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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 does Corbin ask Dara to do for him in rehearsal that she will not do?

2. What does Charlie criticize Dara for in regards to Marie in Part I?

3. Who are the two Durant sisters running the dance studio?

4. What do Dara and Charlie have for breakfast in Part II together?

5. How long has Marie been out of the Durant house in Part I?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Dara remember about her mother's and father's relationship?

2. What begins to go wrong with the contractor, Derek, at the dance studio in Part II?

3. What happens at the dance school in Part I that sets Dara, Marie and Charlie on a terrible trajectory?

4. How do Dara's and Marie's parents die?

5. What does Dara's, Charlie's, and Marie's house look like?

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

7. What was the third floor of the dance studio originally for?

8. What relationship do Dara, Marie and Charlie have for the longest time, until recently, in Part I?

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

10. Why does Dara wait to tell Charlie about her worries about Marie in Part II?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What tactics and techniques does Abbott use to establish and maintain suspense throughout this novel? Write a journal entry explaining your answers.

Essay Topic 2

How do Charlie's terrible dance-related injuries affect his and Dara's marriage? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your answers.

Essay Topic 3

One year after their house fire and Charlie's death, what does Dara's forging ahead with The Nutcracker performance mean for her own future and for the future of The Durant School of Dance? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 595 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample