The Awakening, Chapter XXVII quiz

Questions and answers

1. 1

   Question 1. Where is Edna at the beginning of Chapter XXVII?

   • Walking along the beach at Grand Isle
   • Correct answer: Reclining on the lounge before the fire
   • Sitting at the piano in Mademoiselle Reisz's apartment
   • Dining at a restaurant in New Orleans

   The chapter opens with Edna tired and reclining on the lounge before the fire while Arobin visits her that evening.

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2. 2

   Question 2. What piece of furniture does Arobin sit on beside Edna?

   • A rocking chair
   • Correct answer: A low tabouret
   • A piano bench
   • An armchair by the window

   Arobin sits close to Edna on a low tabouret, a small stool or seat, while his fingers touch her hair.

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3. 3

   Question 3. What excuse does Edna give for her happy mood?

   • She received a letter from Robert Lebrun
   • She sold one of her paintings
   • Correct answer: The weather prophet predicted sunshine
   • She plans to move into a new house

   Edna deflects Arobin's question by joking that the weather prophet has said they will see the sun soon.

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4. 4

   Question 4. How does Edna describe herself according to moral codes she knows?

   • A perfectly respectable wife and mother
   • Correct answer: A devilishly wicked specimen of the sex
   • A woman trapped by circumstance alone
   • An artist who has sacrificed everything for her craft

   Edna says "by all the codes which I am acquainted with, I am a devilishly wicked specimen of the sex" but adds she cannot convince herself she truly is wicked.

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5. 5

   Question 5. How does Arobin respond when Edna says she wants to examine her own character?

   • He encourages her to seek a priest's guidance
   • Correct answer: He tells her not to bother, offering to define her himself
   • He changes the subject to Mademoiselle Reisz
   • He agrees that honest self-examination is important

   Arobin dismisses the idea, saying "Don't. What's the use? Why should you bother thinking about it when I can tell you what manner of woman you are."

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6. 6

   Question 6. What did Mademoiselle Reisz physically do to Edna before they parted?

   • Kissed her on both cheeks in the French manner
   • Pressed a note into her hand
   • Correct answer: Felt her shoulder blades to see if her wings were strong
   • Held her hands and read her palms

   Mademoiselle Reisz put her arms around Edna and felt her shoulder blades, saying she was checking whether Edna's wings were strong.

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7. 7

   Question 7. According to Mademoiselle Reisz, what must the bird have to soar above "the level plain of tradition and prejudice"?

   • A clear destination
   • Correct answer: Strong wings
   • A companion for the journey
   • Freedom from all earthly ties

   The full quote warns that "The bird that would soar above the level plain of tradition and prejudice must have strong wings," representing the inner strength needed to defy social conventions.

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8. 8

   Question 8. What is Arobin's opinion of Mademoiselle Reisz?

   • He admires her musical genius
   • Correct answer: He thinks she is partially demented
   • He finds her conversation fascinating
   • He considers her a dangerous influence on Edna

   Arobin says he has heard Mademoiselle Reisz is "partially demented" and "extremely disagreeable and unpleasant," dismissing her intellectual significance.

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9. 9

   Question 9. How does Edna counter Arobin's dismissal of Mademoiselle Reisz?

   • She laughs and agrees the pianist is eccentric
   • Correct answer: She replies that Reisz seems "wonderfully sane"
   • She says Reisz is the only honest person she knows
   • She refuses to discuss the matter further

   Edna simply replies "She seems to me wonderfully sane," directly contradicting Arobin's dismissal and revealing her deeper connection to Reisz's ideas.

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10. 10

    Question 10. What does Chopin mean when she writes the kiss was "the first kiss of her life to which her nature had really responded"?

    • Edna has never been kissed by anyone before this moment
    • Correct answer: It is the first time Edna has experienced genuine physical passion
    • Arobin is the first man to pursue Edna romantically
    • Edna has finally fallen deeply in love with Arobin

    Although Edna is married, no previous kiss—from her husband or anyone else—has awakened true physical desire. This is her sexual awakening, not a declaration of love for Arobin.

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11. 11

    Question 11. What literary device does Chopin use in the phrase "It was a flaming torch that kindled desire"?

    • Simile
    • Personification
    • Correct answer: Metaphor
    • Hyperbole

    The kiss is described as a "flaming torch"—a metaphor comparing the kiss to fire that ignites desire, emphasizing its transformative and irreversible nature.

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12. 12

    Question 12. Which theme does Chapter XXVII most directly develop?

    • The conflict between motherhood and art
    • Correct answer: The separation of physical desire from romantic love
    • The economic dependence of married women
    • The influence of Creole culture on outsiders

    Chapter XXVII separates physical passion from emotional love—Edna's sexual awakening happens with Arobin, whom she does not love, while she longs for the absent Robert Lebrun.

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