View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Margarethe do to continually manipulate van Stolk and van Antum?

2. As the ball approaches, what part of the van den Meer house does Clara often refuse to leave?

3. What color dress does Clara wear to the ball?

4. How do Margarethe, Ruth, and Iris plan on getting dresses for the ball?

5. Who does Iris and Ruth's hair for the ball?

Short Essay Questions

1. As they are about to depart for the ball, how does Iris react when Clara promises not to take Caspar from her?

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

3. What causes the prince to be initially interested in Iris?

4. What memory does Ruth say burdened Iris her entire life?

5. What reason does Ruth give for why she often appears inconsequential and stupid in the retelling of the story?

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

7. How does Margarethe react when Iris catches her seemingly trying to burn Young Woman with Tulips at the ball?

8. What key piece of information did Iris not understand about Margarethe's continued reference to the imp in their family?

9. What does Margarethe's decreasing vision symbolize?

10. Why is Margarethe in such shock when Ruth speaks the word "Ashgirl" when referring to Clara?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

One of the central themes of Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister is the exploration of beauty. What is Maguire's definition and concept of beauty? What are society's definitions of beauty at the time the novel is taking place? Choose one character in the novel who is traditionally beautiful and discuss what makes him or her so; choose one character in the novel who is truly, but not traditionally, beautiful, and discuss what makes him or her so.

Essay Topic 2

While a seemingly small item at the beginning of the text, tulips become critically important by the end of the novel. Discuss what tulips symbolize in the text and how their symbolism changes as the story progresses.

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.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 818 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample