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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 does Clara suspect Ruth of doing to Margarethe's linen?

2. In Chapter 4, what ailment does Margarethe claim to have gotten while visiting the Master and seeing his horrible paintings?

3. Who does Clara end up marrying?

4. Before heading to the ball, what do Iris and Clara agree about Caspar?

5. What do Iris and Clara use as collateral in order to get Clara a gown?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. 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?

3. What does Margarethe's decreasing vision symbolize?

4. In the Epilogue, what reason does Ruth give for burning the painting?

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

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

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

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

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

10. During their argument at the ball, how do Iris and the Master call a truce during their argument?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

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 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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