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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 happens to Margarethe after the ball?

2. How does Iris describe Ruth as they are traveling to the ball?

3. What family scene does Ruth think would have made a good painting?

4. How do Ruth and Iris get to the ball?

5. Who insists on introducing Ruth and Iris to the prince?

Short Essay Questions

1. What are two examples of juxtapositioned themes to her family's story that Ruth gives in the Epilogue?

2. What does Iris worry will happen to Clara if they are forced to leave the beautiful van den Meer home?

3. What exactly does Margarethe believe happens to her eyes after she has seen the Master's horrible paintings?

4. How does the Master respond to Clara's vote of confidence at the ball, when she says that she is sure his painting will be picked by the queen?

5. What kind of perspective can Ruth offer about what happens to her family?

6. As the Epilogue concludes, what kind of painting does Ruth say should be painted of Clara's children?

7. What does the trail of blood that follows Clara after the ball indicate?

8. Who is Caspar referring to when he initially tells Iris that she hopes she will not marry "the wrong man"?

9. In the Epilogue, what does Ruth surmise happened to the greedy van Stolk?

10. What skill does Clara and Iris count on Caspar using when he goes in search of a dress for Iris for the big ball?

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

Complete a character analysis of the Queen of the Hairy-Chinned Gypsies. What kind of character is she? How does her character change throughout the novel (or does it)? What role does she play in the text? What is the reader supposed to think of her? Does the reader's opinion of her change as the story progresses? Is she a "good" character, a "bad" character, or both? What literary tools does Maguire use to develop her character?

Essay Topic 3

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.

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