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 event causes the ball to end abruptly?

2. What does Margarethe think is increasing as her sight begins decreasing?

3. As the ball approaches and Margarethe is tight for money, why does she claim the Master owes her money?

4. What causes Cornelius to become so depressed?

5. What happened to the Gallery of God's Mistakes after the Master died?

Short Essay Questions

1. 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?

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

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

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

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

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

7. Why is Iris surprised to learn that many of the guests at the ball are still talking about her, even after the prince and Clara retire to the private room?

8. In the Epilogue, what does Ruth say about the paintings of Iris's that she admires?

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

A respect for memory -- or the lack thereof -- is a defining characteristic of many of the novel's characters. Choose two characters from Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister and compare and contrast, using specific examples, whether the characters have a respect for memory and learn from the past.

Essay Topic 2

Choose three passages from Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister that you consider to be the three most important. Analyze each passage for tone, diction, and any other literary devices that Maguire might use within them, such as foreshadowing or symbolism. What makes each scene one of the most important? How does Maguire convey the high level of importance of each passage? Which literary devices does Maguire use to structure and create each passage, and how would each scene be different without the use of one of those devices?

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.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 885 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample