Climbing the Stairs Content Questions
August 1941 (1-13)
1. What evidence in the text suggests Vidya is not very ladylike?
2. Vidya and her family celebrate the festival of Krishna Jayanthi. In what ways are Vidya and Lord
Krishna similar? Recreate the Venn diagram below in your notes. In the left section of the circle,
describe the character Vidya. In the far right section of the circle, describe Lord Krishna as stated in
the novel and in the vocabulary note. In the centre of the diagram, record the similarities between
the two characters.
Vidya
Both
Krishna
3. What is Vidya’s opinion of marriage? Provide evidence from the novel to support your response.
4. In the text Vidya states, “According to Appa, caste was a social evil, not a Hindu belief.” What is meant
by the phrase “social evil”?
Mahim Beach (24-28)
1. How does Appa treat individuals without power or position? What does this reveal about his
character?
2. Vidya, Appa and Kitta have an interesting discussion on Hindu philosophy and the concept of nonviolence (ahimsa). Appa suggests that the concept of war is very complex, and that war may not
always be wrong. Vidya objects and Appa replies, “Some of our books speak of yuga dharma, the idea
that what is right depends on the time, the place and the circumstance.”
* Do you feel that Vidya is right in arguing that war is about killing people, and killing people is
always wrong? Or, do you side with Appa, who suggests that war is not always wrong, depending on
the circumstance? Explain.
The Chess Game (30-32)
1. In this chapter, Vidya and Kitta play a game of chess. What does the game of chess symbolize?
Periappa (33-39)
1. Although Appa and Periappa are brothers, they have very different personalities and opinions.
Recreate the following chart in your notes, outlining some of the differences between the two
characters.
Appa
Periappa
Black Crow (40-46)
1. A British girl calls Vidya a “crow” and “blackie”, while dropping Periappa off at the train station. To her
surprise, her father doesn’t defend her. Vidya is shocked and upset about this and thinks her father
should say something instead of ignoring the insult. Do you agree with the way Appa handled the
situation? Explain. If you don’t agree, how do you think Vidya’s father should have handled the
situation?
2. Appa cites a Tamil proverb to explain his point of view, which states, “If a dog barks at the sun, it does
not dim the sun’s brightness.” What do you think he is trying to tell her with these words? What
insight is he trying to offer?
The Protest March (47-51)
1. During the protest march, Vidya feels excited and shouts, “Victory to our nation!” She also wanted to
shout “I’m going to college!” but she felt it would be inappropriate. Why does Vidya associate her
nation’s freedom with her permission to attend college?
2. “Appa was strong. He was tall. He could have pulled the officer down off the horse, thrown him on
the ground and kicked him. But he did not.”
* Why do you think Appa chose not to fight back? If he had, would he have been true to his character
thus far in the novel? Why or why not?
3. The attack on Appa was foreshadowed in previous chapters. What clues were provided to the reader
to hint Appa’s tragic fate?
The Idiot (52-55)
1. “My father’s brain had been crushed in a way no doctor could set right again. He was an idiot now
and would be until the day his body died too.”
* Why is this quote significant? Do you think Appa will ever return to his original state? Explain.
Ganesha Chathurthi (56-63)
1. Vidya feels remorse and guilt for her actions during the protest march. She states, “But how could I
bring myself to tell her that I was responsible for what had happened to appa? That if I had not run
away from the car, if I had listened to him, he would still be with us? What would she say if she knew
what I had done? ”
* If you were Vidya, would you tell someone what happened at the protest march? Or would you
keep the events of that dreadful night a secret? Explain. Have you ever felt guilty for your actions and
punished yourself as a result? Explain.
2. “Appa sat silently in the dining room with us as he always did these days-like a shell cast up on the
beach after the crab within had died.”
* Identify the figurative language device used in this quote. Why do you think the author chose for
Appa’s character to experience such tragedy, as opposed to the other characters in the novel? Why
did the author choose to have Appa disabled mentally, rather than have him die?
Madras (64-77)
1. After the accident, Vidya and her family are forced to move to Madras to live with Appa’s family.
Upon their arrival Thatha states, “This house is your home now.” Vidya reveals the following thoughts
to the reader, “I said nothing. His words were my prison sentence. I clamped my teeth down on my
lower lip to keep from screaming.”
* In what ways do you foresee Vidya’s life changing for the worse? How do you think Amma and Kitta
feel at this point in the novel?
2. Why are the stairs an important symbol in this chapter? What do they represent?
3. “The men always ate first in this house, and the women served them. On normal days, it was only
during mealtimes that the genders met.”
* The above quote highlights a few of the traditions / customs Vidya and her family are forced to
adhere to upon moving to Madras. Recreate the chart below in your notes, outlining some of the
differences between living in Bombay and Madras.
Bombay
Madras
4. Appa’s family often refer to him as an idiot. Why do they call him this? Are they simply being ignorant
or something more? How does Vidya respond to her extended family’s harsh words?
Have you ever experienced a disability yourself or interacted with a disabled person? How has this
changed your outlook on life? Explain.
School (78-86)
1. In what ways is school in Madras different for Vidya than school in Bombay? Explain.
Upstairs (87-93)
1. Vidya recalls her father’s favourite room in Thatha’s house was the library. She knows that the only
way to break free from the loneliness and isolation of her new life is to find the library, and immerse
herself in literature. Do you think it is possible for a person to be free in their mind, if they are not
physically free? Explain.
Hans Brinker (98-100)
1. Why does the novel Hans Brinker and the Story of the Silver Skates give Vidya hope for the future?
Have you ever read a book that inspired you or gave you hope in some way? Explain.
Saraswathi Poojai (107-113)
1. Periamma discovers that Vidya has been spending time in the library, which is strictly off limits to
women. Vidya decides she must fight for permission to read in the library, her only sanctuary. To
everyone’s surprise, Thatha agrees to allow Vidya access to the library stating, “A love of books is not
an evil thing.” Explain how this scene is a small victory for Vidya? How does the mood of the story
change during this scene?
2. How does Vidya describe the new boy in the house?
Raman (114-120)
1. What is Deepavali and how is it celebrated? Cite evidence from the text to support your response.
2. Do you think Vidya and Raman will be friends in the future or more than friends? Explain your
opinion.
3. How does Vidya pay for a stamp to send a letter to Rifka?
Deepavali (121-123)
1. Since the tragedy occurred, Vidya’s relationship with her mother has grown stronger. Provide
examples from the chapter that reflect their deeper relationship.
Raman’s Gift (124-128)
1. What small act of kindness does Thatha present in this chapter?
2. What does Raman give Vidya as a gift?
3. “If someone had asked me then what human invention I valued most, I would have told them without
hesitation that it was the written word.” Why is this quote significant? What role does reading play in
Vidya’s life?
The Library (129-132)
1. Why does Vidya stop reading Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice?
Malati’s Wedding (145-152)
1. Vidya is afraid of marriage, however, it is revealed in this chapter that the seventh and most
important vow in a Hindu marriage is the promise that the couple will “go through life as best friends,
always keeping in mind the other’s needs and wishes” (151). How can the knowledge of this vow
soothe Vidya’s fears about marriage? Additionally, identify and explain how a couple in Vidya’s life
are successful at staying true to this vow.
2. In your notes, recreate the chart below and identify a minimum of five similarities and differences
between Malati’s wedding ceremony and North American wedding ceremonies
Malati’s Wedding Ceremony
Similarities
North American Wedding
Ceremonies
Malati’s Departure (153-156)
1. While sitting on the verandah Vidya witnesses a procession of red ants carrying away lumps of sugar.
While watching them she thinks about “…the size of the burden the ants carried on their backs, so
much larger than their tiny bodies” (155). How can the sugar burden the ants face be an analogy for
the burdens Vidya faces as well as the burdens Indians face under British rule?
2. How does Vidya’s reaction to periamma and periappa’s grief over Malati’s departure demonstrate
her maturity?
Pearl Harbour (157-160)
1. During this chapter the characters learn about a traumatic event that occurred in the world and as a
result changed the course of history. Reflect on a traumatic event that has occurred during your
lifetime or is currently occurring in our world (September 11th, Hurricane Katrina, war in Afghanistan,
etc). Explain what your feelings and experiences were on the day that this event occurred and the
days that followed.
2. How does Vidya feel about Raman? Provide proof from this chapter to support your response.
3. How is Vidya’s reaction to Raman’s plan childish?
Pongal (161-167)
1. What is Pongal and how is it celebrated? Cite evidence from the text to support your response.
2. Which character do you relate to most in regards to his/her view on war?
3. What important life lesson is revealed through Vidya and Kitta’s argument about war? (HINT: Do
they come to a clear understanding of whether it is right or wrong to willingly become involved in a
war?) How does this revelation relate to other events that have occurred in the novel thus far?
Air Raid Drills (168-172)
1. Who are the three main characters that this chapter is centred around? Whose voices (opinions) are
being rejected?
2. What happened to Vidya that would make her begin to question her attitude towards the war?
The Dark Fortnight (173-179)
1. Why does thatha react the way he does to Kitta’s decision? Why do you think Vidya reacts the way
she does?
Kitta’s Choice (180-184)
1. Do you agree or disagree with Kitta’s decision to join the army? Use your own ideas and evidence
from the text to support your response.
2. What sacrifices does Kitta have to make in order to stand by his beliefs? In your opinion do these
sacrifices make him honourable? Why or why not?
3. Is there anything or anyone that you believe in strongly enough that you would make sacrifices for?
What/who is it and what sacrifices would you make for it/them?
Alone (185-188)
1. Why was it especially hurtful to Vidya that she felt betrayed by both Kitta and Raman? Do you think
this had to do with her father or other issues in her life?
Sadipast (189-195)
1. In this chapter periamma and some of the other members of the house are embarrassed by Vidya’s
behaviour. Periamma claims that she is so upset because due to the family’s status as Brahmins in the
caste system they “…are supposed to set an example to the rest of society” (191). Explain how
periamma’s statement is ironic and provide three examples from the novel to prove its irony.
St. Thomas Mount (202-210)
1. How has Vidya demonstrated her maturity in the past two chapters?
2. How does Vidya’s need to try to convince Kitta not to join the army relate to the guilt she feels
regarding what happened to her father? Do you think she feels less guilt after her conversation with
Kitta? Why or why not?
3. How is Kitta, like appa, sacrificing his family?
The Return (211-213)
1. Who were the two people that seemed to miss Vidya the most? What had these people feared had
happened to Vidya?
2. Do you think thatha’s reaction to Vidya’s return was a positive or negative one? Support your
response with evidence from the text.
3. What do you learn about yourself by being away from home or on your own? If you were Vidya
would you have gone back home or explored another path?
The Proposal (214-219)
1. Why is Vidya so upset by Raman’s proposal even though she likes him?
2. How do the events of this chapter show Vidya “climbing the stairs” in her status as a woman?
In Thatha’s Study (223-229)
1. While explaining to thatha why she wants to attend college Vidya refers to one of the sayings of the
Vedas which states “…that questioning is one of the ways to reach God” (224). What does this truth
mean? Provide examples from Vidya’s life, as well as two other characters from the novel, which live
out this truth.
*Possible assignment: Create footsteps and students write what they will question.
The Evacuation (230-235)
1. What is changing for Vidya and her family in this chapter?
Madras (239-243)
1. How has Vidya’s life at the traditional home changed since her return from Coimbatore?
2. Why do you think Vidya feels years older after returning to the traditional home only after a few
months?
3. How did Vidya use nonviolence (knowledge, words, rationale) to successfully fight and win her own
personal wars? Provide three examples from the novel?
4. How has Vidya “climbed the stairs” in both her status as a woman and her role in her family? What
stairs does she still have to climb in the future?
5. What is the time frame of the novel?