PART TWO: CHAPTER THIRTY - ONE - Our Foreign Correspondent Practice Quiz — Little Women
by Louisa May Alcott — tap or click to flip
Practice Quiz: PART TWO: CHAPTER THIRTY - ONE - Our Foreign Correspondent
What format is Chapter 31 ("Our Foreign Correspondent") written in?
It is written entirely as a series of Amy March's letters home to her family from Europe.
What three European cities does Amy write from in Chapter 31?
London, Paris, and Heidelberg.
Who are Fred and Frank Vaughn?
They are Laurie's English friends who reconnect with Amy's party in London. Fred is the eldest twin who becomes Amy's romantic interest, and Frank walks with a slight limp.
What humorous misadventure do Amy and Flo have in London?
They hire a hansom cab without knowing it is improper for young ladies to ride alone. The driver goes too fast, and Amy cannot reach him to slow down until she discovers a small door in the roof.
How does Uncle try to blend in when arriving in England?
He buys dogskin gloves, thick shoes, and an umbrella, and gets shaved "a la mutton chop," but a bootblack immediately recognizes him as American.
What gift does Mr. Lennox arrange for Amy?
He has his friend Ward order a bouquet of flowers for her room, with his compliments on the card.
Why is Fred Vaughn useful to the party in Paris?
He speaks French fluently and serves as their translator, since Uncle insists on speaking loud English and the others' French is limited.
What does Amy enjoy doing on rainy days in Paris?
She spends rainy days in the Louvre, studying and reveling in paintings.
What famous historical artifacts does Amy mention seeing in Paris?
Napoleon's cocked hat and gray coat, his baby's cradle and old toothbrush, Marie Antoinette's little shoe, the ring of Saint Denis, and Charlemagne's sword.
What happens during the moonlight serenade at Heidelberg?
Students from Bonn serenade Amy and Flo beneath their window at one o'clock in the morning. The girls throw flowers down, and the next day Fred shows Amy a crumpled flower from his vest pocket, looking sentimental.
What does Amy confide to her mother about Fred Vaughn?
She confides that if Fred proposes, she will accept him—not because she is madly in love, but because he is kind, handsome, well-bred, and very rich, and she believes one of the March sisters must marry well.
What argument does Amy make to justify marrying for financial security?
"One of us must marry well. Meg didn't, Jo won't, Beth can't yet, so I shall, and make everything okay all round."
Why does Fred leave Heidelberg suddenly?
He receives a letter saying his brother Frank is very ill, so he must return home immediately on the night train.
What does Fred say to Amy when he departs?
"I shall soon come back, you won't forget me, Amy?" — leaving his feelings clear but the proposal unspoken.
What does Amy say she would never do regarding marriage?
She says she would never "marry a man I hated or despised," insisting that while she is practical, she has moral limits.
What is Rotten Row, as Amy describes it?
Amy explains that Rotten Row in Hyde Park means "Route de Roi" (the king's way), but in her time it functions more like a riding school where fashionable people trot solemnly on horseback.
How does Amy describe the English countryside from the train?
She describes perfect colors—green grass, blue sky, yellow grain, dark woods—with thatched-roof farmhouses, ivy-covered walls, latticed windows, and tranquil cattle standing knee-deep in clover.
What does Amy plan to do when she reaches Rome?
She plans to meet the Vaughns again in Rome during the winter, where she expects Fred will propose and she will say "Yes, thank you."
What literary device creates dramatic irony in Amy's letters?
Amy insists she is being "prudent" and not flirting, yet her letters progressively reveal deepening romantic attachment to Fred that she does not fully acknowledge.
How does Amy sign her three letters in Chapter 31?
The London letter is signed "your loving AMY," the Paris letter "VOTRE AMIE" (French for "your friend"), and the Heidelberg letter "Ever your AMY."