Who is the tailor? Why does he want to marry the fair maiden? What does she bring to him? What must he do to prove his love? Does he? How does the maiden feel about the tailor? How does she show these emotions? What finally breaks them apart? Why?

Why does the maiden marry the miller? What does this say about her? How does the maiden feel when she is confronted by the tailor in the hours before she gives birth? What does she say to him? What does he say to her? How does the tailor react to this situation? How does it impact his behavior throughout the rest of the novel?

Who is Saskia? What has her childhood been like? What changes in her life? Why does Saskia decide to shave her father and cut his hair? What is the hoped for...