Quiz Silver Nitrate Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Silver Nitrate Quiz: 20 Questions on Plot, Characters, and Themes

Test your knowledge of Silvia Moreno-Garcia's Silver Nitrate with this 20-question quiz. Questions are grouped by category—plot, character, theme, and synthesis—and the full answer key with explanations appears at the end. Use the chapter summaries if you need a refresher before you begin, or check the ending explained after you finish to see how the pieces fit together. Good luck!

(Note: This quiz is based on the novel's plot and themes; for deeper discussion, visit the questions and answers page.)

Plot & Sequence (8 questions)

  1. What is the epigraph of the novel drawn from?

  • A) A Nazi propaganda film script

  • B) M.R. James's short story “Casting the Runes”

  • C) A Mexican horror movie poster

  • D) A letter written by Wilhelm Ewers

  1. What event triggers Montserrat's suspension from Antares?

  • A) She argues with a client about sound levels

  • B) She books studio time without permission and is confronted by Mario

  • C) She refuses to work overtime on a horror film

  • D) She is caught smoking in the editing room

  1. What does Abel Urueta claim to possess that he asks Montserrat and Tristán to help him dub?

  • A) A lost reel of a silent film starring Alma Montero

  • B) The unfinished third scene of Beyond the Yellow Door

  • C) A collection of Ewers's personal letters

  • D) A nitrate print of a Nazi propaganda film

  1. What happens when Montserrat and Tristán break into Abel's apartment after his death?

  • A) They find the film reel hidden in a freezer

  • B) They are confronted by Alma Montero

  • C) They find no film, but Montserrat takes an address book and photo album

  • D) They discover a hidden room full of occult artifacts

  1. What does Clarimonde Bauer demand from Montserrat and Tristán?

  • A) That they burn all of Ewers's belongings

  • B) That they hand over the silver nitrate print and cooperate in a ritual

  • C) That they reveal the location of José López

  • D) That they confess to killing Abel Urueta

  1. How does Alma Montero die?

  • A) She is stabbed by Clarimonde's followers

  • B) She is burned in a fire at the publishing house

  • C) She is killed by shattering mirror glass that flies into her

  • D) She is dissolved by a spell cast by Montserrat

  1. What does Tristán do to summon Abel's ghost?

  • A) He burns a photograph of Abel and recites a prayer

  • B) He draws runes on his hands and lights red candles

  • C) He recites an incantation and his hand writes in unfamiliar handwriting

  • D) He uses a Ouija board with Montserrat and López

  1. What happens to Ewers at the climax?

  • A) He is trapped in a mirror forever

  • B) He is dissolved when the projectors burst into flames

  • C) He is killed by Alma's ghost

  • D) He escapes into the city, never to be seen again

Character Motivation (5 questions)

  1. Why does Montserrat initially decline Abel Urueta's dinner invitation?

  • A) She has a work deadline and must drive her sister to the hospital

  • B) She is afraid of supernatural encounters

  • C) She dislikes old films and finds Urueta boring

  • D) She has a date with her ex-girlfriend Regina

  1. What motivates Tristán to help Montserrat investigate the supernatural events?

  • A) He wants to revive his acting career by using the film

  • B) He sees Karina's ghost and hopes to stop the haunting

  • C) He is paid by Alma Montero to retrieve the film

  • D) He wants to prove that magic is real

  1. Why does Abel Urueta agree to an interview with Montserrat?

  • A) He hopes to sell the film to a collector

  • B) He is flattered by the attention and attributes his retrospective to the spell

  • C) He wants to expose Ewers's crimes

  • D) He needs money to pay for medical treatment

  1. What is Clarimonde's primary goal?

  • A) To destroy all of Ewers's artifacts

  • B) To resurrect Ewers by completing the spell

  • C) To become the most powerful sorcerer in Mexico City

  • D) To avenge Abel Urueta's death

  1. Why does Montserrat refuse Ewers's offer of power?

  • A) She is afraid of the responsibility

  • B) She sees it as false and chooses an ordinary life

  • C) She wants to keep the power for herself

  • D) She is loyal to Clarimonde

Themes & Symbols (4 questions)

  1. What does the silver nitrate film symbolize in the novel?

  • A) The decay of the Mexican film industry

  • B) A magical conduit that can channel energy

  • C) A symbol of lost love and regret

  • D) The dangers of technological progress

  1. What does the vegvísir symbol represent?

  • A) A curse that brings bad luck

  • B) A protective talisman

  • C) A mark of Ewers's cult

  • D) A sign of resurrection

  1. How does the novel use the color yellow?

  • A) As a recurring leitmotif in the author's fiction

  • B) To signify the presence of ghosts

  • C) As a symbol of decay and corruption

  • D) To mark the villain's clothing

  1. What does the “dripping tap” motif signify?

  • A) A mundane household annoyance

  • B) An omen of supernatural presence

  • C) A sign of Montserrat's financial stress

  • D) A metaphor for the passage of time

Synthesis (3 questions)

  1. How does the novel connect filmmaking to magic?

  • A) By showing that film editing is a form of hypnosis

  • B) Through the idea that film combines elements and requires an audience to amplify spells

  • C) By suggesting that all directors are secretly sorcerers

  • D) By using film as a metaphor for memory and loss

  1. What role does friendship play in the resolution?

  • A) Montserrat and Tristán's bond and childhood code help them defeat Ewers

  • B) They betray each other but reconcile at the last moment

  • C) Their friendship is irrelevant to the plot

  • D) They use their friendship to manipulate Clarimonde

  1. Why does the author include the note about “mejorar la raza”?

  • A) To explain a common Mexican phrase and highlight the racist ideology behind Ewers's magic

  • B) To criticize the film industry's hiring practices

  • C) To show that Ewers was a real historical figure

  • D) To suggest that the characters are racially motivated

Answer Key

  1. B – The epigraph is from M.R. James's “Casting the Runes,” as stated in the opening chapter. 2. B – Mario confronts Montserrat about booking time without permission, leading to her suspension. 3. B – Urueta reveals he has the unfinished third scene of Beyond the Yellow Door and asks them to dub it. 4. C – They find no film, but Montserrat takes Abel's address book and photo album. 5. B – Clarimonde demands the silver nitrate print and their cooperation to complete the ritual. 6. C – Alma is killed when the mirror shatters and glass flies into her. 7. C – Tristán recites an incantation, and his hand writes in unfamiliar handwriting, drawing runes. 8. B – Ewers is dissolved when the projectors burst into flames. 9. A – Montserrat cites work and a promise to drive Araceli to the hospital. 10. B – Tristán sees Karina's ghost and hopes to stop the haunting by investigating. 11. B – Urueta is flattered by the attention and believes the spell brought him the retrospective. 12. B – Clarimonde wants to resurrect Ewers by finishing the spell. 13. B – Montserrat sees Ewers's offer as false and chooses an ordinary life. 14. B – The film is a magical conduit, as explained in the novel's magic system. 15. B – The vegvísir is a protective talisman used in the story. 16. A – The author's note explains that yellow is a recurring leitmotif in her fiction. 17. B – The dripping tap appears as an omen of supernatural presence. 18. B – The novel posits that film combines elements and requires an audience to amplify spells. 19. A – Their bond and childhood code help them defeat Ewers. 20. A – The author explains the phrase and its connection to Ewers's racist ideology.

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