The Awakening, Chapter XXX quiz

Questions and answers

1. 1

   Question 1. How many guests ultimately attend Edna's birthday dinner?

   • Eight, after several cancellations reduced the original guest list
   • Correct answer: Ten, including Edna herself as the hostess
   • Twelve, exactly the number Edna had originally planned for
   • Fourteen, because several guests brought unexpected companions

   Edna had planned for twelve, but Madame Ratignolle and Madame Lebrun could not attend, leaving ten at the table.

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2. 2

   Question 2. What birthday is Edna celebrating at the dinner party?

   • Her twenty-fifth birthday, marking a quarter century of life
   • Her twenty-seventh birthday, making her feel restless about aging
   • Correct answer: Her twenty-ninth birthday, which she announces to her guests
   • Her thirtieth birthday, a milestone she dreads acknowledging

   Edna tells her guests, "I may as well admit that this is my birthday, and that I am twenty-nine."

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3. 3

   Question 3. Who composed the cocktail that opens the dinner?

   • Alcee Arobin, who claims expertise in mixing fashionable drinks
   • Edna herself, following a recipe from a New Orleans cookbook
   • Mademoiselle Reisz, who brought it as a gift for the birthday celebration
   • Correct answer: Edna's father, the Colonel, originally in honor of Sister Janet's wedding

   The cocktail was "composed by my father in honor of Sister Janet's wedding," as Edna tells her guests.

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4. 4

   Question 4. Which of the following events actually happens during the dinner party?

   • Correct answer: Mrs. Highcamp crowns Victor with a garland of yellow and red roses
   • Mademoiselle Reisz performs a piano piece for the assembled guests
   • Edna reads aloud from a poem she has been writing in secret
   • Robert Lebrun arrives unexpectedly during the final course

   Mrs. Highcamp weaves a garland of roses and lays it on Victor's black curls, transforming him into "a vision of Oriental beauty."

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5. 5

   Question 5. What song does Victor begin to sing that upsets Edna?

   • A traditional Creole lullaby that reminds Edna of her children
   • Correct answer: "Ah! si tu savais," the same song Robert sang to her at Grand Isle
   • A bawdy French drinking song that she considers inappropriate
   • An operatic aria that Mademoiselle Reisz had once played for Edna

   Victor sings "Ah! si tu savais" ("Ah! if you knew"), which is strongly associated with Robert Lebrun and Edna's feelings for him.

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6. 6

   Question 6. How does Edna physically stop Victor from singing?

   • She throws a glass of water in his face to shock him into silence
   • She storms out of the room and slams the dining room doors shut
   • Correct answer: She places her hand over his mouth after pushing back her chair
   • She asks Arobin to escort Victor out of the house immediately

   Edna pushes back her chair, goes behind Victor, and places her hand over his mouth. He then kisses her palm.

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7. 7

   Question 7. What does "souffrante" mean in the context of Madame Ratignolle being described as "to the last degree souffrante"?

   • Correct answer: Suffering or unwell, indicating her delicate physical condition
   • Fashionably late, suggesting her tendency to make grand entrances
   • Emotionally overwrought, describing her dramatic temperament
   • Socially unavailable, meaning she had a conflicting engagement

   "Souffrante" is a French term meaning suffering or indisposed, used in Creole society to describe a woman in poor health, often suggesting late pregnancy.

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8. 8

   Question 8. Which of the following does NOT happen in Chapter XXX?

   • Mademoiselle Reisz whispers "Bonne nuit, ma reine; soyez sage" to Edna
   • Edna shatters her glass against a carafe, spilling wine
   • Correct answer: Edna dances with Arobin after the other guests have departed
   • Mrs. Highcamp drapes her white silken scarf across Victor

   There is no dancing in this chapter. Edna does not dance with Arobin; the chapter ends with the guests departing into the night.

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9. 9

   Question 9. What parting words does Mademoiselle Reisz whisper to Edna?

   • "Au revoir, mon amie; courage!"—Goodbye, my friend; have courage!
   • Correct answer: "Bonne nuit, ma reine; soyez sage"—Good night, my queen; be wise
   • "Adieu, chère Edna; suivez votre coeur"—Farewell, dear Edna; follow your heart
   • "A bientôt, ma petite; ne pleurez pas"—See you soon, my dear; don't cry

   Mademoiselle Reisz kisses Edna on the shoulder and whispers "Bonne nuit, ma reine; soyez sage" (Good night, my queen; be wise).

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10. 10

    Question 10. What inner feeling overtakes Edna while she sits amid her guests looking regal?

    • Jealousy toward Mrs. Highcamp's easy rapport with Victor Lebrun
    • Anger at her husband for sending diamonds instead of attending
    • Correct answer: The old ennui and hopelessness, along with a longing for the beloved one
    • Excitement about her upcoming move to the pigeon house

    Despite appearing queenly, Edna feels "the old ennui overtaking her" and "the acute longing which always summoned into her spiritual vision the presence of the beloved one."

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11. 11

    Question 11. What are "lorgnettes" as used by Miss Mayblunt?

    • Decorative hair pins worn at formal evening gatherings
    • Correct answer: Spectacles or opera glasses held by a long handle rather than earpieces
    • Small lace fans used by society women to signal discreet messages
    • Jeweled brooches pinned to the bodice of a formal dress

    Lorgnettes are spectacles held in front of the eyes by a long handle. Miss Mayblunt uses them to observe the world "with the keenest interest."

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12. 12

    Question 12. What quotation does Mr. Gouvernail murmur while gazing at the garlanded Victor?

    • "Beauty is truth, truth beauty—that is all ye know on earth"
    • Correct answer: "There was a graven image of Desire / Painted with red blood on a ground of gold"
    • "She walks in beauty, like the night / Of cloudless climes and starry skies"
    • "I have spread my dreams under your feet / Tread softly because you tread on my dreams"

    Gouvernail murmurs the line about "a graven image of Desire / Painted with red blood on a ground of gold," underscoring the sensual, almost mythological quality of Victor's appearance.

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13. 13

    Question 13. Why does Monsieur Ratignolle leave the party first?

    • He is offended by Arobin's joke about having no real occupation
    • Correct answer: His wife Madame Ratignolle is unwell at home and filled with dread
    • He has an early morning business engagement the following day
    • He disagrees with Mademoiselle Reisz's harsh criticism of the concerts

    Monsieur Ratignolle excuses himself because "Madame Ratignolle was waiting for him at home. She was bien souffrante, and she was filled with vague dread."

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14. 14

    Question 14. What is the final image of the chapter as the guests leave?

    • Edna sitting alone at the ruined table, surrounded by broken glass and wilted roses
    • Victor and Arobin arguing loudly on the front steps about whose fault the disruption was
    • Correct answer: A profound stillness on the street, with the guests' voices jarring like a discordant note
    • Mademoiselle Reisz playing a melancholy tune on the piano as everyone files out

    The chapter ends with "A profound stillness had fallen upon the broad, beautiful street. The voices of Edna's disbanding guests jarred like a discordant note upon the quiet harmony of the night."

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