Chapter VIII Quiz — Ethan Frome

by Edith Wharton

Comprehension Quiz: Chapter VIII

What does Mattie write on the scrap of paper she leaves for Ethan?

  • I will wait for you
  • Don’t trouble, Ethan
  • Meet me at the Flats
  • Goodbye, dear Ethan

What inspires Ethan’s plan to elope with Mattie?

  • A letter from a friend out West encouraging him to come
  • A story about a man who left his wife, went West, and prospered
  • Mattie’s suggestion that they run away together
  • An advertisement for cheap farmland in California

Why does Ethan stop writing his farewell letter to Zeena?

  • Mattie tells him not to leave
  • He realizes the farm is mortgaged and he cannot afford train fare
  • Zeena discovers him writing it
  • Jotham Powell convinces him to stay

What household item does Ethan fling across the room in frustration?

  • Mattie’s red scarf
  • His unfinished letter to Zeena
  • A cushion Zeena made during their engagement
  • The seedsman’s catalogue

What excuse does Ethan plan to give Andrew Hale for needing money?

  • He needs to pay for Mattie’s train ticket
  • He wants to invest in new farm equipment
  • Zeena’s illness makes it necessary to hire a servant
  • He needs to pay off the mortgage on the mill

What does Mrs. Hale say that ultimately changes Ethan’s mind?

  • "Zeena told me everything about your plans"
  • "You’ve had an awful mean time, Ethan Frome"
  • "Mr. Hale can’t lend you any money right now"
  • "Mattie should stay with you, not leave"

What arrangement does Jotham Powell announce for Mattie’s departure?

  • Ethan will drive Mattie to the train station himself
  • Daniel Byrne will take Mattie’s trunk to the Flats, and Jotham will take Mattie by sleigh
  • Mattie will walk to the Flats to catch the morning train
  • Zeena will accompany Mattie to Stamford

Ethan successfully borrows money from Andrew Hale.

  • True
  • False

Mattie stayed awake all night listening for Ethan’s footsteps.

  • True
  • False

Zeena confronts Ethan directly about his plan to leave with Mattie.

  • True
  • False

Ethan begins writing a farewell letter to Zeena but never finishes it.

  • True
  • False

In the sentence "The inexorable facts closed in on him like prison-warders handcuffing a convict," what does "inexorable" mean?

  • Easily changed or flexible
  • Impossible to stop or prevent; relentless
  • Slightly inconvenient but manageable
  • Surprising and unexpected

What does "querulous" mean when Ethan thinks of spending his life beside "a bitter querulous woman"?

  • Curious and questioning
  • Quiet and reserved
  • Whining and complaining in a petulant way
  • Deeply religious and pious

When Wharton writes that Ethan considered "the ebullition of passions in his breast," what does "ebullition" mean?

  • A gradual decline or fading
  • A calm and measured response
  • A sudden, intense outpouring of emotion
  • A careful analysis or evaluation

Comprehension Quiz

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