PART ONE: CHAPTER NINE - Meg Goes to Vanity Fair Practice Quiz — Little Women
by Louisa May Alcott — tap or click to flip
Practice Quiz: PART ONE: CHAPTER NINE - Meg Goes to Vanity Fair
Why is Meg invited to stay with the Moffat family?
The Moffat children come down with measles, and Annie Moffat fulfills her promise to invite Meg for a two-week visit.
What items does Mrs. March give Meg from the "treasure box"?
A pair of silk stockings, a carved fan, and a lovely blue sash.
What gossip does Meg overhear at the small party?
She hears Mrs. Moffat and others suggesting that Mrs. March has "plans" to match Meg with young Laurie Laurence because he is rich.
How do the Moffats transform Meg for the grand Thursday party?
Belle and her maid crimp Meg's hair, powder her neck and arms, lace her into a tight sky-blue silk dress, and adorn her with silver jewelry and earrings tied on with pink silk.
What does Laurie say when Meg asks if he likes how she looks?
He says "No, I don't" and explains "I don't like fuss and feathers," disapproving of her artificial makeover.
What does Meg ask Laurie to promise at the end of the party?
She asks him not to tell her family about her dress and makeover, saying she wants to confess to them herself.
What does Meg do when she returns home on Sunday evening?
She confesses everything to Marmee and Jo — the makeover, the champagne, the flirting, and the gossip she overheard about Laurie.
How does Meg's character change during her stay with the Moffats?
She begins imitating their manners, using French phrases, crimping her hair, and talking about fashions, growing envious of their wealth and discontent with her own home.
What role does Laurie play at the Moffats' grand party?
He serves as an honest moral mirror — he disapproves of Meg's transformation, warns her against drinking champagne, and later apologizes for his bluntness and dances with her.
Who is Belle Moffat and what does she do for Meg?
Belle is Annie's engaged older sister who takes charge of dressing Meg up for the grand party, lending her a sky-blue silk dress and overseeing the full makeover.
What is Major Lincoln's assessment of Meg at the party?
He first calls her "the fresh little girl with the beautiful eyes" at the small party, but at the grand party says the Moffats have "spoiled her entirely" and she is "nothing but a doll tonight."
What are Mrs. March's "plans" for her daughters?
She wants them to be "beautiful, accomplished, and good" — to marry for love rather than money, and to lead "useful, pleasant lives" with self-respect and peace.
What is the central theme of Chapter 9?
The conflict between vanity and authenticity — Meg's exposure to wealth tempts her away from her natural simplicity, but she ultimately learns that character matters more than finery.
How does Chapter 9 explore the theme of class and materialism?
Meg's envy of the Moffats' wealth makes her home seem "bare and dismal," while Mrs. March counters that money should never be "the first or only prize to strive for."
What does the chapter suggest about the relationship between appearance and identity?
When Meg is dressed up, she looks beautiful but loses her authentic self. Laurie cannot recognize her, and she feels "uncomfortable and ashamed," showing that external transformation can obscure true identity.
How does the theme of confession and moral growth appear in this chapter?
Meg's willingness to "fess" her mistakes to Marmee demonstrates that moral growth comes through honesty and self-awareness, not through avoiding temptation entirely.
What is the allegorical significance of the chapter title "Meg Goes to Vanity Fair"?
It alludes to The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan, where Vanity Fair is a marketplace of worldly temptations. Like the character Christian, Meg faces moral trials amid wealth and luxury.
How does Alcott use the Cinderella motif ironically in this chapter?
Belle promises to transform Meg "like Cinderella and her godmother," but the makeover diminishes rather than enhances Meg — she is called a "doll" and feels ashamed, inverting the fairy-tale pattern.
What role do flowers play as a symbol in Chapter 9?
Flowers represent natural beauty and sincere affection. Laurie's bouquet and Mrs. March's note act as a "talisman against envy, vanity, and false pride," contrasting with the Moffats' artificial finery.
How does Alcott use foil characters in this chapter?
The shallow, materialistic Moffat sisters are foils to the principled March sisters, and the gossip-prone Mrs. Moffat contrasts sharply with the wise, loving Mrs. March.
What does "tarlatan" mean in the context of Meg's wardrobe?
Tarlatan is a thin, stiff, open-weave muslin fabric, often used for ball gowns. Meg's old tarlatan dress represents her modest means compared to the Moffats' expensive clothing.
What does "coralline salve" refer to in Meg's makeover scene?
Coralline salve is a coral-tinted lip product used to redden the lips — an early form of lipstick that Hortense applies to Meg as part of her transformation.
What does the word "ruche" mean in the description of Meg's party outfit?
A ruche (or ruching) is a strip of pleated or gathered fabric used as a decorative trim. It is placed at Meg's bosom to help "reconcile" her to the low neckline of the borrowed dress.
Who says "I don't like fuss and feathers" and what does it mean?
Laurie says this to Meg at the grand party. It expresses his preference for Meg's natural self over her artificial makeover and encapsulates the chapter's moral about authenticity over vanity.
What does Mrs. March mean when she says she'd rather see her daughters as "poor men's wives" than "queens on thrones, without self-respect and peace"?
She means that happiness, love, and moral integrity are more valuable than wealth and social status — the core philosophy that guides the March family throughout the novel.