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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 role does Iris take in Schoonmaker's household?

2. Henrika and Margarethe usually get along:

3. What do Caspar and Iris both believe lives in the highest part of the van den Meers' house?

4. Who is Luykas?

5. Who is The Queen of the Hairy-Chinned Gypsies?

Short Essay Questions

1. What kind of figure does Ruth become as she begins to get a little older?

2. What new traits does Iris develop after Henrika's death?

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

4. 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?

5. What is a changeling?

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

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

8. What does van den Meer's lost wealth mean for Margarethe's plan?

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Iris, Ruth, and Clara all have very complicated childhoods. Examine what makes each child's experience growing up so complicated, what each girl had control of growing up, and what, if anything, could have been changed to make each of their childhoods more enjoyable for them.

Essay Topic 2

Paintings play a crucial role in Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister. Choose three paintings that are mentioned in the text and discuss 1) who and what they physically represent, 2) who and what they symbolically represent, and 3) how Maguire uses them to advance and influence the plot. For each painting, use at least one (and preferably two) citations from the text to support your physical description.

Essay Topic 3

Perhaps the most unique aspect of Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister is the new point-of-view it provides on a classic fairy tale. Discuss 1) the role that point-of-view provides in a text, 2) what literary tools an author can use to manipulate a traditional point-of-view, and 3) what impact a new or unusual point-of-view can have on the reader. Make sure to cite specific examples and passages from Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister to support your thesis.

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