49 pages • 1 hour read
Bapsi SidhwaIce Candy Man
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1988A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Essay Topics
How do religious symbols come to define each character? What are the differences between the relationships among various ethnicities at the beginning of the novel, during WWII, and at the end, after Partition? What is the significance of these changes? You must address the murder of Masseur, and the kidnapping of Ayah by the Ice-candy-man.
What does the Ice-candy-man represent in the novel? Explain by using examples from the beginning, middle, and end of the novel to delineate how his character appears to change or evolve. How does he become a frightening figure? Why does he kidnap Ayah?
How are the men in the novel portrayed? Use at least five different male characters, including the Ice-candy-man, Lenny’s father, Dr. Colonel Bharucha, Masseur, and Cousin or Adi. You may also choose one or more of Ayah’s other suitors.
How does the marriage of Papoo at 12 years old affect Lenny? What does the practice of child marriage reveal about the characters involved? What value is placed on women? Explain. You may also use the house for fallen women, Ayah’s, and Hamida’s characters for supporting examples and discussion.
How does Lenny view her future at different points in the novel? What does she expect her life to be? What do her parents or other adults tell her about her future? Explain.
An important theme in Cracking India is Lenny’s inability to lie. Her inability hurts many people she loves, particularly Ayah, her mother, and her Godmother. How do these betrayals affect Lenny and the people she betrays? Explain.
Identify a significant theme in the novel and explain how Sidhwa uses it. What is the meaning and significance of your chosen theme? How does the theme appear throughout the novel and through what symbols or characters? Some suggestions include the subjugation of women, religious intolerance, sexual obsession, and betrayal. You may also choose your own, original theme.
After Ayah tells Godmother that she cannot forget what has happened, Godmother replies, “Life goes on and the business of living buries the debris of our pasts. Hurt, happiness . . . all fade impartially . . . to make way for fresh joy and new sorrow. That’s the way of life” (273). How do characters in this novel move on from traumatic events, or not? Is Godmother’s comment correct? Why or why not? Use examples from the novel to discuss this topic.
