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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 do Iris and Clara use as collateral in order to get Clara a gown?
2. Who does the Master tell Iris he views as responsible for bringing van den Meer to ruin?
3. How is Marie de Medici described physically?
4. What piece of furniture does the queen complain about while at the ball?
5. As the ball approaches, what does the reader learn about Margarethe's neighbors' opinion of her?
Short Essay Questions
1. During their argument at the ball, how do Iris and the Master call a truce during their argument?
2. How does the reader know Cornelius is depressed after his business venture fails?
3. What key piece of information did Iris not understand about Margarethe's continued reference to the imp in their family?
4. What exactly does Margarethe believe happens to her eyes after she has seen the Master's horrible paintings?
5. 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?
6. How does the Master respond to Clara's vote of confidence at the ball, when she says that she is sure his painting will be picked by the queen?
7. What does Ruth have to say about beauty in the Epilogue?
8. What reasoning does Clara use in explaining to Iris why her beauty is actually a curse?
9. What does Margarethe's decreasing vision symbolize?
10. What does Iris worry will happen to Clara if they are forced to leave the beautiful van den Meer home?
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
Complete a character analysis of the Queen of the Hairy-Chinned Gypsies. What kind of character is she? How does her character change throughout the novel (or does it)? What role does she play in the text? What is the reader supposed to think of her? Does the reader's opinion of her change as the story progresses? Is she a "good" character, a "bad" character, or both? What literary tools does Maguire use to develop her character?
Essay Topic 3
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.
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This section contains 914 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) |
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