Jane Eyre, Chapter VIII quiz

Questions and answers

1. 1

   Question 1. Where does Jane retreat after Mr. Brocklehurst's public accusation?

   • To Miss Temple's room up the staircase
   • To the garden verandah behind the school
   • Correct answer: To a corner of the empty schoolroom
   • To her bed in the long dormitory

   Jane ventures down to the schoolroom after the other students leave for tea and sits on the floor in a corner, weeping.

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2. 2

   Question 2. What does Helen Burns bring Jane when she finds her crying?

   • A letter from Miss Temple
   • A blanket and pillow
   • A book of prayers
   • Correct answer: Coffee and bread

   Helen brings Jane coffee and bread, though Jane pushes both away, feeling too distraught to eat.

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3. 3

   Question 3. According to Helen, why is Mr. Brocklehurst's accusation less damaging than Jane fears?

   • Correct answer: Because he is little liked at the school and the students are more likely to pity Jane
   • Because Mrs. Reed has already written to Miss Temple to take back her claims
   • Because Mr. Brocklehurst will soon return to his friend the archdeacon
   • Because Miss Temple has already publicly cleared her of every imputation

   Helen explains that Brocklehurst is "not a god" and is "little liked" at Lowood, so his words carry less weight than Jane imagines.

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4. 4

   Question 4. What does Miss Temple do to verify Jane's story about her childhood?

   • She visits Gateshead to speak with Mrs. Reed
   • Correct answer: She writes to Mr. Lloyd, the apothecary
   • She questions Mr. Brocklehurst directly
   • She sends for Jane's cousin John Reed

   Miss Temple writes to Mr. Lloyd, who had attended Jane after the red-room incident, and his reply corroborates Jane's account.

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5. 5

   Question 5. What special treat does Miss Temple share with Jane and Helen?

   • A fresh loaf of bread and jam
   • Hot chocolate and biscuits
   • Correct answer: A good-sized seed-cake
   • Fruit preserves from her private store

   When Mrs. Harden refuses to send up extra bread and butter, Miss Temple unlocks a drawer and produces a seed-cake to share with the girls.

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6. 6

   Question 6. What language does Helen read and construe from Virgil during the evening with Miss Temple?

   • Italian
   • French
   • Greek
   • Correct answer: Latin

   Miss Temple asks Helen to read and construe a page of Virgil in Latin, which Helen's father had taught her.

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7. 7

   Question 7. How does Miss Scatcherd punish Helen Burns?

   • She takes away Helen's supper and her share of the seed-cake
   • Correct answer: She forces Helen to wear a placard reading "Slattern" on her forehead
   • She reports Helen's untidy drawers to Mr. Brocklehurst
   • She makes Helen stand in the corner of the dormitory all evening

   Miss Scatcherd writes "Slattern" on pasteboard and binds it around Helen's forehead, forcing her to wear it all day as punishment for untidy drawers.

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8. 8

   Question 8. What biblical proverb does the chapter end with?

   • Correct answer: "Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith"
   • "Love your enemies; bless them that curse you; do good to them that hate you"
   • "Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall"
   • "A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger"

   Jane quotes Solomon's proverb to express her realization that love and modest fare at Lowood are preferable to the luxury and hatred she experienced at Gateshead.

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9. 9

   Question 9. Which of these events actually happened in this chapter?

   • Jane tells Miss Temple about the red-room incident at Gateshead.

     Happened

     Jane recounts her full childhood story to Miss Temple, including the traumatic red-room episode, which she describes as a "frightful episode" she never forgot.

   • Helen Burns argues with Miss Scatcherd about the unfairness of her punishment.

     Didn't happen

     Helen does not argue at all. She accepts the "Slattern" punishment patiently and without resentment, "regarding it as a deserved punishment." It is Jane who is outraged on her behalf.

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10. 10

    Question 10. In the sentence "so overwhelming was the grief that seized me, I sank prostrate with my face to the ground," what does "prostrate" mean?

    • Kneeling with head bowed, especially in humble prayer
    • Lying flat on one's back, with the face turned upward
    • Standing upright and rigid, unable to move from shock
    • Correct answer: Lying face down, especially from exhaustion or grief

    "Prostrate" means lying face down on the ground, typically as a result of overwhelming physical or emotional exhaustion.

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11. 11

    Question 11. When the text says Mr. Lloyd's answer "went to corroborate" Jane's account, what does "corroborate" mean?

    • Correct answer: To confirm or support with evidence
    • To wear away or eat into gradually
    • To contradict or disprove with evidence
    • To work together or cooperate closely

    "Corroborate" means to confirm or give support to a statement or finding, in this case Mr. Lloyd's reply confirming the truth of Jane's story.

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12. 12

    Question 12. The text describes Mrs. Harden as "made up of equal parts of whalebone and iron." What does this metaphor suggest about her character?

    • She is hardworking and strict but fair-minded with the pupils
    • She is physically very tall and strong, with a stiff, straight figure
    • Correct answer: She is rigid, unyielding, and lacking in warmth or generosity
    • She is old-fashioned and plain in her dress and appearance

    Whalebone (used in corsets) and iron both suggest rigidity and inflexibility. The metaphor characterizes Mrs. Harden as stiff, cold, and unyielding—a fitting ally for Mr. Brocklehurst's austere regime.

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