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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What happens when Clara is out of the wagon and determines to find Maren?

2. In Chapter 18, what message does Maren ask Clara to tell O'Neill?

3. What does Clara hear at the beginning of Chapter 15?

4. What covers Maren's tub to keep the water inside?

5. In Chapter 14, what jewelry does Pilsner bring Clara?

Short Essay Questions

1. At the end of Chapter 14, why does O'Neill tell Clara that she is brave?

2. How does Dr. Phipps threaten Clara at the end of Chapter 21?

3. In Chapter 16, where is Maren found and what happens to her kidnapper?

4. At the end of Chapter 17, what is said about Clara, O'Neill, and Maren repaying the Phipps for saving them?

5. What does Clara think of at the end of Chapter 16, to try to stop worrying?

6. At the end of Chapter 24, what does Clara look for in Soraya's herb cupboard and what is missing that she needs?

7. What happens at the end of Chapter 15?

8. In Chapter 22, what does Osbert bring Clara?

9. What does Clara do when a patron tries to harass her when she is in the Gallery of Wonders in Chapter 20?

10. In Chapter 13, what does Clara say about the preparations for the trip to take Maren to the ocean?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The novel is set in the late 1870s, but it also includes references to fairy tale creatures. What elements of fantasy are used in the novel? Why is the novel both historical fiction and fantasy? Why is it not magical realism?

Essay Topic 2

Dr. Phipps and his family are evil and manipulative. How do the Phipps get O’Neill, Clara, and Maren to work in the show? What methods are used to force O’Neill, Clara, and Maren to participate in the show? In what way is the Phipps family evil and manipulative?

Essay Topic 3

Maren is becoming a mermaid in the novel. How does Maren feel about becoming a mermaid? Why does O’Neill think that Maren becoming a mermaid is a problem to be fixed? Why does Clara believe that it is Maren’s destiny to become a mermaid? What is Maren’s destiny?

(see the answer keys)

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