PART TWO: CHAPTER THIRTY - SEVEN - New Impressions Practice Quiz — Little Women
by Louisa May Alcott — tap or click to flip
Practice Quiz: PART TWO: CHAPTER THIRTY - SEVEN - New Impressions
Where does Chapter 37 take place?
Nice, France, on Christmas Day, primarily on the Promenade des Anglais, at Castle Hill, and at a Christmas ball in Amy's hotel.
How does Laurie arrive in Nice, and why?
Laurie arrives from Paris, where his grandfather has settled for the winter. He promised to spend Christmas with Amy.
What is Amy doing when Laurie first sees her?
She is driving a small carriage with white ponies along the street near the Promenade des Anglais.
How has Laurie changed since Amy last saw him?
He is handsomer and "greatly improved" physically, but appears moody, tired, and spiritless rather than his former merry self.
Why is Laurie so subdued and spiritless?
He is heartbroken over Jo's rejection of his marriage proposal, though Amy does not know this.
What news does Amy share from home letters?
That Beth is very poorly (seriously ill), though the family tells Amy to stay abroad since she could do nothing at home.
What does Amy see from Castle Hill?
The Cathedral, the Corso, fishermen in the bay, the road to Villa Franca, Schubert's Tower, and a speck far out to sea said to be Corsica.
How does Amy prepare for the Christmas ball?
She wears Flo's old white silk dress covered with "illusion" (sheer tulle), loops her skirts with azalea clusters, frames her shoulders with green vines, and arranges her hair in a Hebe-like knot.
What does Laurie call Amy when he sees her at the ball?
"Diana" — and she responds by calling him "Apollo."
What gift does Laurie bring Amy for the ball?
A delicate nosegay (small bouquet) in a silver holder she had long admired in Cardiglia's shop window.
Why does Amy become upset with Laurie at the ball?
He asks "Do you care to dance?" in a "perfectly tranquil tone," showing indifference rather than eagerness, and then does not secure her for future dances.
How does Amy respond to Laurie's indifference at the ball?
She fills her entire dance card with other partners, including a young Polish count, and deliberately ignores Laurie for much of the evening.
What effect does Amy's strategy have on Laurie?
Watching her dance with spirit and grace, Laurie gets a "waked-up look" and concludes that "little Amy was going to make a very charming woman."
What does the dress fabric "illusion" symbolize in this chapter?
It symbolizes both Amy's resourcefulness in creating elegance from inexpensive materials and the transforming lens through which Laurie and Amy now see each other.
What does Amy mean when she says she prefers Laurie's "old bluntness"?
She dislikes his new, polished Continental manner of giving compliments. She prefers the honest, direct way he used to praise her at home.
Who is the Polish count at the ball?
An eighteen-year-old count ("little Vladimir") who dances enthusiastically with Amy and is described as a "nice little boy" by Laurie.
What does Laurie do with Jo's sketch that Amy shows him?
He smiles, takes it, and puts it in his vest pocket, saying it's "to keep it from blowing away."
What qualities does Laurie observe in the matured Amy?
Elegance, sprightliness, grace, social aplomb, strong will, native frankness, and "brave patience that made the most of opportunity."
How does the chapter end?
Laurie fills Amy's remaining dance book with his own name and devotes himself to her for the rest of the evening, both of them "unconsciously giving and receiving" new impressions.
What is the title of this chapter, and what does it mean?
"New Impressions" — it refers to Laurie and Amy forming new, adult perceptions of each other after a year apart, seeing each other as a man and woman rather than as childhood friends.