George Orwell's "Keep the Aspidistra Flying" Quiz

Answer: Gordon Comstock

Winston Smith is from "Nineteen Eighty-Four", John Flory is from "Burmese Days", and George Bowling is from "Coming Up For Air". All George Orwell heroes.

Gordon Comstock is livid with a hatred for money because he is poor, and looks bad, because his girlfriend Rosemary won't sleep with him because of his poverty, and because his friends don't like him for not having money. You blame the poor man for his hatred of money now? I myself, VBookWorm, relate so much to Gordon for many various reasons.

Answer: Poet

The book focuses partially on Gordon's inability to finish this one poem.

Gordon's friend, Ravelston, is the editor for a magazine and prints Gordon's poems out of both pity and friendly feelings. Gordon also has some kind of job dealing with selling books in the bookstore, I believe. In total, Gordon makes two quid per week, most of which is used to pay his rent.

Answer: Rosemary

Hilda is from "Coming Up For Air", Elizabeth is from "Burmese Days", and Dorothy is from "A Clergyman's Daughter". All George Orwell heroines.

Rosemary refuses to sleep with Gordon because he doesn't have money. She won't admit it though, but Gordon knows it's the reason. Rosemary claims it's because she can't risk getting pregnant, but Gordon says if he was rich, she wouldn't mind being pregnant. Rosemary doesn't argue anymore. Despite all that, they still have a good relationship. Rosemary relents towards the end of the book, and sleeps with Gordon. Result: she becomes pregnant! She and Gordon agree to marry after that.

Answer: Mrs Wisbeach

The other three choices are either landladies or housekeepers (or both) from other classic works!

Mrs Wisbeach's boarding house is ideal for "single gentlemen". Mrs Wisbeach refuses to serve meals to her boarders after 9:00 p.m., and is cranky when they're late. She doesn't allow, under any circumstances, women to go inside the house. Who knows why?

Answer: Wine and a prostitute

Gordon spent five pounds on alcohol and five on a prostitute named Dora. Gordon was so drunk that be actually hit a policeman, called him names, and ended up in prison, with the choices of bailing out with 5 pounds, or spending 14 days in jail. Having spent all his money, Gordon chose to spend 14 days in prison, but his friend Ravelston bailed him out.

Answer: False

Nope! Rosemary became pregnant with Gordon's baby. After Gordon recovered from his drunkenness, Rosemary slept with him and became pregnant. She considered aborting the baby, but Gordon wouldn't hear of it. So they married!

Answer: A plant

Gordon loved aspidistras because they represented life to him. At Mrs Wisbeach's boardinghouse, he kept an aspidistra on his windowsill. At Mother Meakin's boardinghouse, Mother Meakin herself brought Gordon an aspidistra because she knew he liked them.

After Gordon and Rosemary got married, he wanted an aspidistra in their house, but Rosemary didn't, so it turned into "their first quarrel as man and wife." They went to buy one after the quarrel.

Answer: Mother Meakin

Mother Meakin was much more lenient than Mrs Wisbeach. Mother Meakin didn't have set times for meals, allowed woman into the house, and was overall kind to her boarders, in contrast to Mrs Wisbeach. Mother Meakin always did what little she could to make them happy. She even brought Gordon his favorite plant to cheer him up.

Answer: Mother Meakin's

While he was lying in a state of depression, Rosemary came to visit Gordon. She remembered her promise to sleep with him and did so. The book states it wasn't very pleasurable for them. After the business, Rosemary left and came to see Gordon a few days later with news of her pregnancy.

Answer: "Well, once again things were happening in the Comstock family."

The other three choices are from my (dull) imagination.

Throughout the book, Gordon's sister Julia lamented that Gordon wouldn't do anything worthwhile even though he had it in him. Basically, Gordon wouldn't live a respectable life, make decent money, get married, and all that. Well, at the end of the book, Gordon got a well-paying job, married his love, and became respectable. Things really were happening in the Comstock family again.