PART ONE: CHAPTER EIGHT - Jo Meets Apollyon Practice Quiz — Little Women
by Louisa May Alcott — tap or click to flip
Practice Quiz: PART ONE: CHAPTER EIGHT - Jo Meets Apollyon
Where do Jo and Meg go with Laurie that Amy is excluded from?
They go to the theater to see The Seven Castles of the Diamond Lake, a fairy piece with sparkling elves and gorgeous princes and princesses.
What does Amy threaten as Jo and Meg leave for the theater?
Amy calls over the banisters, "You'll be sorry for this, Jo March, see if you ain't."
What does Amy do to get revenge on Jo?
Amy burns Jo's manuscript — a collection of fairy tales Jo had spent years writing and had just finished copying as a clean manuscript.
Why is the loss of Jo's manuscript so devastating?
Jo had destroyed the original drafts after making her fair copy, so Amy's bonfire consumed the only version of several years of creative work. It could never be rewritten.
How does Jo respond when Amy apologizes at the tea table?
Jo says "I never shall forgive you" and ignores Amy entirely from that moment on.
What happens when Amy follows Jo and Laurie to go ice-skating?
Amy skates toward the smoother ice in the middle of the river, falls through the rotten ice into the freezing water, and is rescued by Laurie with Jo's help.
What warning does Laurie shout that Amy does not hear?
Laurie shouts "Keep near the shore. It isn't safe in the middle" as he rounds the bend to check the ice.
How do Jo and Laurie rescue Amy from the river?
Laurie lies flat on the ice and holds Amy up with his arm and hockey stick, while Jo drags a rail from a fence. Together they pull Amy out of the water.
What is Jo's "bosom enemy" as described in this chapter?
Jo's bosom enemy is her fierce, quick temper. Her anger flares up violently, and although it never lasts long, it continually gets her into trouble.
What surprising confession does Marmee make to Jo after Amy's rescue?
Marmee reveals that she has the same fiery temper as Jo and has been trying to control it for forty years. She says she is angry nearly every day of her life.
How does Mr. March help Marmee control her temper?
When Marmee is about to lose her temper, Mr. March puts his finger on his lips and gives her a kind but sober look, reminding her to stay calm.
What role does Laurie play in the ice-skating crisis?
Laurie is the hero of the rescue. He is "quite self-possessed," rushing to Amy and holding her above the water while directing Jo to bring a rail from the fence.
How does Meg advise Amy to reconcile with Jo?
Meg tells Amy to follow Jo and Laurie, wait until Jo is in a good mood, then "take a quiet minute and just kiss her, or do some kind thing."
What biblical lesson does Marmee give Jo about anger?
Marmee whispers, "Don't let the sun go down upon your anger. Forgive each other, help each other, and begin again tomorrow."
What does Jo learn about moral growth from her mother's example?
Jo learns that conquering one's temper is a lifelong process, not a single victory. Marmee has struggled for forty years and still works at it every day.
How does the chapter connect personal anger to physical danger?
Jo's refusal to forgive leads directly to Amy's near-drowning. Jo hears the warning about thin ice but lets her anger prevent her from alerting Amy, showing that unchecked anger can have life-threatening consequences.
What does the chapter suggest about the relationship between forgiveness and love?
The chapter shows that forgiveness is essential to preserving family bonds. Jo's refusal to forgive fractures the household peace, while the final embrace between the sisters restores harmony and love.
What is the significance of the chapter title "Jo Meets Apollyon"?
Apollyon is the demonic antagonist in The Pilgrim's Progress whose name means "Destroyer" in Greek. The allusion frames Jo's battle with her temper as a spiritual struggle against a destructive inner force.
How does Alcott use personification to externalize Jo's inner conflict?
Jo's anger is personified as a "little demon" that whispers in her ear, "No matter whether she heard or not, let her take care of herself." This makes her moral struggle vivid and dramatic.
What does the rotten ice symbolize in this chapter?
The rotten ice symbolizes the fragility of relationships and safety when anger and resentment are left unchecked. Just as the ice gives way beneath Amy, the bonds between the sisters crack under the weight of unforgiven wrongs.
What does "bridled up" mean as used in this chapter?
To bridle up means to show anger or resentment by drawing oneself up stiffly, like a horse pulling against its bridle. Amy "bridled up" when Jo told her little girls shouldn't ask questions.
What does "refractory" mean as used in the phrase "refractory buckles"?
Refractory means stubbornly resistant to control or authority. The "refractory buckles" on Laurie's skates refuse to cooperate as he frantically tries to remove them during Amy's rescue.
Who says: "It's my dreadful temper! I try to cure it, I think I have, and then it breaks out worse than ever"?
Jo says this to her mother after Amy's rescue, sobbing in a passion of penitent tears as she confesses how her anger nearly led to tragedy.
Who says: "I've been trying to cure it for forty years, and have only succeeded in controlling it"?
Marmee (Mrs. March) says this to Jo, revealing that she struggles with the same fierce temper and that self-control is a lifelong effort.
Who says: "I let the sun go down on my anger. I wouldn't forgive her, and today, if it hadn't been for Laurie, it might have been too late"?
Jo says this half aloud as she watches Amy sleep after the rescue, recognizing with remorse that her stubbornness nearly cost her sister's life.