PART TWO: CHAPTER TWENTY - EIGHT - Domestic Experiences Practice Quiz — Little Women
by Louisa May Alcott — tap or click to flip
Practice Quiz: PART TWO: CHAPTER TWENTY - EIGHT - Domestic Experiences
What is Meg determined to be at the start of her married life?
A model housekeeper. She vows that John will find home a paradise, always see a smiling face, fare sumptuously every day, and never lose a button.
What biblical figure is Meg compared to in her housekeeping efforts?
Martha. Alcott describes Meg bustling about "like a true Martha, cumbered with many cares" (an allusion to Luke 10:40).
What recipe book does Meg follow during her cooking phase?
Mrs. Cornelius's Receipt Book. She works through it "as if it were a mathematical exercise."
What does Meg attempt to make that leads to her first quarrel with John?
Currant jelly. She spends an entire hot summer day boiling, straining, and re-sugaring, but the jelly refuses to set.
Who does John bring home for an unexpected dinner on the day of Meg's jelly disaster?
His friend and colleague Mr. Scott, a bachelor.
What does Meg demand John do with Mr. Scott?
Take him "up to Mother's" and tell him she is "away, sick, dead, anything." She refuses to see the guest.
What is the pun behind the phrase "family jar" in this chapter?
It has a double meaning: a jar of preserves (the literal jelly pots) and a domestic quarrel or disagreement.
What does Marmee advise Meg to do if both she and John err?
"Be the first to ask pardon." Marmee warns Meg to guard against "little piques, misunderstandings, and hasty words."
How does Marmee describe John's temper?
Not a quick flash but a "white, still anger that is seldom stirred, but once kindled is hard to quench."
How does Meg end the quarrel with John?
She swallows her pride, crosses the room, and silently kisses him on the forehead—"the penitent kiss was better than a world of words."
Who is Sallie Moffat, and what role does she play in Meg's temptation?
Sallie is Meg's wealthy friend who renews their friendship in the autumn. She takes Meg shopping, making her envious and leading her to overspend.
What does Alcott compare Meg's temptation to buy the silk dress to?
The temptation of Eve in the Garden of Eden. Alcott writes that "the serpent got into Meg's paradise" and tempted her "not with apples, but with dress."
How much does the violet silk dress cost, and where does Meg get the money?
Fifty dollars. She uses her expected New Year's gift of twenty-five dollars from Aunt March plus twenty-five dollars from the household fund.
How does John react when he discovers Meg's extravagant spending?
He restrains his displeasure, saying the silk isn't unreasonable—but he quietly cancels the order for his own new greatcoat, saying "I can't afford it, my dear."
What does Meg say that wounds John most deeply during their financial discussion?
"I'm tired of being poor." She immediately regrets it, knowing she has reproached him with his poverty after spending his earnings.
How does Meg resolve the silk dress situation?
She puts her pride in her pocket, goes to Sallie, tells the truth, and asks Sallie to buy the silk back. Then she orders John's greatcoat home.
What happens at the end of the chapter at midsummer?
Meg gives birth to twins—a boy and a girl.
What are the twins' formal names?
John Laurence Brooke (the boy) and Margaret Brooke (the girl), named after family members.
What nicknames do the twins receive, and who suggests them?
Daisy (for the girl, suggested by Amy to avoid two Megs) and Demi (for the boy, suggested by Laurie, short for "Demijohn"—a pun on the father's name).
How does Laurie react when he first holds the twins?
He is comically terrified, begging not to hold them for fear of dropping them. When Jo places them in his arms, he discovers there are two instead of one and exclaims, "Twins, by Jupiter!"
How are the twins distinguished from each other?
Amy ties a blue ribbon on the boy and a pink on the girl ("French fashion"), and one has blue eyes while the other has brown.
What broader lesson about marriage does this chapter convey?
That the romantic ideal of a perfect marriage must give way to the practical reality of patience, humility, forgiveness, and honest communication between partners.