PART TWO: CHAPTER THIRTY - SIX - Beth's Secret Practice Quiz — Little Women
by Louisa May Alcott — tap or click to flip
Practice Quiz: PART TWO: CHAPTER THIRTY - SIX - Beth's Secret
What change does Jo notice in Beth when she returns home in the spring?
Beth has a strange, transparent look, as if the mortal is being slowly refined away and the immortal is shining through her frail flesh.
Why does no one else in the family notice Beth’s decline?
The change came too gradually to startle those who saw her daily; only Jo’s eyes, sharpened by absence, could see it plainly.
What trip does Jo propose, and what does Beth request instead?
Jo proposes a mountain trip with her savings, but Beth asks for a quiet visit to the seashore instead, wanting to stay close to home.
What is Beth’s secret?
Beth knows she is dying. She has suspected it since the previous autumn but kept silent to spare her family.
What did Jo mistakenly believe was the cause of Beth’s autumn sadness?
Jo believed Beth was heartbroken over Laurie, which is partly why Jo left home.
Why did Beth keep her secret from the family?
She did not want to frighten them while Marmee was anxious about Meg, Amy was far away, and Jo seemed happy with Laurie.
What metaphor does Beth use to describe her declining health?
She compares it to the tide: "when it turns, it goes slowly, but it can’t be stopped."
How does Jo react when Beth reveals she is dying?
Jo reacts with fierce rebellion, vowing to work, pray, and fight against it, insisting nineteen is too young to die.
How does Beth’s faith differ from Jo’s response to her illness?
Beth accepts her fate with quiet, childlike faith in God and nature, while Jo is passionately resistant and refuses to accept it.
What bird does Beth compare herself to, and why?
The peep (sand bird)—small, quaker-colored, staying near the shore, content and quiet, just as Beth stays happily at home.
What bird represents Jo in Beth’s metaphor?
The gull—strong and wild, fond of storms, flying far out to sea, and happy alone.
What birds represent Meg and Amy?
Meg is the turtledove (gentle, domestic love) and Amy is the lark (ambitious, flying high but always returning to the nest).
What does the small gray sand bird do when it approaches Beth on the beach?
It comes close, looks at her with a friendly eye, and sits on a warm stone dressing its feathers, comforting Beth with its small friendship.
What does Beth ask Jo to do when they return home?
Beth asks Jo to tell the family her secret if they don’t see it themselves, and to stand by Father and Mother.
How does Jo dedicate herself to Beth at the end of their seaside talk?
Jo leans down to kiss Beth’s tranquil face, and with that silent kiss dedicates herself soul and body to Beth.
What do the parents see when Jo and Beth return home?
Father and Mother see plainly what they had prayed to be saved from seeing—no words are needed.
What does Beth say about her own nature and ambitions?
She says she never made plans for growing up, never imagined being married, and could only see herself as "stupid little Beth, trotting about at home."
What is the only thing Beth fears about dying?
She fears being homesick for her family even in heaven: "it seems as if I should be homesick for you even in heaven."
What does Beth say about Laurie and Jo?
Beth says she loves Laurie as a brother but could never feel romantic love for him, and is amazed Jo thought otherwise since Laurie was so fond of Jo.
What image closes the chapter when Jo goes downstairs at home?
Her father stands leaning his head on the mantelpiece without turning, and her mother stretches out her arms for help; Jo goes to comfort her without a word.