Chapter XVI Quiz — The Awakening

Who asks Edna if she misses Robert at the beginning of Chapter XVI?

• Madame Lebrun
• Madame Ratignolle
• Mademoiselle Reisz
• Mr. Pontellier

What has become Edna’s primary source of pleasure since Robert’s departure?

• Playing the piano
• Swimming in the sea
• Painting on the gallery
• Reading novels in her cottage

Where does Edna find Robert’s letter?

• On the mantelpiece
• On the dresser
• On the bookshelf
• On the dining table

Robert’s letter contains a long personal message addressed directly to Edna.

What metaphor does Chopin use to describe Edna’s existence without Robert?

• A ship without a rudder
• A faded garment no longer worth wearing
• A candle burning at both ends
• A bird with a broken wing

Edna feels embarrassed about discussing Robert openly with her husband.

What does Edna say she would never sacrifice for her children?

• Her money
• Her life
• Herself
• Her freedom to travel

Madame Ratignolle fully understands and agrees with Edna’s distinction between giving one’s life and giving oneself.

According to Mademoiselle Reisz, who is Madame Lebrun’s actual favorite son?

• Robert
• Victor
• Neither—she treats them equally
• A third son not mentioned by name

Why did Robert once give Victor a thrashing?

• Victor stole money from the family business
• Victor insulted Mademoiselle Reisz at a dinner party
• Victor became abusive when he found Robert with Mariequita
• Victor broke Robert’s piano in a fit of anger

In the sentence "Edna plunged and swam about with an abandon that thrilled and invigorated her," what does "abandon" mean?

• An act of leaving something behind
• Complete lack of inhibition or restraint
• A feeling of sadness and loss
• A conscious decision to give up

Mademoiselle Reisz gives Edna her city address before leaving Grand Isle.

When Chopin writes that Mademoiselle Reisz’s chocolates "contained much nutriment in small compass," what does "compass" mean?

• A navigational instrument
• A limited space or volume
• A circular boundary
• A sense of moral direction

How does Mademoiselle Reisz describe the summer at Grand Isle?

• The best summer she has ever spent
• Rather pleasant, if not for the mosquitoes and the Farival twins
• Entirely unbearable from beginning to end
• Tolerable only because of Edna’s company