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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. Henrika and Margarethe usually get along:

2. What toy is Ruth given after the commotion in the marketplace when the Fishers first arrive?

3. What worries Iris about the Master's "I am going to ruin you yet" comment while he is working on his painting of Clara?

4. How does Iris propose getting Clara out of the house?

5. What does Iris find most frustrating about her apprenticeship on the first day?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Clara get the nickname of "Cinderella"?

2. What is a changeling?

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

4. What does the title of Chapter 3, "The Girl of Ashes," refer to?

5. What revelation does Iris have about her new step-father during his marriage ceremony?

6. Where does Henrika's wealth come from?

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

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

9. What kind of relationship does Margarethe imply that Caspar and the Master have in secret?

10. What kind of tone does the Prologue have?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

Margarethe makes a point of telling Iris about the importance of knowing when to "jump." What does she mean by this? Choose three parts of the novel where Margarethe "jumps" and what happens as a result. Make sure to use direct evidence from the text to support your position.

Essay Topic 3

Margarethe could easily be described as a selfish character based on her actions throughout the story. A counter argument can also be made, however, that she is a selfless character who continually acts out of a concern to improve the situations of those around her, often at her own expense, suffering, and unhappiness. Present an argument that Margarethe is in fact a selfless character, using at least three specific examples of her selfless actions from the novel.

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