Chapter 42 Practice Quiz — Pride and Prejudice
by Jane Austen — tap or click to flip
Practice Quiz: Chapter 42
Why did Mr. Bennet marry Mrs. Bennet, according to Elizabeth's analysis?
He was "captivated by youth and beauty, and that appearance of good humour which youth and beauty generally give." He married for physical attraction without considering character, and when her weak understanding became apparent, all respect and affection vanished.
How does Mr. Bennet cope with his unhappy marriage?
Rather than seeking comfort in "pleasures which too often console the unfortunate for their folly or their vice," he retreats into his love of the country and books. He derives his chief amusement from his wife's ignorance and folly -- a habit Elizabeth finds reprehensible.
What new awareness does Elizabeth have about her father in this chapter?
She recognizes more strongly than ever "the disadvantages which must attend the children of so unsuitable a marriage." She sees that Mr. Bennet's talents, "rightly used, might at least have preserved the respectability of his daughters, even if incapable of enlarging the mind of his wife."
What are Lydia's letters from Brighton like?
Her letters to her mother are "always long expected, and always very short," filled with trivial reports about the library, officers, and new clothes. Her letters to Kitty are longer but "much too full of lines under the words to be made public."
What philosophical observation does Elizabeth make about anticipated happiness?
She finds that "an event to which she had been looking with impatient desire did not, in taking place, bring all the satisfaction she had promised herself." She concludes that "general disappointment is only warded off by the defence of some little peculiar vexation."
Why is the tour changed from the Lakes to Derbyshire?
Mr. Gardiner's business delays their departure by a fortnight, and he must return to London within a month. The shortened timeframe makes the Lake District too far, so they substitute Derbyshire, which has a special attraction for Mrs. Gardiner -- she once lived in Lambton.
What is Elizabeth's private reaction to hearing the tour will go to Derbyshire?
"It was impossible for her to see the word without thinking of Pemberley and its owner." She tells herself she may enter the county "without impunity" and jokes about robbing it of "a few petrified spars" without Darcy perceiving her.
What famous landmarks does the traveling party pass through?
They travel through Oxford, Blenheim, Warwick, Kenilworth, and Birmingham before reaching Derbyshire. Austen notes these are "sufficiently known" and declines to describe them.
How far is Pemberley from Lambton?
Within five miles. It is "not in their direct road, nor more than a mile or two out of it."
How does Elizabeth try to avoid visiting Pemberley?
She claims she is "tired of seeing great houses" and "really had no pleasure in fine carpets or satin curtains." When her aunt persists, praising the grounds and woods, Elizabeth privately resolves to inquire whether the Darcy family is in residence before agreeing.
What does Mrs. Gardiner say to persuade Elizabeth to visit Pemberley?
"If it were merely a fine house richly furnished, I should not care about it myself; but the grounds are delightful. They have some of the finest woods in the country." She also reminds Elizabeth that Wickham passed all his youth there.
How does Elizabeth confirm that Darcy will not be at Pemberley?
She asks the chambermaid at their inn whether Pemberley is a fine place, what the proprietor's name is, and "with no little alarm, whether the family were down for the summer." A "most welcome negative" to the last question removes her fears.
Who are the Gardiner children, and who looks after them?
The Gardiners have four children: two girls of six and eight and two younger boys. They are left under the care of cousin Jane, "the general favourite," whose "steady sense and sweetness of temper exactly adapted her for attending to them."
What does Mrs. Bennet's "usual querulous serenity" mean?
It is an oxymoron describing Mrs. Bennet's characteristic state: outwardly calm (serene) but perpetually complaining (querulous). After Lydia's departure, Longbourn gradually returns to normal, which for Mrs. Bennet means her habitual mixture of contentment and grumbling.