Chapter VII Practice Quiz — Jane Eyre
by Charlotte Bronte — tap or click to flip
Practice Quiz: Chapter VII
What institution does Jane attend in Chapter VII?
Lowood Institution, a charity school for orphaned and poor girls.
How long has Jane been at Lowood by the time Mr. Brocklehurst visits?
Three weeks.
What physical ailments do the Lowood girls suffer in winter?
Chilblains on their hands and feet from the cold, caused by having no boots and no gloves.
How far must the girls walk to church on Sundays?
Two miles each way to Brocklebridge Church.
What is the "hebdomadal treat" the girls receive?
A whole slice of bread (instead of half) with a thin scrape of butter, given on Sunday tea-time.
Why does Mr. Brocklehurst scold Miss Temple about the bread and cheese?
Miss Temple provided bread and cheese as a lunch replacement when the breakfast porridge was too badly prepared to eat. Brocklehurst sees this as pampering the body instead of edifying the soul.
What draws Mr. Brocklehurst's attention to Julia Severn?
Her naturally curly red hair, which he considers a vain defiance of the institution's rules about modesty and plainness.
What causes Jane to be noticed by Mr. Brocklehurst?
Her slate slips from her hand and crashes to the floor, drawing every eye in the room to her.
How does Miss Temple show compassion to Jane in this chapter?
She gently assists Jane to Brocklehurst's feet and whispers, "Don't be afraid, Jane, I saw it was an accident; you shall not be punished."
How does Jane describe Mr. Brocklehurst when he enters the schoolroom?
As a "black column" and a "piece of architecture" -- long, narrow, rigid, and buttoned up in a surtout.
What is ironic about the appearance of Mrs. and the Misses Brocklehurst?
They arrive lavishly dressed in velvet, silk, furs, and elaborately curled hair, just as Mr. Brocklehurst demands the students' hair be cut off for vanity.
How does Helen Burns support Jane during her punishment?
She passes by, lifts her eyes with a strange, inspiring light, and later smiles at Jane -- a look compared to "a reflection from the aspect of an angel" that gives Jane strength.
What label does Mr. Brocklehurst publicly apply to Jane?
He calls her "a liar" and "a little castaway," warning the entire school to shun her.
What theme does the contrast between the Brocklehurst family's clothing and the students' deprivation illustrate?
Religious hypocrisy -- Brocklehurst preaches self-denial and Christian suffering for the students while his own family enjoys luxury and vanity.
What does Brocklehurst's speech about "mortifying the lusts of the flesh" reveal about him?
It reveals his use of religion as a tool of control and oppression rather than genuine spiritual concern, as he applies austerity only to the poor girls and not to his own family.
How does Chapter VII explore the theme of solidarity and friendship?
Helen Burns's silent act of compassion -- meeting Jane's eyes and smiling -- provides emotional rescue at Jane's lowest moment, showing that human connection can sustain individuals against institutional cruelty.
What biblical allusion does Jane use when observing Mr. Brocklehurst's concern with the girls' appearance?
She alludes to Matthew 23:25-26 (the cup and platter), noting that "whatever he might do with the outside of the cup and platter, the inside was further beyond his interference than he imagined."
What metaphor does Bronte use to describe Mr. Brocklehurst?
He is called a "black column" and a "piece of architecture," dehumanizing him into an imposing but hollow structure and associating him with the rigid, cold institution he governs.
What classical allusion does Jane use when Brocklehurst publicly denounces her?
She says "the Rubicon was passed," alluding to Julius Caesar's crossing of the Rubicon River, meaning the point of no return had been reached.
What does Jane mean when she thinks "I was no Helen Burns"?
She means that, unlike Helen who practices patient endurance and forgiveness, Jane feels fury and an impulse to fight back against her oppressors.
What does Miss Temple's whispered reassurance -- "Don't be afraid, Jane" -- mean to Jane?
Jane says it "went to my heart like a dagger" because she knows that once Brocklehurst reveals his information, Miss Temple will think Jane is a hypocrite unworthy of sympathy.
Define "hebdomadal" as used in the chapter.
Weekly; occurring once a week. Jane uses it to describe the Sunday butter treat.
What does "surtout" mean in the context of this chapter?
A long, close-fitting overcoat, the garment Mr. Brocklehurst is wearing buttoned up when he arrives.
What does "penurious" mean as used to describe the meals?
Extremely meager, stingy, or inadequate -- referring to the small portions of food served to the girls.
What is the biblical allusion when Brocklehurst compares Jane's arrival to "the Jews of old" sending "their diseased to the troubled pool of Bethesda"?
It refers to the Pool of Bethesda in John 5:2-9, where the sick were believed to be healed by an angel stirring the water. Brocklehurst implies Jane has been sent to Lowood to be spiritually healed of her supposed moral corruption.