74 pages • 2 hours read
Red Queen
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During Reading
Reading Questions & Paired Texts
Reading Check and Short Answer Questions on key points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.
CHAPTERS 1-5
Reading Check
1. Who embroiders for the Silvers and serves as the primary source of income for Mare’s family?
2. What is given to Mare when she attempts to steal from a boy who catches her?
3. What does Mare realize about her brother after rereading his letters?
Short Answer
Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.
1. What are the distinct social classes in Red Queen? What advantages or disadvantages does each class have?
2. In what way is Kilorn’s future more promising than Mare’s? What factors contribute to this difference?
3. What is the source of the conflict between Lakeland and Norta? How does the war further serve to highlight the dispensability of the Reds in society?
Paired Resource
“For Teens, Dystopian Fiction Seems Pretty Real—And That’s Why They Like It”
- This brief article (a 4-minute listen) discusses how real-world conflicts frequently feature in dystopian literature and the ways in which YA readers can benefit from exploring and examining them. (Teacher-appropriate; not student-facing due to intended audience)
- The information in this discussion connects to the themes Appearance Versus Reality and Similarity and Difference.
CHAPTERS 6-12
Reading Check
1. Who is the crown prince of Norta?
2. What house does Mare become associated with as part of the ruse to fool the Silver court?
3. Who asks for Mare’s hand in marriage following the Queenstrial?
Short Answer
Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.
1. What is the purpose of the Queenstrial for Cal’s hand? How is Evangeline Samos’s treatment of Mare indicative of the relationship between Silvers and Reds?
2. Why does the Queen decide to hide Mare’s true identity? In what way might Mare’s identity threaten the social structure of Norta?
3. What political factors likely influence Cal’s marital arrangement?
CHAPTERS 13-16
Reading Check
1. Who becomes angry after learning of Mare’s powers?
2. What organization do Mare and Maven join?
3. Who challenges Mare to a fight in the tournament?
Short Answer
Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.
1. How does Elara use censorship and misinformation to control the people in Norta?
2. How is Maven able to relate to Mare in unexpected ways?
3. How does Julian alter the way Mare thinks about Silvers?
Paired Resource
- This short story by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. explores a world in which extreme government censorship demands equality at all costs.
- Shared themes include Appearance Versus Reality and Similarity and Difference.
- Compare the theme of Similarity and Difference in Red Queen and in Vonnegut’s short story. What messages are commonly conveyed by the theme? Compare equality in Vonnegut’s short story and Red Queen. How do the Red Queen and “Harrison Bergeron” explore different perspectives on equality? How is information in Vonnegut’s fictional world controlled and how does it compare to the way information is controlled in Mare’s world?
CHAPTERS 17-22
Reading Check
1. Why is Queen Elara worried when Mare is injured by Evangeline?
2. Who teaches Mare to dance?
3. Who assists the prisoners of the Red Guard in escaping the cells?
Short Answer
Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.
1. Compare Maven’s treatment by the king to Mare’s treatment by her own parents. How does Mare relate to the treatment of Maven by his parents?
2. Explain Mare’s feelings upon discovering Cal will be sent to the frontlines. How do her emotions shift and why?
Paired Resource
Is Dystopian Fiction Helpful or Harmful?
- This article explores the potential consequences of dystopian fiction on society. (Subscription may be needed to view.)
- The ideas in this article connect with the themes of Appearance Versus Reality, The Influence of Parents on Children, and Similarity and Difference.
- What impact might dystopian fiction have on real-world events and actions? What important questions about society are raised in Red Queen?
CHAPTERS 23-27
Reading Check
1. Who does Cal vow to kill because of the escaped Red Scarlet prisoners?
2. Which member of the Red Guard is captured but takes a suicide pill before she can be punished?
3. Where are Cal and Mare taken to be executed?
Short Answer
Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.
1. What comparison can be made between the Silvers who are commoners and the Reds?
2. Why does Mare struggle with her identity in the capital? What scenes specifically cause her to experience these internal conflicts?
3. How do Elara and Maven succeed in overthrowing the royal family in Norta and how do their actions align with the novel’s theme of Appearance Versus Reality?
Paired Resource
- “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson tells the story of a woman who is selected by lottery to make a sacrifice for her community.
- Shared themes include Appearance Versus Reality and The Influence of Parents on Children.
- What elements of this short story may cause some to identify it as dystopian? How is The Influence of Parents on Children explored in this short story? How does this influence compare to Elara’s influence on Maven?
CHAPTER 28-EPILOGUE
Reading Check
1. Who wins in The Bowl of Bones arena?
2. What organization saves Cal and Mare from Elara in the arena?
Short Answer
Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.
1. Why does Cal insist on remaining shackled under the watch of the Scarlet Guard and what does his request indicate about his feelings?
Recommended Next Reads
Divergent by Veronica Roth
- This dystopian novel follows a 16-year-old girl who lives in a world divided into factions.
- Shared themes include The Influence of Parents on Children and Appearances Versus Reality.
- Shared motifs include discovering hidden truths and overcoming prejudice.
- Divergent on SuperSummary
Shadow and Bone by Tahereh Mafi
- This dystopian fantasy novel is about a girl who discovers her ability to wield magic and may be the long-awaited solution to her nation’s problems.
- Shared themes include Appearances Versus Reality and Similarity and Difference.
- Shared topics include wealth inequality, betrayal, and magic versus non-magic persons.
- Shadow and Bone on SuperSummary
Reading Questions Answer Key
CHAPTERS 1-5
Reading Check
1. Gisa, Mare’s younger sister (Chapter 2)
2. A crown (Chapter 5)
3. Her brother is part of the Scarlet Guard. (Chapter 5)
Short Answer
1. The social classes in the novel are the Silvers and the Reds, the colors of the blood of those who live in this kingdom. Silvers are significantly wealthier than the Reds and have magical abilities. Reds, who do not have magical abilities and are oppressed by Silvers, perform menial tasks while Silvers occupy more important roles in society. (Chapters 1-5)
2. Kilorn has been given an apprenticeship and will begin work while Mare, who has not been given an apprenticeship, will be drafted to fight in the war between Lakeland and Norta (where mare lives). The war is dangerous; Kilorn’s father was killed in the war, and Mare’s father was critically injured. Being conscripted for the war is likely a fatal outcome for Mare. (Chapter 1)
3. Lakeland and Norta are fighting for resources. Lakeland wants access to the mills in Norta while Norta is fighting for better farmland in Lakeland. The war further highlights the disparity between the Silvers and the Reds because though both fight in the war, Reds are conscripted without a choice and unlikely to survive. (Chapters 2-4)
CHAPTERS 6-12
Reading Check
Short Answer
1. It is important for Cal, as the crown prince of Norta, to have a powerful bloodline to maintain the magical abilities that are believed to be inherited. Therefore, women compete with a show of magical ability to prove their genetic superiority. Evangeline, one of the competitors, callously casts Mare as a participant in her competition understanding Mare will die as a result. This action highlights the disregard for the life of the Reds at the palace. (Chapter 7)
2. It is believed that Reds should be incapable of wielding magic because of their bloodline, but Mare’s magical powers are witnessed publicly at the Queenstrial when she resists Evangeline’s magic. Queen Elara is unable to kill her because of the suspicions that would arise as a result, but she is also reluctant to reveal that Reds are capable of wielding magic as it is the foundation of the social hierarchy in Norta. Without the narrative that Silvers are superior to Reds, there would be turmoil in Norta as Reds may see themselves as equals to Silvers and rebel. (Chapters 8-12)
3. Queenstrial is revealed as a ruse; Evangeline Samos has already been selected as the future bride of the crowned prince. Maven’s statement that guns for the Lakelanders’ war are created in the Samoses’ mines may indicate that the alliance was arranged to ensure Norta’s success in battle. (Chapters 7 and 11)
CHAPTERS 13-16
Reading Check
Short Answer
1. Queen Elara lies about the number of skirmishes that have arisen because of the Scarlet Guard attacking the Silvers. Additionally, the Silvers believe the Reds are impoverished because they have no other choice and accept the lifestyle. Both lies appear to have been perpetuated by Queen Elara. (Chapter 13)
2. Mare initially believes Maven is unable to relate to her because of his wealth and station, but he explains his strained relationship with his mother and resentment of Cal. The two bond over their shared isolation. (Chapters 13 and 16)
3. Mare resents the wealth and disdain of the Silvers and has a hatred for them until Julian points out that hating all Reds or all Silvers based only on blood is a poor way to act. Julian attempts to inspire Mare to bridge the relationship between the Reds and the Silvers. (Chapters 13 and 15)
CHAPTERS 17-22
Reading Check
1. The queen worries the other contestants will see Mare’s red blood. (Chapter 17)
2. Cal (Chapters 16-17)
3. Julian (Chapter 20)
Short Answer
1. Mare feels that her parents are often disappointed in her because of her stealing and want her to behave as Gisa who made an honest living embroidering silk. In the same way, Maven is lectured about finding a purpose for his life and is compared to Cal. (Chapter 19)
2. Mare has resisted her feelings for Cal because of his reluctance to assist the Reds in escaping oppression from the Silvers. When Cal is called to the frontlines her feelings deepen as she worries for his safety, but her feelings shift from fondness to fear when he vows to hunt those who attacked the Silvers at the ball. (Chapters 17-22)
CHAPTERS 23-27
Reading Check
Short Answer
1. Mare observes that some of the Silvers within the capital work and are not as wealthy as those she has seen within the palace. While Silver and Red commoners both work, the Silver commoners are financially better off than the Reds. (Chapters 23-24)
2. Though outwardly Mare is forced to identify with the Silvers, as a Red herself, she has compassion for the Reds who are abused and struggling to survive. For example, in her tour of the capital Mare sees Reds being beaten; she is forced to look on without being able to intercede on their behalf. (Chapter 24)
3. Elara manipulates Cal with magic into murdering his own father and televises the event to make it appear as though Cal willingly murdered his father. The televised event ensures that the people of Norta will turn against the ruling family in support of Queen Elara and her son Maven. (Chapter 26)
CHAPTER 28-EPILOGUE
Reading Check
1. Cal and Mare (Chapter 28)
2. The Scarlet Guard (Chapter 28)
Short Answer
1. Mare insists that Cal should not be treated as a prisoner, but Cal argues that he is a danger to the organization. This statement indicates that despite his rescue by the guard, Cal does not agree with the rebellion of the Scarlet Guard and may attempt to attack it from within. (Epilogue)
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