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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. Why does Dara think Marie started wearing leotards?

2. How long has Marie been out of the Durant house in Part I?

3. How does Marie break in toe shoes?

4. Who are Derek's sub-contractors?

5. What does Marie do to her appearance in Part II that shocks Dara and Charlie?

Short Essay Questions

1. How do the parents at the school of dance generally interact with Dara?

2. What does Dara's and Marie's mother devote her life to?

3. What has Marie done recently, before the start of the book, that Charlie and Dara are stung by?

4. Why has Marie been living at the dance studio?

5. What does Dara think about as the major differences between herself and Marie?

6. What begins to go wrong with the contractor, Derek, at the dance studio in Part II?

7. How do the other students at the dance school generally treat the girl who is cast as Clara?

8. In Part II, what begins to happen between Marie and Derek?

9. What are Charlie's health problems and how did he develop them?

10. What does Dara notice about Marie when she is around Derek, the contractor?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What does the Durant house seem to symbolize to Dara, Charlie, and Marie? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 2

What does Marie do in the early part of the novel that causes such strife between herself and her sister Dara? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 3

How does Abbott characterize The Nutcracker as a story and as a ballet, and how does this characterization help set the backdrop and tone to the entire novel? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

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This section contains 616 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample