PART ONE: CHAPTER EIGHTEEN - Dark Days Practice Quiz — Little Women
by Louisa May Alcott — tap or click to flip
Practice Quiz: PART ONE: CHAPTER EIGHTEEN - Dark Days
What illness does Beth contract in Chapter 18?
Beth contracts scarlet fever, which she caught from the Hummel family in a previous chapter.
Why does Hannah initially refuse to notify Mrs. March about Beth's illness?
Hannah dismisses the illness as "sech a trifle" and insists on managing things herself, not wanting to worry Mrs. March while she is caring for her sick husband in Washington.
What does Dr. Bangs say on December 1 that triggers the crisis?
After examining Beth, Dr. Bangs tells Hannah, "If Mrs. March can leave her husband she'd better be sent for," signaling that Beth's condition may be fatal.
How does Laurie arrange for Marmee to come home?
Laurie secretly telegraphs Mrs. March the day before, defying Hannah's authority. Mr. Brooke replies that she will come at once on the late train arriving at two in the morning.
What does Jo mistakenly believe when she sees Meg kneeling by the chair after two o'clock?
Jo believes Beth has died and that Meg is afraid to tell her. In reality, Beth's fever has broken and she is sleeping naturally.
What news from Washington compounds the family's distress during Beth's illness?
A letter arrives reporting that Mr. March has had a relapse and cannot come home for a long while, leaving the sisters without either parent.
How does Hannah confirm that Beth's fever has broken?
Hannah feels Beth's hands, listens at her lips, and declares: "The fever's turned, she's sleepin' nat'ral, her skin's damp, and she breathes easy."
What does Jo confess to Laurie about her spiritual state during Beth's illness?
Jo tells Laurie, "Mother and father both gone, and God seems so far away I can't find Him," revealing her crisis of faith and deep despair.
Why does Jo call Beth her "conscience"?
Jo recognizes that Beth's gentle, selfless nature serves as a moral guide for her, tempering Jo's impulsiveness and ambition with an example of quiet virtue.
How does Meg's perspective on wealth change during Beth's illness?
Meg realizes she has been rich in "love, protection, peace, and health, the real blessings of life," recognizing these as more precious than any luxuries money could buy.
What does Mr. Laurence do during the night vigil, and why?
Mr. Laurence marches to and fro in the parlor, feeling he would "rather face a rebel battery than Mrs. March's countenance" -- dreading her reaction to the delayed notification.
How does Amy respond to Beth's illness from her exile at Aunt March's?
Amy longs to be home to help, remembering with regretful grief how many tasks Beth had done for her, and feeling that no service would be too hard or irksome.
What is the central theme of Chapter 18, "Dark Days"?
The central theme is recognizing life's true blessings through the threat of loss. Each sister gains clarity about what matters most when confronted with Beth's possible death.
How does Chapter 18 explore the theme of faith tested by suffering?
Jo confesses she cannot find God, while both sisters make desperate bargains at midnight. Alcott suggests that human connection -- Laurie's comforting hand -- can lead one "nearer to the Divine arm."
What does Chapter 18 suggest about the power of presence over words?
When Laurie silently holds Jo's hand and strokes her hair, it proves "far more soothing than the most eloquent words," showing that comfort comes through human connection rather than speech.
How does Beth's illness reveal her importance to the wider community?
The milkman, baker, grocer, butcher, neighbors, and even Mrs. Hummel all inquire about Beth, surprising those who knew her best and showing that shy Beth's quiet kindness had touched many lives.
How does Alcott use pathetic fallacy in Chapter 18?
The bitter December storm mirrors Beth's crisis, with snow falling and wind raging while "the year seemed getting ready for its death." When Beth recovers, fires burn cheerily and the sunrise looks "like a fairy world."
What is the dramatic irony in Jo's whispered "Goodby, my Beth"?
Jo believes Beth has died and whispers goodbye, but the reader's suspense is immediately resolved when Hannah reveals the fever has turned. The false conclusion heightens the emotional relief.
What does the rose on Amy's bush symbolize in Chapter 18?
The half-blown rose that blooms overnight symbolizes hope and renewal, paralleling Beth's passage through crisis. Meg places the opened rose by Beth's bed as the first thing she will see upon waking.
What does "repose" mean as used in Chapter 18?
Repose means a state of rest or peaceful stillness. Alcott uses it to describe Beth's face after her fever breaks: "the beloved little face looked so pale and peaceful in its utter repose."
What does "precipitately" mean in the context of Chapter 18?
Precipitately means hastily or abruptly. Jo "vanished precipitately into the kitchen" after her embarrassing outburst of hugging Laurie in gratitude.
Who says: "If Mrs. March can leave her husband she'd better be sent for"?
Dr. Bangs says this to Hannah on December 1, signaling that Beth's condition has become critical and her mother needs to come home.
Who says: "I'm here. Hold on to me, Jo, dear"?
Laurie says this to Jo when she breaks down crying and confesses she cannot find God. He takes her hand and offers silent, steadfast comfort.
Who says: "The fever's turned, she's sleepin' nat'ral, her skin's damp, and she breathes easy"?
Hannah says this after examining Beth past two o'clock in the morning, delivering the joyful news that Beth has survived the crisis.