Chapter XXXII Practice Quiz — Jane Eyre
by Charlotte Bronte — tap or click to flip
Practice Quiz: Chapter XXXII
What is Jane’s occupation at the start of Chapter XXXII?
She is working as the village schoolmistress at Morton.
What does Jane initially think of her students?
She finds them wholly untaught, with torpid faculties, and considers them hopelessly dull at first sight.
How does Jane’s opinion of her students change over time?
She discovers differences among them, finds many are sharp-witted, obliging, and amiable, and takes honest pride in their rapid progress.
What does Jane dream about every night?
She dreams vividly of Mr. Rochester—being in his arms, hearing his voice, and hoping for a lifetime at his side.
How does Rosamond Oliver typically arrive at the school?
She canters up to the door on her pony, followed by a mounted livery servant, wearing a purple riding habit and black velvet Amazon’s cap.
What does Rosamond discover in Jane’s cottage?
She finds two French books, a volume of Schiller, a German grammar and dictionary, drawing materials, and several sketches.
What does Rosamond commission Jane to do?
She asks Jane to sketch her portrait to show to her father.
What book does St. John bring Jane on the holiday?
He brings her a copy of Marmion, a poem by Sir Walter Scott.
How long does St. John allow himself to fantasize about marrying Rosamond?
Exactly fifteen minutes—he takes out his watch and lays it on the table to time himself.
What does St. John tear from Jane’s drawing paper before leaving?
He tears a narrow strip from the margin of the thin paper Jane uses to rest her hand while painting.
How does St. John describe himself when Jane presses him about his feelings?
He says he is “a cold, hard, ambitious man” guided by reason rather than feeling, with unlimited ambition.
Why does St. John say Rosamond would not make him a good wife?
He believes she could not sympathize with his aspirations or cooperate in his missionary work—she is not suited to be a sufferer, labourer, or female apostle.
How does Jane describe Rosamond’s character?
Coquettish but not heartless, exacting but not selfishly so, hasty but good-humoured, vain but not affected, liberal-handed, ingenuous, and sufficiently intelligent.
What does Mr. Oliver think about St. John Rivers?
He speaks of him with great respect, considers his family name old and distinguished, and thinks it a pity St. John plans to become a missionary.
How does Jane describe her own boldness in confronting St. John?
She says she could never rest in communication with strong, refined minds until she had passed the outworks of conventional reserve and won a place by their heart’s very hearthstone.
What central conflict does St. John embody in this chapter?
The conflict between earthly love and religious duty—he loves Rosamond passionately but refuses to sacrifice his missionary calling for domestic happiness.
How does the chapter illustrate the theme of repressed desire?
Both Jane and St. John suppress powerful longings: Jane dreams of Rochester at night but is composed by morning, while St. John allows himself only a timed fantasy before reasserting self-control.
What role does art play in this chapter?
Jane’s portrait of Rosamond serves as a catalyst for St. John’s emotional vulnerability, and Brontë includes a metafictional aside defending the enduring power of poetry and genius.
What metaphor does St. John use to describe the effect of love on his missionary plans?
He compares love to a “nectarous flood” that deluges and drowns the “young germs” of his self-denying plans, calling it a “delicious poison.”
What is the dramatic irony of Jane urging St. John to marry Rosamond?
Jane advocates for a marriage of love while she herself has had to abandon her own love match with Rochester.
What foreshadowing occurs at the end of the chapter?
St. John’s mysterious reaction to something on Jane’s drawing paper and his tearing off a strip foreshadow his discovery of her true identity in the next chapter.
What date is mentioned in the chapter, and what holiday falls on it?
The 5th of November, which is Guy Fawkes Day—a public holiday in England.
What does St. John mean by the Latin phrase “Cui bono?”?
It means “To what good?” or “What is the point?”—he uses it to reject Jane’s offer to paint a copy of Rosamond’s portrait for him.
What does Rosamond call Jane in her comparison to St. John?
She calls Jane a “lusus naturae” (a freak of nature) as a village schoolmistress, meaning Jane is far too accomplished for the role.
What does St. John mean when he calls Rosamond “the Rose of the World”?
He is referencing the meaning of her name—Rosamond derives from the Latin “rosa mundi,” meaning “rose of the world.”