“One Out of Many” Discussion Questions
1. “One Out of Many” is the first of three stories in a collection titled In a Free State. Comment on this title and connect it to Santosh’s experiences in America.
2. “Priya paid me forty dollars a week. After what I was getting, three dollars and seventy-five cents, it seemed a lot; and it was more than enough for my needs” (1021). Is Santosh exploited by his employers or treated fairly considering the situation?
3. Does the knowledge that Santosh has a wife and children in his village in the hills change your opinion of him? (1007) Why is he reluctant to return there?
4. By the story’s end, does Santosh achieve spiritual enlightened? Has he renounced life and eliminated all earthly desires, or does he maintain his identity under the …show more content…
Comment on Santosh’s statement, “far from gaining my freedom, I had begun to accept death not as the end but as the goal” (1024).
6. Discuss the significance of mirrors and the description of Santosh’s appearance at different points in the story. See pages 1008, 1014, and 1022.
7. Does Santosh consent to his encounter with the hubshi woman? (1017)
8. Is Santosh equally critical of each race, or does he show more contempt for the hubshi people?
9. Does Santosh’s move to America restrict him or free him?
10. Explain the original meaning of “One Out of Many” (E pluribus unum, a phrase on the official seal of the United States) and its significance as a title and theme.
11. How do commercials form Santosh's first impressions of American life? Is he drawn into the American obsession with appearance and commodities?
12. How does Santosh adapt to life in America?
13. In the first line of the story, we learn that Santosh becomes an American citizen and “Many people, both here and in India, will feel that I have done well” (1006). Has he done well? Does the story have a happy ending?
14. In the story, do some races enjoy less freedom than others, or are all people too limited by urban American
1. “One Out of Many” is the first of three stories in a collection titled In a Free State. Comment on this title and connect it to Santosh’s experiences in America.
2. “Priya paid me forty dollars a week. After what I was getting, three dollars and seventy-five cents, it seemed a lot; and it was more than enough for my needs” (1021). Is Santosh exploited by his employers or treated fairly considering the situation?
3. Does the knowledge that Santosh has a wife and children in his village in the hills change your opinion of him? (1007) Why is he reluctant to return there?
4. By the story’s end, does Santosh achieve spiritual enlightened? Has he renounced life and eliminated all earthly desires, or does he maintain his identity under the …show more content…
Comment on Santosh’s statement, “far from gaining my freedom, I had begun to accept death not as the end but as the goal” (1024).
6. Discuss the significance of mirrors and the description of Santosh’s appearance at different points in the story. See pages 1008, 1014, and 1022.
7. Does Santosh consent to his encounter with the hubshi woman? (1017)
8. Is Santosh equally critical of each race, or does he show more contempt for the hubshi people?
9. Does Santosh’s move to America restrict him or free him?
10. Explain the original meaning of “One Out of Many” (E pluribus unum, a phrase on the official seal of the United States) and its significance as a title and theme.
11. How do commercials form Santosh's first impressions of American life? Is he drawn into the American obsession with appearance and commodities?
12. How does Santosh adapt to life in America?
13. In the first line of the story, we learn that Santosh becomes an American citizen and “Many people, both here and in India, will feel that I have done well” (1006). Has he done well? Does the story have a happy ending?
14. In the story, do some races enjoy less freedom than others, or are all people too limited by urban American