The Night Diary

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

“Putting the ‘History’ in Historical Fiction: The Night Diary and India’s 1947 Partition”

In this activity, students will consider the unique value of historical fiction while enhancing their understanding of India’s partition through a comparative analysis between The Night Diary and primary source material.

In The Night Diary, readers join Nisha and her family’s harrowing journey out of India during the tumultuous 1947 partition. What can we learn about the partition in a work of historical fiction like The Night Diary that might not be captured in regular history books?

In this activity, you will research and reflect upon the importance of historical fiction. You’ll also deepen your understanding of the real-life events surrounding India’s freedom from colonialist British rule post World War II. In small groups, create a digital slide deck (or poster board) that contains the following elements:

• An answer to the question: What is historical fiction and why is it important? What are the defining features of historical fiction as a genre? Research how and why historical fiction offers different kinds of “truth” when it comes to retelling individual histories. How might historical fiction be particularly important to marginalized voices and/or refugee stories?
• A definition of the era. The Night Diary touches upon several moments in world history such as India’s partition, Gandhi’s non-violent protests, and the post-World War II era. Create a timeline that outlines the major historical events of this period, all of which shaped Nisha and her family’s experiences. Be sure to plot Nisha’s family history on this timeline, as well.  
• An interesting primary source related to The Night Diary. Finally, select a feature of The Night Diary and find a related primary source. For example, in the concluding chapters of the novel, Nisha describes the packed train fleeing India; for your primary source research, you may elect to find a photograph of one such train, to help paint a clearer picture of Nisha’s experience.

Come together as a class to share what you’ve learned in your small group research projects. What type of primary sources do you find most compelling/intriguing? What are some ways that historical fiction, as compared to non-fiction historical texts, might leave things out? Overall, what is the reason why historical fiction is important?

Teaching Suggestion: Students may have a variety of answers to the question of why historical fiction is important. For further context, you may want to have students read pieces such as Inside HigherEd’s “Why Historical Fiction Matters,” which takes the position that history often lies beyond pure facts, and captures a subjective experience that non-fiction history books lack. What’s more, historical fiction often provides a voice to marginalized and/or oppressed groups that may have been otherwise suppressed. LitHub’s “Historical Fiction is More Important Than Ever: 10 Writers Weigh In” touches upon this idea.

Differentiation Suggestion: Advanced learners might research the modern-day crisis in India, which is in some ways a continuation of the division between Hindus and Muslims that was forged during the 1947 partition. As a starting point, you might have students read TIME’s “How India’s Hindu Nationalists Are Weaponizing History Against Muslims” from October 6, 2023, which explains the current crisis; then, students can discuss these questions: How does the current anti-Muslim sentiment in India have its roots in partition? How might Nisha respond to the modern-day political situation? How would Papa respond, especially given his sympathies with Gandhi?

Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay.

Differentiation Suggestion: For English learners or struggling writers, strategies that work well include graphic organizers, sentence frames or starters, group work, or oral responses.

Scaffolded Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the bulleted outlines below. Cite details from the text over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. In the absence of a mother, Nisha relies on other people to give her what she thinks her mother would provide.

• What characters does Nisha rely on, and what roles do they play in Nisha’s life? (topic sentence)
• Identify times when Nisha relies on others for her survival. How do others help protect and raise her? What are at least 3 moments in the novel that serve to support your topic sentence? Analyze and discuss these examples.
• In your conclusion, examine how Nisha’s deep sense of spirituality allows her to form connections with many people from a variety of backgrounds and how this connects to the book’s general theme of Spirituality Versus Religion.

2. Both India and Nisha’s family endure tremendous change over the course of The Night Diary.

• How does the birth of Pakistan parallel the family’s character development throughout the novel? (topic sentence)
• How does displacement and/or migration factor into the changes inflicted upon both India and Nisha’s family? Select the 3 strongest examples to analyze and discuss.
• In your conclusion, discuss how the literal splitting of India led to the largest mass migration in history, thus emphasizing The Negative Effects of Displacement.

3. The Night Diary consists of 60 diary entries written by Nisha in 1947.

• What overall purpose does the diary serve? (topic sentence)
• Discuss the ways in which the diary serves both as an outlet for Nisha and a way to clearly convey messages to the reader.
• In your conclusion, discuss the impact of a story told in diary format on the reader and how it gives an intimate view of Nisha’s mindset as she grapples with her own Religious and Cultural Identity and Defining the Self.

Full Essay Assignments

Student Prompt: Write a structured and well-developed essay. Include a thesis statement, at least three main points supported by textual details, and a conclusion.

1. Consider Papa’s relationship with Amil, especially with regard to Nisha’s description of Amil’s younger years. How might Papa and Amil’s relationship be characterized at the start of the story? How does it change over time, and what prompts the changes in Papa’s behavior toward Amil? In a 3- or 5-paragraph essay, trace Papa and Amil’s relationship to the end of the story and discuss evident changes and the motivation behind the change. Explore how The Negative Effects of Displacement, ironically, have a bonding effect between Papa and Amil. Incorporate a variety of details and examples to support your ideas.

2. In Jodhpur, Papa quickly displays the piece of Mama’s painting that Kazi brought with him. Considering there were few physical reminders of Mama in their old household, what might Papa’s action signify? In a 3- or 5-paragraph essay, explain what has changed for Papa, particularly as it relates to Courage in Vulnerability. Add details and at least one direct quotation to help communicate your points.

3. Consider the different ways in which Nisha grapples with her own identity as someone with a Hindu father and Muslim mother. How do her traits, choices, actions, and decisions demonstrate her struggle? What situations in the novel most clearly show the challenge Nisha faces in attempting to define herself? In a 3- or 5-paragaph essay, explore Nisha’s inner conflict, using a variety of details and examples from different points in the novel to support your ideas. Connect your points to at least one of the novel’s themes.

Multiple Choice and Long Answer Questions create ideal opportunities for whole-text review, exams, or summative assessments.

Multiple Choice

1. What period of time in Nisha’s life does The Night Diary span?

A) 4 weeks

B) 4 months

C) 4 years

D) 4 seasons

2. Why is it that, when the twins skip school, only Amil is punished by Papa?

A) Because boys are held to a higher standard in Nisha’s family

B) Because this is Amil’s third infraction that week

C) Because Nisha excels in school and Amil does not

D) Because Amil made a snarky comment to Papa

3. In terms of their physical features, how do Nisha and Amil compare to one another?

A) They are twins, so their looks are nearly identical.

B) Nisha looks more like Papa, while Amil looks more like their mother.

C) Amil looks more like Papa, while Nisha looks more like their mother.

D) Nisha looks like Dadi, while Amil looks more like their mother.

4. Which of the following best describes how Papa’s relationship to Amil changes over the course of the novel?

A)  At first Papa views Amil as too proud, but eventually he comes to see Amil’s humility.

B)  At first Papa longs for Amil to hurry and grow up, but eventually he sees that Amil is mature for his age.

C)  At first Papa cherishes Amil’s unique talents, but eventually he despises Amil for being different.

D)  At first Papa views Amil as lazy and defiant, but eventually he learns to appreciate Amil’s gifts.

5. When Nisha learns that she will be homeschooled by Dadi, what is her reaction?

A) She is sad and misses going to school.

B) She doesn’t care because Dadi is a good teacher.

C) She is happy because it means spending more time with Dadi.

D) She is worried because she knows Dadi will be tough to please.

6. What precious object do Nisha and her family leave at Kazi’s house for safekeeping, as they prepare to flee Mirpur Khas?

A) Mama’s paintings

B) Papa’s degree

C) Nisha’s diary

D) Amil’s piggy bank

7. Papa’s beliefs around partition align with the lawyer and thought leader Mahatma Gandhi’s. With what concept is Gandhi’s name synonymous?  

A) Destitution

B) Authoritarianism

C) Peace

D) Capitalism

8. Observing Dadi’s dehydration and exhaustion, what does Nisha think to herself about India’s leadership?

A) Sorrowfully, she thinks that Dadi will not live to see India’s new leadership.

B) With resignation, she thinks that India’s leaders will not be able to bring about the social change that is needed in the country.

C) Excitedly, she thinks that, under new leadership in India, perhaps things will finally change for the better.

D) Angrily, she thinks how India’s leaders were supposed to make sure that things like this didn’t happen to innocent Indian citizens like Dadi.

9. Which character secretly alerts Kazi to the family’s whereabouts, allowing him to join them in the final chapters?

A) Nisha

B) Amil

C) Papa

D) Dadi

10. Nisha’s attitude about religion and relationship to her own faith are most closely connected to which of the book’s overall theme(s)?

A) Courage in Vulnerability

B) Religious and Cultural Identities and Defining the Self

C) Changing Family Relationships

D) The Negative Effects of Displacement

11. Which of the following is a motif that most directly connects Nisha and Amil to their deceased mother?

A) Art

B) Fire

C) Cooking

D) Books

12. What happens that causes Nisha to feel as though she’s losing her mother all over again?

A) Nisha finds her mother’s wedding garments in an old trunk at Rashid Uncle’s.

B) Papa abandons her to go find water.

C) Dadi tells a poignant story of when Mama was alive, as a young girl.

D) Nisha realizes they must leave Rashid Uncle, with all his stories of Mama.

13. Which of the following words best describes how Nisha feels about the journey to Jodhpur after it occurs?

A) Excited

B) Solemn

C) Sick

D) Proud

Long Answer

Compose a response of 2-3 sentences, incorporating textual details to support your response.

1. Especially in the early chapters of the book (Chapters 1-10), how do the characters of Kazi and Papa interact? Compare and contrast these two characters.

2. From the train, Nisha observes a group of Hindu and Muslim men fighting one another. How does this scene illustrate Gandhi’s saying about an “eye for an eye” leaving the whole world blind?