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The Awakening, First Half

Total questions: 20

Worksheet time: 15mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

This character is juxtaposed with Edna in the story to show the feminine ideal of that day which Edna cannot live up to.

a)

Madame Lebrun

b)

Mademoiselle Reisz

c)

The Lady in Black

d)

Adèle Ratignolle

2.

To whom does Robert write letters while he is away (making another character briefly jealous)?

a)

Mademoiselle Reisz

b)

Adèle Ratignolle

c)

Victor Lebrun

d)

Edna

3.

What does Léonce think when he notices Edna’s rebellious behavior?

a)

He decides she must be in love with another man

b)

He suspects that she has been smoking opium

c)

He wonders if she is going mad

d)

He speculates that she is going through menopause

4.

Which of the following characters represents the Victorian ideal of the “mother-woman”?

a)

Edna Pontellier

b)

Madame Lebrun

c)

Adèle Ratignolle

d)

Mademoiselle Reisz

5.

What does Edna say she will not give up for her children?

a)

her art

b)

her habits

c)

her money

d)

her self

6.

How does Edna Pontellier feel about her conventional lifestyle as she begins “awakening”?

a)

dissatisfied

b)

angry

c)

inspired

d)

content

7.

What major concern of Léonce Pontellier does Edna reject in the course of her awakening?

a)

Physical appearance

b)

Personal wealth

c)

Upsetting traditional hierarchies

d)

Social appearances

8.

Leonce Pontellier is

a)

a wealthy New Orleans businessman

b)

a therapist with a large practice

c)

a doctor at a large hospital

d)

a man who owns a gravel company

9.

The Pontellier's are spending their summer vacation

a)

on Catalina island off the coast of California

b)

on Long Island outside of New York

c)

on Grand Isle off the coast of Louisiana

d)

Sanibel Island off the coast of Florida

10.

The other women who are Edna's friends and acquaintances

a)

are convinced Edna's husband is the greatest guy in the world

b)

worry about Edna's deepening depression

c)

are jealous of the Pontellier's money

d)

throw a few parties for Edna to cheer her up

11.

Edna is becoming aware of a "dual life" where

a)

her outward existence conforms while her inner existence questions

b)

she lives in both Grand Isle and New Orleans

c)

she can be a mother but also an independent woman

d)

a Creole life and a traditional American life

12.

How does Léonce accuse Edna of behaving toward their children?

a)

With “pliability”

b)

With “constant irritation”

c)

With “overzealous attention”

d)

With “habitual neglect”

13.

In what time period does this story take place?

a)

1800's

b)

1700's

c)

1900's

d)

1600's

14.
Which of the following best describes Mariequita (the young Spanish girl)?
a)
Flirtatious & sassy
b)
Evil & cunning
c)
Gorgeous & outrageous
d)
Dishonest & hypocritical
15.

Choose the most prominent symbol in The Awakening.

a)

The sea

b)

The river

c)

The rain

d)

The swamp

16.

How does Edna feel about a marriage such as Adéle’s?

a)

She’s jealous because she wants it but Leonce doesn't love her

b)

She thinks it’s great, but not something she wants for herself

c)

She thinks it’s awful and oppressive

d)

She thinks it’s much better than her marriage

17.

How is Léonce Pontellier’s attitude toward his home and his belongings similar to his attitude toward his wife?

a)

He sees his home and his wife as possessions, something he owns

b)

He sees his home and his wife as nothing

c)

He sees his home and his wife as keys to his happiness

d)

He sees his home and his wife as burdens

18.

What creature is symbolic of Edna's feelings during her awakening?

a)

The sheep in their folds

b)

The birds in their cages

c)

The pigs in their pens

d)

The dogs in their kennels

e)

The horses in their stables

19.

When does Edna finally realize that her feelings for Robert have grown to love and infatuation?

a)

When he saved her from drowning

b)

Their conversation on the porch

c)

His offer to run away with her to New York

d)

When he left for Mexico

20.

When Leonce consults the doctor about Edna's behavior, what does the doctor secretly think is the issue?

a)

That Edna has a gluten intolerance

b)

That Edna is having an affair

c)

That Leonce is being physically abusive

d)

That Edna is suicidal