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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 excuse does Marin provide when Johannes does not show up on time to meet with the Meermans?

2. What mode of transportation do Nella and Johannes use to get to the Silversmiths Guild feast?

3. In what action does Nella decide the miniaturist is engaging when sending her items she has not ordered?

4. How does Nella injure herself the night of her first kiss with Johannes?

5. What does Rezeki's name mean?

Short Essay Questions

1. For what reason is Nella reluctant to answer Agnes's question about who made Nella's miniatures?

2. What is Nella's marital status when she first arrives at the Brandt home?

3. Describe Marin's character.

4. What does Nella's parakeet Peebo symbolize?

5. What is Nella's mother's reply when Nella says she does not want to be the kind of wife that behaves as the "rams and ewes of Assendelft" (26) do?

6. How does Nella feel when Marin reveals that she has known all along that her brother Johannes is gay?

7. How do Nella's expectations of Marin's reaction differ from Marin's real reaction when Nella tells her about Johannes's homosexuality?

8. How does Nella characterize the people in her life in relation to dwelling on the past?

9. What is the significance of Nella's lute performance during the Meermans' visit?

10. What is the first disagreement between Nella and Marin, and who wins it?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What is the author's message regarding motherhood and femininity and what themes does the author employ in order to send these messages to the reader?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the methods of characterization used by the author to serve as vehicles for the novel's humanist messages.

Essay Topic 3

Discuss how and why the author instills three different humanist messages into the narrative of The Miniaturist.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,032 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample