Aziz addresses Fielding’s brother-in-law as “Mr. Quested.”

10. Filled with shame and rage, he turns pale.