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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 metaphor does Marin use when telling Nella that she does not understand Marin or Johannes?

2. In what month of 1687 does Part Four begin?

3. With what material does Nella find Johannes had covered the sugar loaves?

4. When Nella tells Johannes that she will miss him, he reminds her that she has which person for company?

5. Where does Nella place the Nella doll after putting something around its neck?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the destruction of the gingerbread families act as an element of foreshadowing?

2. For what reason is Nella reluctant to share the details of the miniaturist's work with Cornelia?

3. How is the theme of transformation referenced in the scene after Rezeki's death?

4. For what reason does Hanna have to destroy all of the bakery's gingerbread families?

5. What happens when the militia arrives in Part Three: "Horseshoe"?

6. When Nella detects a tenderness and genuine friendship developing between herself and Johannes, what is her reaction?

7. What is the implication of Jack's charge against Johannes in Part Three: "Horseshoe"?

8. What two items does Nella say "beautifully define [Marin's] infuriating contradictions and what does Nella mean?

9. Why does Johannes give Nella a list of names in Part Three: "Escape"?

10. When Nella receives eight dolls from the miniaturist, what two items is the doll made in her own likeness holding in its tiny hands? What is the significance of each item?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

William Faulkner once famously claimed that the most important literature deals with the subject of the human heart in conflict with itself. Explain how the theme of Individual versus Society is demonstrated within Jessie Burton's The Miniaturist.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the many instances of irony within the novel's narrative and analyze the author's purpose for including each instance you discuss.

Essay Topic 3

Choose three symbols used by the author to transmit a particular thematic message. Discuss the author's purpose in depicting each object within the narrative.

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