Chapter 40 Practice Quiz — Pride and Prejudice
by Jane Austen — tap or click to flip
Practice Quiz: Chapter 40
What does Elizabeth tell Jane about the morning after her return?
She relates "the chief of the scene between Mr. Darcy and herself" -- his proposal and her refusal -- but suppresses every particular involving Jane's relationship with Bingley.
How does Jane initially react to learning about Darcy's proposal?
Her astonishment is "soon lessened by the strong sisterly partiality which made any admiration of Elizabeth appear perfectly natural." She is sorry Darcy expressed himself so poorly and grieved for the unhappiness Elizabeth's refusal must have caused him.
What does Jane say about Darcy's confidence in being accepted?
"His being so sure of succeeding was wrong, and certainly ought not to have appeared; but consider how much it must increase his disappointment!" She criticizes his presumption but sympathizes with his pain.
What part of Darcy's letter does Elizabeth share with Jane?
She repeats the contents concerning George Wickham -- his wasted inheritance, dissolute life, and attempted elopement with Georgiana Darcy. She withholds everything about Bingley and Jane.
How does Jane try to respond to the revelations about Wickham?
She "earnestly did labour to prove the probability of error, and seek to clear the one without involving the other." She desperately tries to find a way to believe well of both Darcy and Wickham simultaneously.
What does Elizabeth say about the "quantity of merit" between Darcy and Wickham?
"There is but such a quantity of merit between them; just enough to make one good sort of man; and of late it has been shifting about pretty much." She tells Jane she must choose one to believe and cannot defend both.
What famous observation does Elizabeth make about Darcy versus Wickham?
"One has got all the goodness, and the other all the appearance of it." Darcy has genuine virtue but poor social charm, while Wickham has a pleasing manner that masks his dishonesty.
How does Jane respond to Elizabeth's observation about goodness vs. appearance?
"I never thought Mr. Darcy so deficient in the appearance of it as you used to do." Jane has always been more charitable toward Darcy than Elizabeth was, seeing past his reserved manner.
What does Elizabeth admit about her former dislike of Darcy?
She confesses she "meant to be uncommonly clever in taking so decided a dislike to him, without any reason." She acknowledges that mocking him was driven by prejudice rather than genuine insight, calling it "a spur to one's genius" and "an opening for wit."
What does Elizabeth say about her emotional state after first reading Darcy's letter?
"I was uncomfortable enough, I may say unhappy. And with no one to speak to about what I felt, no Jane to comfort me and say that I had not been so very weak and vain and nonsensical as I knew I had!"
What advice does Elizabeth seek from Jane regarding Wickham?
She asks whether she ought to "make our acquaintances in general understand Wickham's character" -- whether to expose him publicly. Jane pauses and asks Elizabeth's own opinion first.
Why does Elizabeth decide not to expose Wickham?
Darcy did not authorize his letter to be made public; the details about Georgiana must stay private; the general prejudice against Darcy is so violent no one would believe Elizabeth; and Wickham will soon leave with the regiment anyway.
What is Jane's charitable reason for not exposing Wickham?
"He is now, perhaps, sorry for what he has done, and anxious to re-establish a character. We must not make him desperate." She hopes Wickham might reform if given the chance.
What secret does Elizabeth still keep from Jane after their conversation?
She cannot reveal the other half of Darcy's letter -- that Bingley loved Jane and was persuaded to separate from her. She believes only "a perfect understanding between the parties" could justify sharing it.
What is Jane's emotional state when Elizabeth observes her at home?
Jane is "not happy." She still cherishes a tender affection for Bingley with "all the warmth of first attachment," preferring him to every other man and using all her good sense to suppress regrets that would injure her health.
What does Mrs. Bennet say about Bingley after declaring she will never speak of him again?
She immediately calls him "a very undeserving young man," says Jane has no chance of getting him, and predicts "Jane will die of a broken heart; and then he will be sorry for what he has done." She contradicts her resolution in the same breath.
What does Mrs. Bennet suggest about the Collinses and Longbourn?
She bitterly speculates that the Collinses "often talk of having Longbourn when your father is dead" and says she would "be ashamed of having one that was only entailed on me" -- referring to the entail that will pass the Bennet estate to Mr. Collins.
What does Elizabeth mean by saying "the liberty of communication cannot be mine till it has lost all its value"?
She means she can only tell Jane about Bingley's true feelings once Bingley has already told Jane himself -- at which point her information would be redundant. The knowledge has value only while it remains a secret she cannot share.
How does Elizabeth describe the natural consequence of speaking bitterly about Wickham to Darcy?
"The misfortune of speaking with bitterness is a most natural consequence of the prejudices I had been encouraging." She takes responsibility for her harsh words, acknowledging they sprang from cultivated prejudice rather than justified anger.