Jasmine
by Bharati Mukherjee
About_
Jasmine by Bharati Mukherjee follows a young woman from a village in Punjab, India, who survives loss, violence,
and displacement as she builds a new life in America. This study guide helps students understand the novel’s
events, characters, and themes of identity, tradition, and survival. It breaks the story into manageable sections
with comprehension and analysis questions, plus creative activities. This study guide contains 65 questions across 5
chapter sections (50 Factual + 15 Critical), 1 Crossword Puzzle (12 clues), and 1 Character Focus Activity.
What’s Included_
This study guide features 5 sets of 10 Factual Questions with an answer key (50 total), 5 sets of 3 Critical Analysis
Questions (15 total), 1 Crossword Puzzle (12 clues), and 1 Character Focus Activity (8 traits + evidence prompt +
critical thinking question).
Target Grades_
Grades 10-12
Teacher Note_
This study guide helps students build comprehension step by step while encouraging them to think critically about
identity, migration, and resilience. The ready-made questions, answer key, and activities save you valuable
preparation time. We hope it makes teaching this powerful novel a rewarding experience for you and your
students!
About the Author and Her Themes
Bharati Mukherjee was an Indian-born American writer whose fiction explores immigration, identity, and cultural change. She
often described herself as an American writer rather than an Indian-American one, and her characters reinvent themselves as
they move between worlds. Jasmine was published in 1989 and follows a young woman whose life crosses continents.
India in the 1960s–1980s
The early parts of the novel are set in rural Punjab, where village life, family honor, and religion shape daily choices. Many
families still expected daughters to marry young and bring a dowry. The region also experienced political and religious
tensions, which influence the characters’ lives.
The American Midwest and Immigration
Much of the story is set in the farm country of Iowa and in busy New York City. In the 1980s, many American farmers faced
debt and falling land values, which created stress in small towns. At the same time, newcomers from around the world arrived
in the United States, sometimes legally and sometimes not, seeking safety and opportunity.