Chapter XXXVII Quiz — The Awakening

by Kate Chopin

Comprehension Quiz: Chapter XXXVII

What is Monsieur Ratignolle doing when Edna arrives at the drug store?

  • Pacing nervously and waiting for the doctor
  • Carefully mixing a red liquid medicine
  • Attending to a customer at the counter
  • Reading a telegram from Adele's sister

Why was Adele Ratignolle inconsolable before Edna's arrival?

  • Dr. Mandelet had told her there might be complications
  • Léonce Pontellier had refused to send Edna
  • Her sister could not travel from the plantation to be with her
  • The nurse had been dismissed for incompetence

How does Chopin describe Adele's braided hair as she lies on the sofa?

  • Spread across the pillow like rays of sunlight
  • Coiled like a golden serpent
  • Twisted like a rope of spun gold
  • Draped over the arm of the sofa like silk

What biblical allusion does the serpent imagery in Adele's hair create?

  • Moses and the bronze serpent that healed the Israelites
  • The serpent in Eden whose temptation led to the curse of painful childbirth
  • The serpent that guards the Tree of Life in Revelation
  • Medusa, whose snake hair turned men to stone

What does the nurse Josephine refuse to do during Adele's labor?

  • Leave the room to fetch Dr. Mandelet
  • Allow Edna to stay in the room
  • Take the situation too seriously
  • Give Adele any more chloroform

What sensory details does Edna recall from her own childbirth experiences?

  • The sound of her husband's voice and the warmth of a blanket
  • An ecstasy of pain, the heavy odor of chloroform, and a deadening stupor
  • The cold metal instruments and the doctor's calm commands
  • Sharp light, antiseptic smell, and her mother's hand

How does Edna describe the new lives she brought into the world?

  • As precious gifts that changed her life forever
  • As strangers she was expected to love immediately
  • As additions to "the great unnumbered multitude of souls that come and go"
  • As burdens placed upon her by her husband

What phrase does Chopin use to describe Edna's reaction to witnessing the birth?

  • "A quiet desperation settled over her soul"
  • "With an inward agony, with a flaming, outspoken revolt against the ways of Nature"
  • "She felt her spirit drain away like water through sand"
  • "A trembling seized her, born of fear and awe combined"

Why does Edna stay through the entire childbirth despite wanting to leave?

  • Dr. Mandelet specifically asks her to remain as a medical assistant
  • She fears Monsieur Ratignolle will think poorly of her if she leaves
  • Adele threatens to harm herself if Edna goes
  • She contemplates leaving but something compels her to stay and witness the ordeal

What are Adele's final words to Edna in this chapter?

  • "Promise me you will not leave Léonce, Edna."
  • "Think of the children, Edna. Oh think of the children! Remember them!"
  • "You must be stronger than I am, Edna. Do not give in."
  • "Tell Robert I understand. Tell him I forgive you both."

What does Adele's warning to Edna reveal about Adele's awareness?

  • She knows Edna has been spending money recklessly
  • She senses Edna's pursuit of freedom may endanger her children's welfare
  • She has learned that Léonce plans to divorce Edna
  • She worries Edna will move to another city and abandon the children

What is Edna's emotional state as she leaves the Ratignolle home?

  • Relieved and eager to return to Robert
  • Angry at Adele for the manipulative warning
  • Still stunned and speechless with emotion
  • Calm and resolute about her future plans

Comprehension Quiz

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