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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. How much of the van den Meers' household has been lost because of their debt?

2. How much of the van den Meers' fortune was lost in Clara's kidnapping as a young child?

3. Who was Jack Fisher?

4. What happens to Margarethe after the ball?

5. What confession of Margarethe's did Ruth overhear one night?

Short Essay Questions

1. While at the ball, what do Iris and the Master decide is more permanent than beauty?

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

3. What does Margarethe suspect is so wrong with the prince that his aunt, the queen, has to set something like the ball up to help him find a wife?

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

5. What reasoning does Clara use in explaining to Iris why her beauty is actually a curse?

6. During their dance at the ball, what does Iris worry about with regard to Caspar?

7. What does Margarethe's decreasing vision symbolize?

8. What happens in the dream Iris has the night of the ball?

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Several different characters in the novel operate under different moral codes. Margarethe, for example, becomes increasingly religious but Iris feels that she does not follow the moral code of her religion. In contrast, Iris does not follow a religion as closely as her mother does, but it could be argued that she lives a more moral life. Choose once character in the novel and examine that character's moral code, what the basis of that moral code is, and whether or not the choices the character makes indicate whether he or she is a moral person. Make sure to use specific examples from the story to support your argument.

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

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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