Chapter 27 Practice Quiz — Pride and Prejudice
by Jane Austen — tap or click to flip
Practice Quiz: Chapter 27
Where is Elizabeth traveling to at the start of Chapter 27, and whom is she going to visit?
She is traveling to Hunsford in Kent to visit Charlotte Collins (nee Lucas), who married Mr. Collins and lives near Lady Catherine de Bourgh's estate at Rosings.
What two factors softened Elizabeth's feelings about visiting Hunsford?
Absence "increased her desire of seeing Charlotte again, and weakened her disgust of Mr. Collins." Novelty and escape from home also made the trip appealing.
Who are Elizabeth's traveling companions on the journey to Hunsford?
Sir William Lucas and his second daughter Maria. Elizabeth finds them empty-headed and boring -- their conversation has "about as much delight as the rattle of the chaise."
How does Mr. Bennet react to Elizabeth's departure?
He dislikes her going, tells her to write to him, and "almost promised to answer her letter" -- a quietly affectionate farewell that shows his special regard for Elizabeth among his daughters.
How does Elizabeth view Wickham at their farewell?
She parts from him "convinced that, whether married or single, he must always be her model of the amiable and pleasing" -- a judgment loaded with dramatic irony given his true character.
What does Wickham remind Elizabeth to expect from Lady Catherine de Bourgh?
He reminds her of what she is "to expect in Lady Catherine de Bourgh" and trusts that their opinions of her -- "their opinion of everybody" -- would always coincide, flattering Elizabeth with the presumption of shared judgment.
Where does Elizabeth stop on the way to Hunsford, and why?
She spends a night in London at the Gardiners' house in Gracechurch Street, which gives her a chance to see Jane.
How does Jane appear when Elizabeth arrives at the Gardiners' home?
Jane is at the drawing-room window watching for their arrival and looks "healthful and lovely as ever," though privately she still experiences "periods of dejection."
What news does Mrs. Gardiner share about Miss Bingley's visit to Jane?
Mrs. Gardiner gives the particulars of Miss Bingley's cold visit in Gracechurch Street, proving that Jane had "from her heart, given up the acquaintance" with the Bingleys.
What rhetorical question does Elizabeth ask about Wickham pursuing Miss King?
"What is the difference in matrimonial affairs, between the mercenary and the prudent motive? Where does discretion end, and avarice begin?" She defends Wickham's practical pursuit of a woman with ten thousand pounds.
How does Mrs. Gardiner respond to Elizabeth's spirited defense of Wickham?
She warns Elizabeth: "Take care, Lizzy; that speech savours strongly of disappointment" -- gently suggesting Elizabeth is more affected by Wickham's defection than she admits.
What does Elizabeth say about stupid men at the end of her conversation with Mrs. Gardiner?
She declares she is going somewhere she "shall find a man who has not one agreeable quality" (meaning Mr. Collins) and that "stupid men are the only ones worth knowing, after all" -- a witty expression of frustration.
What invitation does Mrs. Gardiner extend to Elizabeth at the end of the chapter?
Mrs. Gardiner invites Elizabeth to join her and Mr. Gardiner on a summer tour of pleasure, possibly to the Lakes (the Lake District in northern England).
How does Elizabeth respond to the Lakes tour invitation?
With rapturous enthusiasm: "What delight! what felicity! You give me fresh life and vigour. Adieu to disappointment and spleen. What are young men to rocks and mountains?"
Why is the proposed Lakes tour significant for the larger plot of the novel?
The planned tour will eventually be redirected to Derbyshire (Darcy's home county), leading to Elizabeth's visit to Pemberley -- the turning point of the novel where her feelings toward Darcy begin to change.
What does Elizabeth promise about how she and the Gardiners will travel differently from other tourists?
She vows they will know where they have gone, recollect what they have seen, and not jumble "lakes, mountains, and rivers" together. Their "first effusions" will be "less insupportable than those of the generality of travellers."
What literary device does Austen use in Elizabeth's farewell assessment of Wickham?
Dramatic irony -- Elizabeth sincerely believes Wickham is her "model of the amiable and pleasing," but readers will soon learn he is deceptive and dishonorable, making her judgment deeply mistaken.
How does Austen satirize Sir William Lucas and Maria as traveling companions?
She describes them as having "nothing to say that could be worth hearing" and being "listened to with about as much delight as the rattle of the chaise," comparing their conversation to the noise of the carriage wheels.