Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 45 quiz

Questions and answers

1. 1

   Question 1. Why is Elizabeth anxious before visiting Georgiana Darcy at Pemberley?

   • She is concerned that Darcy will not be present and she will have no one to speak with during the social call
   • She fears Georgiana will prove as proud and disdainful as Lady Catherine de Bourgh had been throughout her visit to Rosings
   • Correct answer: She knows Miss Bingley's dislike originated in jealousy and wonders how civilly that lady will renew their acquaintance
   • She worries that Mrs. Gardiner will notice her feelings for Darcy and question her about their previous relationship

   Elizabeth is "convinced that Miss Bingley's dislike of her had originated in jealousy" and is "curious to know with how much civility on that lady's side the acquaintance would now be renewed." Her concern is specifically about Miss Bingley's reception.

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2. 2

   Question 2. How do Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst receive Elizabeth and the Gardiners at Pemberley?

   • They greet the visitors warmly and immediately begin asking about their tour of Derbyshire and the surrounding countryside
   • Correct answer: They acknowledge the visitors only with a curtsey, followed by an awkward pause until Mrs. Annesley initiates conversation
   • They refuse to enter the saloon until the visitors have left, sending word through a servant that they are indisposed
   • They speak only to Mrs. Gardiner about London society while pointedly ignoring Elizabeth throughout the entire visit

   "By Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley they were noticed only by a curtsey; and, on their being seated, a pause, awkward as such pauses must always be, succeeded for a few moments." Mrs. Annesley breaks the silence.

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3. 3

   Question 3. Why might strangers mistake Georgiana Darcy's shyness for pride?

   • Correct answer: Because her embarrassment from shyness and fear of doing wrong could easily give those who feel inferior the belief she is proud
   • Because she remains seated when her guests enter and scarcely looks at them, a manner that some visitors consider rude
   • Because she dresses in costly gowns and jewels that display her wealth and rank above that of most visitors
   • Because she speaks loudly and commandingly whenever she does venture a remark, giving visitors an impression of haughty authority

   Georgiana's reception was "attended with all the embarrassment which, though proceeding from shyness and the fear of doing wrong, would easily give to those who felt themselves inferior the belief of her being proud and reserved."

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4. 4

   Question 4. Who is Mrs. Annesley and what role does she play during the visit?

   • She is a neighboring lady from Lambton who has come to call on Georgiana and helps to smooth over tensions between the visitors
   • She is the Pemberley housekeeper, who serves the refreshments and supervises the servants throughout the morning's visit
   • She is Darcy's aunt from London, who keeps house at Pemberley in his absence and presides over all of the family's social engagements
   • Correct answer: She is Georgiana's companion, a genteel woman who initiates conversation and proves herself more well-bred than the Bingley sisters

   Mrs. Annesley is the lady with whom Georgiana lives in London. She is "a genteel, agreeable-looking woman, whose endeavour to introduce some kind of discourse proved her to be more truly well-bred than either of the others."

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5. 5

   Question 5. What is Elizabeth feeling while she waits for Darcy to appear in the saloon?

   • She is determined to avoid Darcy entirely and plans to leave as soon as courtesy allows her to make an exit
   • She is confident and composed, having resolved that his opinion of her no longer matters after their last conversation
   • Correct answer: She is torn between wishing and fearing that the master of the house might be among the gentlemen who enter the room
   • She is distracted by admiring the beautiful furniture and artwork in the saloon and pays little attention to who enters

   "She wished, she feared that the master of the house might be amongst them; and whether she wished or feared it most, she could scarcely determine." This inner conflict reveals Elizabeth's growing but still uncertain feelings.

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6. 6

   Question 6. Where has Darcy been before he enters the saloon to join the ladies?

   • He has been in his private study writing letters to his attorney about business matters that required his urgent attention
   • He has been walking the grounds alone, deliberating about whether to enter the room and face Elizabeth after yesterday
   • He has been riding with Bingley across the Pemberley estate to inspect tenant farms on the far side of the property
   • Correct answer: He has been with Mr. Gardiner and other gentlemen fishing by the river, and left only upon learning of the ladies' visit

   "He had been some time with Mr. Gardiner, who, with two or three other gentlemen from the house, was engaged by the river, and had left him only on learning that the ladies of the family intended a visit to Georgiana that morning."

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7. 7

   Question 7. What is Miss Bingley's "sneering civility" remark about the militia?

   • She asks if the officers have been transferred to a more fashionable regiment and whether Elizabeth's sisters miss their partners
   • Correct answer: She inquires whether the militia have removed from Meryton, saying they must be "a great loss to your family"
   • She comments that the militia brought nothing but scandal to Meryton and suggests the Bennets are better off without them
   • She asks whether any of the officers have proposed to Elizabeth's younger sisters during the regiment's stay in the area

   "Pray, Miss Eliza, are not the ----shire Militia removed from Meryton? They must be a great loss to your family." She dares not mention Wickham's name in Darcy's presence but intends to bring him to mind.

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8. 8

   Question 8. Why does Miss Bingley's Wickham hint cause more damage than she intends?

   • Correct answer: Because she does not know about Georgiana's meditated elopement with Wickham, a painful secret concealed from all Bingley's connections
   • Because Darcy immediately confronts Miss Bingley about her rudeness and demands she apologize to Elizabeth before the company
   • Because Mrs. Gardiner recognizes the insult and responds sharply on Elizabeth's behalf, creating tension among the women
   • Because Elizabeth reveals publicly that Wickham once courted her, causing an embarrassing scene in front of the entire party

   "Not a syllable had ever reached her of Miss Darcy's meditated elopement. To no creature had it been revealed, where secrecy was possible, except to Elizabeth." Miss Bingley unknowingly touches the most painful secret in the Darcy family.

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9. 9

   Question 9. How does Elizabeth's composure under Miss Bingley's attack affect Darcy?

   • He grows angry at Elizabeth for not defending herself more vigorously against Miss Bingley's obvious provocation
   • Correct answer: The circumstance designed to turn his thoughts from Elizabeth fixes them on her "more and more cheerfully"
   • He becomes distracted and leaves the room immediately without speaking to anyone else for the rest of the visit
   • He resolves to speak privately with Miss Bingley and ask her to refrain from making such remarks in the future

   "Elizabeth's collected behaviour, however, soon quieted his emotion" and "the very circumstance which had been designed to turn his thoughts from Elizabeth seemed to have fixed them on her more and more cheerfully."

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10. 10

    Question 10. Why does Georgiana refuse to join Miss Bingley in criticizing Elizabeth after the visit?

    • She is too shy to give an opinion of her own and stays silent, as she did through most of the visit, whenever Miss Bingley speaks
    • She privately dislikes Miss Bingley and refuses to agree with her on principle regardless of the subject being discussed
    • She barely noticed Elizabeth during the visit and has no strong opinion about her appearance or manners one way or another
    • Correct answer: Her brother's recommendation ensures her favour, and he has spoken of Elizabeth in terms that leave Georgiana unable to find her anything but lovely

    "Her brother's recommendation was enough to ensure her favour; his judgement could not err. And he had spoken in such terms of Elizabeth as to leave Georgiana without the power of finding her otherwise than lovely and amiable."

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11. 11

    Question 11. How does Darcy respond when Miss Bingley says Elizabeth looks "brown and coarse"?

    • He defends Elizabeth with passion and tells Miss Bingley she ought to be ashamed of making such spiteful remarks about his guest
    • He agrees that Elizabeth does not look her best but suggests it may be due to the strain of traveling in unfamiliar country
    • Correct answer: He coolly replies he perceives no alteration other than her being rather tanned, a natural consequence of travelling in summer
    • He ignores the comment entirely and changes the subject to plans for tomorrow's dinner with the arriving guests

    "However little Mr. Darcy might have liked such an address, he contented himself with coolly replying that he perceived no other alteration than her being rather tanned, no miraculous consequence of travelling in the summer."

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12. 12

    Question 12. What specific physical criticisms does Miss Bingley make about Elizabeth?

    • Correct answer: She says Elizabeth's face is too thin, complexion lacks brilliancy, nose wants character, and eyes have a sharp shrewish look
    • She says Elizabeth walks ungracefully, speaks too loudly, laughs too freely, and has rough hands from country living
    • She says Elizabeth's figure is too slight, her height too short, her voice too high-pitched, and her smile too knowing
    • She says Elizabeth's hair is unfashionable, her posture is poor, her dress is provincial, and her manners are unrefined

    Miss Bingley catalogs Elizabeth's alleged flaws: "Her face is too thin; her complexion has no brilliancy; and her features are not at all handsome. Her nose wants character... her eyes... have a sharp, shrewish look... a self-sufficiency without fashion, which is intolerable."

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13. 13

    Question 13. What does Miss Bingley remind Darcy he once said about Elizabeth after dining at Netherfield?

    • She reminds him that he criticized Elizabeth's conversation as dull and said she had nothing interesting to contribute
    • She recalls that he compared Elizabeth unfavorably to Jane and said the elder Bennet sister was the only handsome one
    • She reminds him that he called Elizabeth a tolerable dancer but said he would not stand up with her a second time
    • Correct answer: She recalls he said "She a beauty! I should as soon call her mother a wit" after they had dined at Netherfield

    "I particularly recollect your saying one night, after they had been dining at Netherfield, 'She a beauty! I should as soon call her mother a wit.'" Miss Bingley hopes to remind Darcy of his former low opinion.

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14. 14

    Question 14. What is Darcy's devastating response when Miss Bingley reminds him of his earlier insult?

    • He says he regrets those words deeply and has written Elizabeth a letter of apology that he intends to deliver tomorrow
    • Correct answer: He says that was only when he first saw her, and it is many months since he has considered her one of the handsomest women of his acquaintance
    • He says Miss Bingley misremembers the conversation and that he never made any such remark about Elizabeth or her mother
    • He says Elizabeth has improved considerably since Hertfordshire and he now considers her manners quite acceptable in society

    "Yes," replied Darcy, who could contain himself no longer, "but that was only when I first saw her, for it is many months since I have considered her as one of the handsomest women of my acquaintance." He then walks away.

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15. 15

    Question 15. What is notable about Elizabeth and Mrs. Gardiner's conversation on the way home?

    • Correct answer: They discuss everything about the visit except Darcy himself, though both long to know what the other thinks of him
    • They speak openly about Darcy's obvious attentions and Mrs. Gardiner teases Elizabeth about a possible future proposal
    • They focus entirely on Georgiana, agreeing that she would make an excellent friend for Elizabeth and Jane in the future
    • They argue about whether Darcy is genuinely reformed or merely pretending to be civil for the sake of appearances

    They "talked of all that had occurred during their visit... except what had particularly interested them both." They discussed "his sister, his friends, his house, his fruit -- of everything but himself," though both wished the other would raise the subject.

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