Chapter XIX Practice Quiz — Jane Eyre
by Charlotte Bronte — tap or click to flip
Practice Quiz: Chapter XIX
Where does Jane meet the gypsy fortune-teller?
In the library at Thornfield Hall, where the gypsy is seated in an easy-chair by the chimney-corner.
What is the gypsy wearing when Jane first sees her?
A red cloak and a broad-brimmed gipsy hat tied down with a striped handkerchief under her chin.
What three things does the gypsy say Jane is?
Cold (because she is alone), sick (because love keeps far from her), and silly (because she will not reach for the happiness available to her).
How does the gypsy first attempt to read Jane's fortune?
She asks to read Jane's palm, but then declares the hand is "too fine" and says destiny is not written there, shifting instead to reading Jane's face.
What detail finally reveals the gypsy's true identity to Jane?
Jane notices the hand is smooth and supple (not withered) and bears a broad ring with a gem she has seen a hundred times before—recognizing it as Rochester's.
What Shakespeare quotation does Rochester use when removing his disguise?
"Off, ye lendings!" from King Lear, spoken when Lear strips off his clothes to confront his essential humanity.
What news does Jane deliver to Rochester at the end of the chapter?
She tells him that a stranger named Richard Mason has arrived from Spanish Town, Jamaica, in the West Indies.
How does Rochester physically react to hearing Mason's name?
He grips Jane's wrist convulsively, the smile freezes on his lips, he turns whiter than ashes, staggers, and can hardly speak.
How does Jane's reaction to the fortune-teller differ from the other women's reactions?
Jane is calm, composed, and skeptical, while the other women (like Blanche Ingram) emerged excited and giggling. Jane refuses to tremble, turn pale, or believe in fortune-telling.
What did the gypsy tell Blanche Ingram that changed her demeanor?
The gypsy told her something about Rochester's fortune that made "the corners of her mouth fall half an inch," suggesting Rochester may not be as wealthy as Blanche assumed.
What does Jane say she would do if everyone turned against Rochester?
She says she would stay with him, comfort him, and dare censure for his sake, declaring she would "have more pleasure in staying" with him.
Who does the gypsy claim to be acquainted with among the servants?
Mrs. Poole (Grace Poole), which startles Jane because Grace Poole is connected to the mysterious events at Thornfield.
What theme does Rochester's disguise as a gypsy primarily explore?
Disguise and deception—the scene explores how removing social barriers allows Rochester to probe Jane's true feelings, while also mirroring his larger deception about his secret marriage.
How does the gypsy scene address the theme of class and propriety?
The disguise temporarily dissolves the class barrier between employer and governess, allowing Rochester to speak to Jane as an equal and probe her romantic feelings in ways Victorian propriety would otherwise forbid.
What does the fire symbolize in Chapter XIX?
Fire symbolizes the passion and emotional intensity between Jane and Rochester. The gypsy says "no contact strikes the fire from you that is in you," suggesting Jane's inner passion remains unignited.
What does the gypsy's reading of Jane's forehead reveal about Jane's inner conflict?
The forehead declares that reason governs passion—Jane can live alone if self-respect requires it and will not "sell her soul to buy bliss." This represents the tension between her desire for love and her commitment to moral independence.
How does Mason's arrival function as foreshadowing?
Rochester's violent reaction to Mason's name signals that his hidden past is about to intrude on the present, foreshadowing the revelation of Bertha Mason and the disruption of Rochester's plans.
What literary device is at work when the reader suspects the gypsy is Rochester but Jane does not?
Dramatic irony—the reader picks up on clues (the gypsy's boldness, knowledge of Jane's habits, and unfeminine directness) before Jane recognizes the deception.
What is the term for the gypsy's practice of reading character from facial features?
Physiognomy—the pseudo-scientific practice of judging character from the face. The gypsy reads Jane's eyes, mouth, and forehead as indicators of her personality and fate.
What narrative technique does Bronte use when the gypsy speaks in extended passages about Jane's face?
Interior monologue or soliloquy-like speech, where Rochester (as the gypsy) essentially speaks his private thoughts aloud, revealing his deepening feelings for Jane through the guise of fortune-telling.
What is Jane's stated ambition for her future when the gypsy asks about her hopes?
Jane says she hopes to save enough money from her earnings to set up a school someday in a little house rented by herself.
Why does Jane initially suspect Grace Poole rather than Rochester as the gypsy?
Because the gypsy mentions being acquainted with Mrs. Poole, and Jane has been preoccupied with Grace Poole as "that living enigma, that mystery of mysteries" connected to Thornfield's secrets.