Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 22 quiz

Questions and answers

1. 1

   Question 1. What is Charlotte Lucas's true motive for keeping Mr. Collins entertained at the dinner party?

   • She is trying to distract him so Elizabeth can spend time talking with Mr. Darcy
   • She hopes to convince him to propose to her younger sister Maria Lucas instead
   • She is simply glad to be useful to her friend and thinks it worth the little sacrifice of her time
   • Correct answer: She wants to redirect his romantic attentions toward herself and away from Elizabeth

   Charlotte's "kindness extended farther than Elizabeth had any conception of; its object was nothing else than to secure her from any return of Mr. Collins's addresses, by engaging them towards herself."

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2. 2

   Question 2. How does Mr. Collins leave Longbourn House the morning he goes to propose to Charlotte?

   • He waits until the family is at breakfast and asks Elizabeth to accompany him on a walk
   • Correct answer: He escapes early with "admirable slyness" to avoid being noticed by his cousins
   • He sends a servant ahead with a note and follows in the family carriage an hour later
   • He announces his plans openly and asks Mr. Bennet for directions to Lucas Lodge

   Collins was "anxious to avoid the notice of his cousins" because he did not want his attempt known until he could also announce its success. He slipped out with "admirable slyness."

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3. 3

   Question 3. How does Charlotte arrange to meet Mr. Collins as he approaches Lucas Lodge?

   • She asks Sir William to meet him at the door and walk him through the grounds of Lucas Lodge
   • She waits in the drawing room and has a servant announce his arrival formally
   • Correct answer: She spots him from an upper window and goes out to meet him "accidentally" in the lane
   • She sends her younger sister Maria to greet him at the gate and bring him inside

   Charlotte "perceived him from an upper window as he walked towards the house, and instantly set out to meet him accidentally in the lane," ensuring they could speak privately.

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4. 4

   Question 4. Why is Mr. Collins slightly less confident in proposing to Charlotte than he was with Elizabeth?

   • Correct answer: He is "comparatively diffident since the adventure of Wednesday" -- Elizabeth's firm rejection shook him
   • He suspects Charlotte is only being polite and does not actually harbor any feelings for him
   • He fears Sir William Lucas will refuse him because of his lower social standing
   • He worries Lady Catherine de Bourgh will disapprove of Charlotte as a wife

   Although Collins felt "almost secure" because Charlotte had been "tolerably encouraging," he was "comparatively diffident since the adventure of Wednesday" -- his failed proposal to Elizabeth.

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5. 5

   Question 5. What does the narrator describe as "the stupidity with which he was favoured by nature"?

   • Sir William Lucas's failure to see that Collins was an unsuitable match for Charlotte
   • Mr. Bennet's obliviousness to his wife's schemes to marry off their daughters quickly
   • Mr. Collins's inability to recognize that Elizabeth's refusal was sincere and final
   • Correct answer: Mr. Collins's dullness, which prevented his courtship from having any charm worth prolonging

   The narrator says "the stupidity with which he was favoured by nature must guard his courtship from any charm that could make a woman wish for its continuance" -- meaning Charlotte had no reason to delay accepting a man whose wooing held no appeal.

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6. 6

   Question 6. What does Charlotte identify as "the only provision for well-educated young women of small fortune"?

   • Correct answer: Marriage, which she sees as the most practical safeguard against poverty and want
   • Cultivating accomplishments such as music and drawing to attract a wealthy suitor
   • Relying on the generosity of wealthier relatives to provide a modest annual income
   • Securing a position as a governess or lady's companion in a wealthy household

   Charlotte reasons that "marriage had always been her object; it was the only provision for well-educated young women of small fortune, and however uncertain of giving happiness, must be their pleasantest preservative from want."

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7. 7

   Question 7. What does Lady Lucas begin calculating after learning of the engagement?

   • How much money Collins earns annually from his position at Hunsford and Lady Catherine's patronage
   • Correct answer: How many years longer Mr. Bennet is likely to live, since Collins will inherit Longbourn
   • Whether Charlotte's small dowry will be sufficient to furnish the parsonage at Hunsford properly
   • How soon the wedding can be arranged before Collins must return to his clerical duties

   Lady Lucas "began directly to calculate, with more interest than the matter had ever excited before, how many years longer Mr. Bennet was likely to live" -- eagerly anticipating the Longbourn inheritance.

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8. 8

   Question 8. Why does Charlotte insist that Mr. Collins keep their engagement secret from the Bennets?

   • She fears Mrs. Bennet will be jealous and try to break off the engagement in favor of her own daughters
   • She wants to wait until Lady Catherine de Bourgh has formally approved the match before making it public
   • Correct answer: She dreads the surprise and probable blame from Elizabeth, whose friendship she values above all others
   • She worries that Mr. Bennet will mock Collins so severely that he might reconsider the engagement

   Charlotte's greatest concern was "the surprise it must occasion to Elizabeth Bennet, whose friendship she valued beyond that of any other person. Elizabeth would wonder, and probably would blame her."

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9. 9

   Question 9. What does Mrs. Bennet assume about Mr. Collins's hints of a speedy return to Longbourn?

   • That he wishes to apologize to the family for the awkwardness of his earlier failed proposal
   • That he intends to renew his proposal to Elizabeth after giving her time to reconsider
   • That Lady Catherine has sent him back to inspect Longbourn as a future inheritance property
   • Correct answer: That he plans to court one of her younger daughters, and Mary might be willing to accept him

   Mrs. Bennet "wished to understand by it that he thought of paying his addresses to one of her younger girls, and Mary might have been prevailed on to accept him."

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10. 10

    Question 10. How does Mr. Bennet respond to Collins's hint about returning soon?

    • Correct answer: He ironically warns Collins against risking Lady Catherine's displeasure by visiting again
    • He changes the subject abruptly, showing his characteristic disinterest in family social matters
    • He tells Collins directly that he is not welcome at Longbourn after the failed proposal
    • He warmly encourages the visit, secretly hoping Collins will propose to one of his daughters

    Mr. Bennet, who "could by no means wish for so speedy a return," warns Collins: "You had better neglect your relations than run the risk of offending your patroness" -- using Collins's own reverence for Lady Catherine against him.

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11. 11

    Question 11. What is Elizabeth's immediate reaction when Charlotte reveals her engagement to Mr. Collins?

    • She falls silent for several minutes, unable to process the information she has just heard
    • Correct answer: She cries out "Engaged to Mr. Collins! My dear Charlotte-- impossible!" in shock and dismay
    • She calmly asks Charlotte whether she has considered the implications of marrying such a man
    • She congratulates Charlotte warmly and says she hopes they will be very happy together

    Elizabeth's "astonishment was consequently so great as to overcome at first the bounds of decorum, and she could not help crying out: 'Engaged to Mr. Collins! My dear Charlotte-- impossible!'"

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12. 12

    Question 12. How does Charlotte defend her decision to marry Mr. Collins when Elizabeth expresses shock?

    • She insists that she has grown genuinely fond of Collins and believes love will develop over time
    • She argues that Collins is secretly more intelligent than people realize and will improve with guidance
    • Correct answer: She says she is "not romantic" and asks only for "a comfortable home," with happiness as fair as anyone can expect
    • She reminds Elizabeth that refusing Collins was selfish since the match would have saved the Bennet family home

    Charlotte tells Elizabeth: "I am not romantic, you know; I never was. I ask only a comfortable home; and considering Mr. Collins's character, connection, and situation in life, I am convinced that my chance of happiness with him is as fair as most people can boast on entering the marriage state."

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13. 13

    Question 13. What does Elizabeth privately conclude about Charlotte after learning of the engagement?

    • That Charlotte is braver than she realized and deserves admiration for her practical wisdom
    • Correct answer: That Charlotte has "sacrificed every better feeling to worldly advantage" and cannot be happy in such a match
    • That Charlotte must have been secretly in love with Collins all along and merely hid her feelings
    • That Charlotte is making a noble sacrifice to help her family's financial situation improve

    Elizabeth feels that Charlotte "would have sacrificed every better feeling to worldly advantage" and adds "the distressing conviction that it was impossible for that friend to be tolerably happy in the lot she had chosen."

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14. 14

    Question 14. How old is Charlotte Lucas when she accepts Mr. Collins's proposal?

    • Correct answer: Twenty-seven, an age at which she considers herself fortunate to secure any match at all
    • Thirty, an age at which her brothers had begun to fear that their sister would die an old maid
    • Twenty-two, the same age as Elizabeth Bennet at this point in the novel
    • Twenty-four, making her slightly older than Elizabeth but still considered young

    Charlotte reflects that "at the age of twenty-seven, without having ever been handsome, she felt all the good luck of it." Her age is a significant factor in her pragmatic acceptance.

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15. 15

    Question 15. What central thematic contrast does Chapter 22 establish between Charlotte and Elizabeth?

    • The contrast between obedience to parental authority and rebellion against family expectations
    • The contrast between urban sophistication and rural simplicity in matters of courtship and love
    • The contrast between inherited wealth and earned income as paths to security in Regency society
    • Correct answer: The contrast between a pragmatic, economic view of marriage and a romantic, idealistic one

    Charlotte sees marriage as an economic arrangement -- "the pleasantest preservative from want" -- while Elizabeth believes it should be founded on genuine affection and mutual respect. This fundamental disagreement strains their friendship and highlights one of the novel's central debates.

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