The Night Circus

Reading Check and Short Answer questions on key points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

Part I

Reading Check

1. What name does Prospero suggest for Celia?

2. What does Marco draw in the front of each of his notebooks?

3. What tarot card does Isobel pull when Marco asks how Celia “changed the fabric”?

4. Where does Bailey’s grandmother want him to attend college?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. Who is Prospero the Enchanter?

2. Who is Mme. Ana Padva?

3. What happens to Prospero in March 1885?

4. What is discussed at the Midnight Dinner?

Paired Resource

“America’s Big Circus Spectacular Has a Long and Cherished History”

• This article from Smithsonian Magazine provides historical context for circuses in America.
• This resource pairs with the theme of Good Versus Evil.
• How did Barnum and Bailey build a cultural institution that became the nation’s most popular form of amusement? What innovations, challenges, and successes did this institution face in American history? What “good” and “evil” happened as a result?

The Greatest Showman Trailer

• This 2-minute trailer provides a synopsis of the 2017 movie The Greatest Showman, a story about the rise and fall of circus entertainer P.T. Barnum.
• This resource pairs with the theme of Good Versus Evil and The Passage of Time.
• What aspects of this trailer match details about the circus in The Night Circus? How does The Passage of Time influence our perspective of questionable institutions in the past?

Part II

Reading Check

1. At what time does the Night Circus open?

2. What does Marco create to draw Celia’s attention?

3. To what social engagement does Tsukiko bring Celia?

4. What does Celia notice about Isobel’s tarot deck?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What is notable about the Murray twins? How are they different, and why is this relevant?

2. What is Mr. Ethan Barris’s profession?

3. What is the interaction and the discussion like between Mr. Barris and Ms. Tara Burgess at his home in Vienna? What concern does she have?

4. Who visits Herr Thiessen at his workshop in Munich, and what does this person reveal?

Paired Resource

“Magic and Illusion”

• This resource from the National Fairground and Circus Archive housed at the University of Sheffield addresses the reasons behind the rise of magic during the Victorian Era and provides details about some of the most popular shows.
• This resource pairs with the theme of Good Versus Evil.
• How does the Victorian fascination with magic pair with the Victorian sense of morality?

Part III

Reading Check

1. What does Mr. AH witness that sparks a tense conversation between him and Marco?

2. What does Chandresh find in Marco’s book of records?

3. What request does Poppet make of Bailey?

4. Who does Chandresh mean to kill?

5. Where does Celia find Marco after the murder?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What happens in the opening scene of Part III, and why is it important?

2. What does Bailey discover after leaving the cloud maze at the Night Circus?

3. Why does Lanie ask to see Celia in Constantinople?

4. What events occur that suggest Isobel’s protective spell has been broken?

5. Why does Isobel remove her protective spell?

Part IV

Reading Check

1. What does Celia leave on the mantel in Marco’s apartment?

2. What does Elizabeth give to Bailey to ensure he has something red at Herr Thiessen’s funeral?

3. Who allows Isobel to leave the circus?

4. What happened to Tsukiko’s opponent?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. Why did Celia steal Marco’s notebook?

2. Why does Isobel come to Marco’s apartment after leaving the circus?

3. How does Celia end the game?

4. What do Celia, Marco, and Bailey discuss in the Ice Garden?

Paired Resource

“The Enchantress: Magic and the Femme Fatale”

• This article from Dickinson College’s course on Victorian Literature recounts one version of the story of how Merlin was trapped in a tree. This myth is referenced in the book, and parallels can be drawn between Merlin and Nimue and Marco and Celia.
• This resource pairs with the theme of Good Versus Evil.
• Society often aligns perceived beauty with goodness and perceived ugliness with evil. How does the trope of the “Femme Fatale” challenge this idea?

Part V

Reading Check

1. What happens to Chandresh’s staff members?

2. Who takes on official ownership of the Night Circus?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What does the reader learn about the relationship between the Man in Grey and Prospero the Entertainer?

2. What does Widget agree to at the end of the novel?

Paired Resource

“Color Symbolism in Literature: Examples and Meanings”

• This article from MasterClass explores why an author might use color symbolism and provides a list of colors with their common associations.
• This resource pairs with the theme of Good Versus Evil.
• Why do you think Erin Morgenstern chose to represent the Night Circus in black, white, grey, and red?

Recommended Next Reads

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

• The Starless Sea recounts the story of Zachary Ezra Rawlins, a graduate student who stumbles upon a mysterious book that has part of his life story written in it. Intrigued by this discovery, Zach follows a series of clues that ultimately lead him to an ancient library hidden far below the earth’s surface.
• This title connects with the themes of Free Will and Good Versus Evil.
• Shared topics include fate and free will, the nature of reality, and the passage of time.
• The Starless Sea on SuperSummary

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

• Water for Elephants tells the story of Jacob Jankowski, a veterinary student at Cornell University whose life changes dramatically when tragedy unexpectedly befalls his family. Distraught and penniless, Jacob takes a job taking care of the animals in a traveling circus. Jacob’s story explores the bonds of love while exposing the dark side of circus life.
• This title connects with the themes of Free Will, Good Versus Evil, and The Passage of Time.
• Shared topics include circus life and love.
• Water for Elephants on SuperSummary