Chapter XXXIV Practice Quiz — The Awakening
by Kate Chopin — tap or click to flip
Practice Quiz: Chapter XXXIV
Where does the dinner in Chapter XXXIV take place?
In Edna's very small dining room at the pigeon house, so small that her round mahogany table would have almost filled it.
Who is Celestine?
An old servant who hobbles in and out during dinner, wearing a bandana tignon on her head. She has known Robert since he was a boy and chats with him in patois.
What does Robert talk about over dinner?
He relates incidents from his sojourn in Mexico, while Edna shares events that occurred during his absence.
Why does Robert step out briefly after dinner?
He goes to a neighboring cigar stand to purchase cigarette papers.
What object triggers Edna's jealousy in this chapter?
An embroidered silk tobacco pouch on the table, "evidently the handiwork of a woman," which replaced Robert's old rubber pouch.
Who gave Robert the embroidered tobacco pouch?
A girl from Vera Cruz, Mexico. Robert says the women there "are very generous."
How does Robert describe the woman who gave him the pouch?
He calls her "very ordinary" and says she "wasn't of the slightest importance," deliberately downplaying the connection.
What simile does Robert use to dismiss the Mexican girl's significance?
"There are some people who leave impressions not so lasting as the imprint of an oar upon the water."
Why does Arobin visit Edna's house?
He brings a message from Mrs. Merriman that the card party has been postponed because one of her children is ill.
How does Arobin greet Robert?
With casual surprise: "Oh! Lebrun. To be sure! I heard yesterday you were back. How did they treat you down in Mexique?"
What does Edna say to needle Robert in front of Arobin?
When Arobin says he did not receive embroidered gifts from Mexican women, Edna remarks: "You were less fortunate than Robert, then."
What formal parting request does Robert make as he leaves?
He asks Edna to "please convey my regards to Mr. Pontellier when you write," reasserting the social reality of her marriage.
What does Arobin call Robert after he leaves?
"Fine fellow, that Lebrun." He also says he has never heard Edna speak of him.
What does Edna do with Arobin's photograph?
She offers it back to him, and when he says "Throw it away," she tosses it back on the table, suggesting the superficiality of their relationship.
What does Arobin say to profess his feelings before leaving?
"I only live when I am near you." He then says "Good night. I adore you. Sleep well" and kisses her hand.
How does Edna respond to Arobin's declaration of love?
With emotional indifference. There are "no warm lights in her eyes; only a dreamy, absent look" — her mind is entirely on Robert.
What is the irony of Edna's jealousy over the Mexican girl?
Edna is tormented by the possibility that Robert had a romantic connection in Mexico, yet she herself has been having an affair with Arobin.
What is the paradox at the end of Chapter XXXIV?
Edna feels that Robert "had seemed nearer to her off there in Mexico" than he does now that he is physically present. Physical closeness has not produced emotional intimacy.
What does Edna do after both men leave?
She sits alone in "a kind of reverie — a sort of stupor," mentally reliving every instant with Robert since meeting him at Mademoiselle Reisz's door.
How does the chapter describe Edna's emotional hunger?
She reflects that Robert's words and looks were "few and meager" for her "hungry heart."
What vision torments Edna at the end of the chapter?
A "transcendently seductive vision of a Mexican girl" that makes her writhe with jealous pain.
What role does Robert's mention of Mr. Pontellier serve?
It functions as a social boundary marker. By invoking Edna's husband, Robert signals his unwillingness to openly violate the conventions of marriage.