Review Questions: Chapter 19

1.      This chapter consists primarily of an address which the Mayor delivers at a funeral.  The Mayor describes his address as a eulogy, yet he only mentions the deceased at the very end of the address.  How does the Mayor explain this anomaly?  What (or who) is the principal subject of his address?  Do you think the purpose of his address is to honor the memory of the deceased, or does the Mayor have some other purpose in mind?

2.      How do the Mayor's feelings toward the banyan tree compare to his feelings toward human beings?  Given what you know about the Mayor, does this seem like a natural mode of feeling for him?

3.      Why does Father Andrew feel uneasy about the ceremonies being conducted?  What symbolism can be found in the incident in which the Mayor accidentally causes Andrew to spill some of the water used to baptize the bodies of the deceased?