Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 20 quiz

Questions and answers

1. 1

   Question 1. How does Mr. Collins initially interpret Elizabeth's refusal of his proposal?

   • Correct answer: He assumes it is a display of bashful modesty typical of elegant females
   • He suspects Mrs. Bennet has secretly advised Elizabeth to refuse in order to test his resolve
   • He concludes that Elizabeth is in love with another man and therefore unavailable
   • He believes she is genuinely repulsed by him and considers leaving Longbourn immediately

   Collins tells Mrs. Bennet that the refusal "would naturally flow from her bashful modesty and the genuine delicacy of her character," believing proper young ladies always refuse a first proposal.

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2. 2

   Question 2. What causes Mr. Collins to briefly reconsider whether Elizabeth would be a good wife?

   • Charlotte Lucas's observation that Elizabeth seems unsuited to a clergyman's life
   • Elizabeth's direct statement that she finds him personally unappealing and dull
   • Lady Catherine's advice that his wife must be an active, useful sort of person, not brought up high
   • Correct answer: Mrs. Bennet's description of Elizabeth as "headstrong and foolish" in her efforts to help

   Ironically, Mrs. Bennet's attempt to dismiss Elizabeth's refusal backfires. Collins reasons that "if she is really headstrong and foolish, I know not whether she would altogether be a very desirable wife."

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3. 3

   Question 3. Where does Mrs. Bennet go to seek help after speaking with Mr. Collins?

   • To Charlotte Lucas's home, hoping her friend can talk sense into Elizabeth
   • Correct answer: To Mr. Bennet's library, demanding he order Elizabeth to accept the proposal
   • To the breakfast room, where she writes a letter to Lady Catherine de Bourgh
   • To Jane's bedroom, where she begs her eldest daughter to intervene on her behalf

   Mrs. Bennet rushes to the library, calling out: "You must come and make Lizzy marry Mr. Collins, for she vows she will not have him, and if you do not make haste he will change his mind."

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4. 4

   Question 4. What is the "unhappy alternative" Mr. Bennet presents to Elizabeth?

   • She must choose between marrying Mr. Collins or being sent to live with her aunt and uncle in London
   • She must choose between accepting Collins or forfeiting her share of the family inheritance entirely
   • Correct answer: Her mother will never see her again if she refuses Collins, and her father will never see her if she accepts
   • She must choose between staying at Longbourn without prospects or accepting a position as a governess

   Mr. Bennet says: "Your mother will never see you again if you do not marry Mr. Collins, and I will never see you again if you do." This witty paradox firmly supports Elizabeth's refusal.

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5. 5

   Question 5. How does Elizabeth react to Mr. Bennet's verdict about Mr. Collins?

   • Correct answer: She cannot help but smile at "such a conclusion of such a beginning" of his speech
   • She leaves the room quietly without responding, overwhelmed by the family conflict
   • She bursts into tears of relief, having feared her father would side with her mother
   • She thanks him formally and promises to find a more suitable match in the future

   Elizabeth "could not but smile at such a conclusion of such a beginning," appreciating the ironic twist in her father's speech that begins solemnly but ends by supporting her.

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6. 6

   Question 6. What two "small favours" does Mr. Bennet request of his wife?

   • That she stop crying and that she apologize to Elizabeth for her harsh words
   • Correct answer: That she allow him the free use of his understanding and the free use of his room
   • That she never mention Mr. Collins again and that she leave Elizabeth's future to him
   • That she sit down calmly and that she listen to his reasoning before responding

   Mr. Bennet dryly requests "the free use of my understanding on the present occasion" and "of my room," wanting both intellectual independence and physical solitude in his library.

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7. 7

   Question 7. How does Jane respond when Mrs. Bennet tries to enlist her help in pressuring Elizabeth?

   • She agrees to speak with Elizabeth privately but ultimately takes her sister's side
   • She argues openly with her mother, insisting that Elizabeth has every right to refuse Mr. Collins
   • Correct answer: She declines to interfere, with all possible mildness and without taking either side
   • She offers to marry Mr. Collins herself in order to resolve the family crisis

   Jane, "with all possible mildness, declined interfering." Her gentle refusal to take sides is consistent with her characteristically kind and non-confrontational nature.

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8. 8

   Question 8. What does the narrator reveal about Mr. Collins's true feelings after Elizabeth's rejection?

   • He feels humiliated and immediately begins planning his departure from Longbourn
   • He is relieved because he secretly preferred Jane and now feels free to pursue her instead
   • He is deeply heartbroken and spends the afternoon writing sorrowful poetry in the garden
   • Correct answer: His pride is hurt but he suffers little otherwise, as his regard for Elizabeth was "quite imaginary"

   Collins "thought too well of himself to comprehend on what motives his cousin could refuse him; and though his pride was hurt, he suffered in no other way. His regard for her was quite imaginary."

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9. 9

   Question 9. Who first tells Charlotte Lucas about Mr. Collins's failed proposal?

   • Mrs. Bennet, who calls Charlotte into the breakfast room to share her grievances
   • Elizabeth, who confides in Charlotte as soon as she arrives at Longbourn that morning
   • Correct answer: Lydia, who flies to Charlotte in the vestibule and whispers the news gleefully
   • Jane, who greets Charlotte at the door with a composed account of the morning's events

   Lydia meets Charlotte in the vestibule and cries "in a half whisper" that there is "such fun" and that "Mr. Collins has made an offer to Lizzy, and she will not have him."

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10. 10

    Question 10. What argument does Mrs. Bennet use to warn Elizabeth about refusing marriage proposals?

    • Correct answer: That if Elizabeth keeps refusing every offer, she will never get a husband and no one can maintain her
    • That the other sisters will suffer because no gentleman will court a family with a stubborn daughter
    • That Mr. Bingley will think poorly of the family and stop courting Jane as a result
    • That Lady Catherine de Bourgh will be personally offended and may cause trouble for the family

    Mrs. Bennet warns: "if you take it into your head to go on refusing every offer of marriage in this way, you will never get a husband at all -- and I am sure I do not know who is to maintain you when your father is dead."

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11. 11

    Question 11. What does Mr. Collins claim about "resignation" in his withdrawal speech?

    • That resignation is a virtue he has never needed to practice until this very moment
    • Correct answer: That resignation is never so perfect as when the blessing denied begins to lose its value
    • That resignation is the mark of a weak character and he refuses to accept Elizabeth's decision
    • That resignation must be accompanied by an apology from the person who caused the disappointment

    Collins declares that "resignation is never so perfect as when the blessing denied begins to lose somewhat of its value in our estimation," rationalizing his rejection by devaluing what he lost.

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12. 12

    Question 12. Who remains in the room when Mrs. Bennet asks for a private conversation with Mr. Collins?

    • All five Bennet sisters, who stand together in solidarity against their mother's complaints
    • Only Jane, who stays to mediate between her mother and Mr. Collins as peacemaker
    • Only Elizabeth, who refuses to leave because she wants to defend herself against further criticism
    • Correct answer: Lydia and Charlotte -- Lydia determined to eavesdrop, Charlotte pretending not to hear by the window

    Elizabeth, Jane, and Kitty leave, but "Lydia stood her ground, determined to hear all she could; and Charlotte, detained first by the civility of Mr. Collins... satisfied herself with walking to the window and pretending not to hear."

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13. 13

    Question 13. What does Mr. Collins apologize for at the end of Chapter 20?

    • For having proposed to Elizabeth without first securing her parents' formal permission
    • Correct answer: For accepting his dismissal from Elizabeth directly instead of going through her parents
    • For causing discord in the family by visiting Longbourn with matrimonial intentions
    • For speaking too harshly about Elizabeth's character during his conversation with Mrs. Bennet

    Collins apologizes for what he considers a breach of protocol: "My conduct may, I fear, be objectionable in having accepted my dismission from your daughter's lips instead of your own."

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14. 14

    Question 14. Which theme does Mr. Bennet's behavior in this chapter best illustrate?

    • The importance of wealth and property in determining suitable marriage partners
    • The power of first impressions to shape lasting judgments about a person's character
    • The danger of excessive pride in one's social standing and family connections
    • Correct answer: The tension between parental authority and individual choice in Regency-era marriage

    Mr. Bennet's decision to support Elizabeth's refusal -- against Mrs. Bennet's insistence on parental authority to force the match -- dramatizes the central tension between individual choice and social/familial pressure in Austen's treatment of marriage.

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15. 15

    Question 15. What does Charlotte Lucas's presence in Chapter 20 foreshadow?

    • Correct answer: Her decision to accept Mr. Collins's proposal herself, which occurs in the following chapters
    • Her growing friendship with Jane Bennet and involvement in the Bingley courtship subplot
    • Her departure from Meryton to seek employment as a governess in a neighboring county
    • Her eventual role as Elizabeth's confidante during the visit to Rosings Park later in the novel

    Charlotte arrives just as Collins becomes available. Her quiet observation from the window during his withdrawal speech, combined with her pragmatic views on marriage, foreshadows her own acceptance of Collins's proposal, which follows shortly.

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