Essay Questions

How was the relationship between Chance sisters?

Dora and Nora were called as Chance sisters because their mother got pregnant by chance and they were also born by chance. Their mother died while giving birth to them and they were raised by a woman named as Chance. The relationship between the sisters was very intimate and they couldn't imagine living without each other. They were ready to sacrifice their love for each other and both sisters love the same man who was their uncle. At the end of the novel, they prefer taking care of children over leaving their bond.

When does Melchior accept his daughters?

Melchior had affairs with different women and Dora and Nora were the result of his affair with a woman whom he left when she got pregnant. He refused to accept his daughters and said that they were not his children. After marrying Wheelchair, he had two daughters Saskia and Imogen. On his birthday party, he gets to know that his wife betrayed him and he was not the father of Saskia and Imogen. Perhaps after knowing about the betrayal or the fame which Dora and Nora got, Melchior accepted his daughters. He embraced them and showed the love which they yearned for throughout their lives.

Who was Chance and what is her importance in the novel?

The woman who raised Dora and Nora and took great care of them after the death of their mother was called as grandma chance. The lady Chance took the place of their mother and assisted them in all phases of their lives. Dora says that "She was our air-raid shelter, she was our entertainment, she was our breast." Grandma Chance was everything to them but they didn't take care of her in her old age and they regret after her death.

Which writer has been alluded in the novel?

There are constant references to Shakespeare and his plays. The author seems to be obsessed with Shakespeare and the character of Melchior is an epitome of obsession. He performs Shakespeare's plays at different places and take Dora and Nora along with him to perform Midsummer Night's Dream. Melchior keeps the crown of his deceased father and takes it as the crown of King Lear. Melchior's father was also obsessed with Shakespeare's plays and Melchior continues fulfilling his dream of performing the plays. The structure of the novel is also like a Shakespearean play and the images also resemble the images in Midsummer Night's Dream.