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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 the town say is the cause of Henrika's health issues?

2. Why do Clara and Iris decide to stop into the windmill while out ice skating?

3. What has allegedly happened to Jack Fisher?

4. Before the large dinner party where his painting of Clara is revealed, what does the Master do to help comfort Ruth?

5. What does the Master call Mr. van den Meer that crosses a line of acceptability?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Clara change after the incident at the windmill?

2. Why does Iris ask Margarethe specifically to teach her how to cook and prepare a meal?

3. How does Heer van den Meer first present Iris to Clara?

4. What does the reader learn about Ruth's character and personality by the end of Chapter 1?

5. What revelation does Iris have about her mother during her mother's marriage ceremony?

6. What goals is Marie de Medici trying to achieve through the ball?

7. What do tulips symbolize in the beginning of the novel?

8. What is a changeling?

9. Why does Clara pout about attending the event where her painting is unveiled?

10. Once she has been at the van den Meer's household for a little while, how does Iris's relationship with Caspar begin to change?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

A respect for memory -- or the lack thereof -- is a defining characteristic of many of the novel's characters. Choose two characters from Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister and compare and contrast, using specific examples, whether the characters have a respect for memory and learn from the past.

Essay Topic 2

Conventional wisdom dictates that children often end up like one of their parents. Using either Margarethe and Iris OR Henrika and Clara, compare and contrast how each girl grows up to be like and unlike her mother. Make sure to list at least three similarities and three differences, using evidence from the text to support your claims.

Essay Topic 3

Several characters in the novel are initially presented as characters without much of a voice who ultimately, by the conclusion of the story, find their voice and are better able to speak in a way that is true to themselves. Choose one character for whom this is true and explain 1) why their voice was silenced or limited in the beginning of the text, 2) who limited their voice, 3) what happened to change their ability to truly "speak," and 4) what that character's newly found voice represents and says about that person's true inner character.

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This section contains 839 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample