Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. Consider the diversity of the Indian subcontinent. What are the major religions, languages, and cultures in this region? Can this region be understood as monolithic or multifaceted? Explain.

Teaching Suggestion: This Short Answer question invites students to consider the cultural, historical, and religious contexts as they relate to the novel’s theme of Religious and Cultural Diversity. While students may not be aware of the intricacies of the diversity of India, this question is an opportunity for classes to understand that the subcontinent cannot be understood as a monolith. Historically, this region of the world is home to ancient cultures, languages, and religions that, due to its geographical location between the Far East and Europe, were exposed to a variety of influences around the world through trade and territorial expansion. Kipling explores this idea in his text, as the characters of Kipling’s novel oscillate between various languages (e.g., English, Punjabi, Urdu, etc.), belief systems, manners of dress, and customs in their multicultural relations. This Short Answer question connects with the Paired Text Extension of the main Activity.