Chapter V Quiz — Ethan Frome

What scene does Ethan find when he returns to the kitchen after checking on the cows?

• Mattie has gone to bed early
• Mattie is sewing by the lamp with his chair pushed to the stove
• Mattie is reading one of his science books
• Mattie is washing dishes at the sink

What happens when Mattie sits in Zeena's rocking chair?

• Ethan asks her to move because the chair is uncomfortable
• The cat hisses at her and she moves
• Ethan has a momentary shock, seeing Zeena's face superimposed over Mattie's
• Mattie begins to cry, reminded of her dead mother

Who does Ethan say he saw being kissed under the Varnum spruces?

• Denis Eady and Mattie Silver
• Ruth Varnum and Ned Hale
• Lawyer Varnum and his wife
• Andrew Hale and his daughter

What danger does Ethan warn about on the Corbury road?

• A frozen stream that cracks under the weight of a sled
• A steep drop-off into a ravine
• An ugly corner by a big elm tree that a careless rider could hit
• A section where the road narrows between two rock walls

What does Ethan kiss at the end of the evening?

• Mattie's hand as she reaches across the table
• Mattie's forehead as she stands to leave
• The strip of fabric Mattie has been sewing
• A lock of Mattie's hair

What causes the empty rocking chair to start rocking by itself?

• A gust of wind from the opened stove door
• Ethan bumps it as he repositions his own chair
• The cat jumps out of it to chase a mouse in the wainscot
• Mattie pushes it aside to move the geraniums

Why does Mattie pronounce the word "married" as if her voice caressed it?

• She is mocking the idea of marriage after seeing Zeena's unhappiness
• The word represents an enchanting possibility that she longs for
• She is being sarcastic about Ruth and Ned's relationship
• She is trying to make Ethan jealous of Denis Eady

What thought does the spectral rocking of the chair produce in Ethan?

• He believes the house is haunted by a former occupant
• He thinks Zeena has returned early from her trip
• He realizes Zeena will be back tomorrow and this is their only evening alone
• He decides he must confess his feelings to Mattie immediately

Ethan and Mattie go coasting on the Corbury road during Chapter V.

Mattie asks Ethan whether Zeena has anything against her.

In the sentence "he was too indolent to move," what does "indolent" mean?

• Angry or irritated
• Lazy or disinclined to exert oneself
• Frightened or anxious
• Confused or disoriented

What does "spectral" mean in the phrase "the empty chair had set up a spectral rocking"?

• Colorful or vivid
• Loud and rhythmic
• Ghostlike or resembling a specter
• Gentle and soothing

In "the face of the superseded woman," what does "superseded" mean?

• Beloved and cherished
• Replaced or set aside by someone else
• Mysterious and unknown
• Elderly and weakened