View a FREE sample

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

Short Answer Questions

1. What word does Dara use to tell Marie her impression of Marie's affair with Derek?

2. What starts the fire at the dance studio?

3. Who manages the business office at the Durant School?

4. Why does Dara think Marie started wearing leotards?

5. What do dancers sometimes use to sew ribbons to their shoes?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Dara notice about Marie when she is around Derek, the contractor?

2. What does Marie tell Dara about her affair with Derek?

3. How do Charlie, Dara and Marie make the choice to not only repair, but expand, the studio?

4. How do dancers' feet usually look and feel?

5. What are Charlie's health problems and how did he develop them?

6. What does Marie do to prepare her own pointe shoes for wear?

7. How do the other students at the dance school generally treat the girl who is cast as Clara?

8. What does Dara not want Marie to share with Derek in Part II about their lives?

9. In Part II, what begins to happen between Marie and Derek?

10. Why has Marie been living at the dance studio?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What terrible memories and truths does Marie finally force Dara to confront in the end of the novel, and how does the sisters' relationship change in the aftermath of these revelations? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 2

Why does Dara believe that she is the strongest of the three of them, herself, Charlie, and Marie, and in what ways does Dara assert her dominance between the three of them? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 3

Why is it so significant that Marie dyes her hair blond shortly after starting a relationship with Derek, and how do Dara and Charlie react to Marie's new look? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 602 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample