Before She Marries Mr Right.... Trivia Quiz | Literature

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1. The love of her life is clearly the gypsy boy Heathcliff. But instead of marrying him, she decides to get married to Edgar Linton. Who is this windswept heroine of the moors?

Answer: Catherine Earnshaw

The novel is "Wuthering Heights" by Emily Bronte.

Catherine admits that she never really loved Edgar - she only married him to gain social status. Heathcliff marries Isabella, Edgar Linton's sister. Catherine makes herself ill and dies. Heathcliff goes mad with grief before he too dies. Finally, after death, the two are buried in neighbouring graves.

"Wuthering Heights" was originally published in 1847. After Emily Bronte died, her sister Charlotte edited the novel including altering some of the dialogue to make the Yorkshire dialect easier to understand. This revised edition was published in 1850.

2. This young heroine is thoroughly confused. She loves the seemingly pure and good, but also rather weak and hypocritical, Angel Clare. But she also loves the dark, seductive and somewhat dangerous Alec d'Urberville. Ultimately she ends up with neither. Who is this tragic country heroine?

Answer: Tess Durbeyfield

The novel is "Tess of the d'Urbervilles" by Thomas Hardy.

Tess loves Angel Clare and the two are married. However, on their wedding day Tess confesses that she has been in a relationship with Alec and had his baby (the baby, a boy named Sorrow, died aged just a few weeks). Angel leaves Tess and moves to Brazil. Tess meets Alec again and he tells her Angel will never come back, so Tess becomes Alec's mistress. When Angel does return, Tess is angry with Alec for deceiving her and stabs him to death. She runs away with Angel but is arrested after a few days. Tess is hanged for murder. At Tess's request Angel marries her sister Liza-Lu.

"Tess of the d'Urbervilles" was considered to be so shocking that the original book was heavily censored before publishing.

3. She falls in love with the dark and brooding Edward Rochester. Unfortunately she finds out he is already married, so she runs away and falls in love with St John Rivers. Thankfully she realises her mistake and comes back in time to win Edward's heart. Who is this governess?

Answer: Jane Eyre

The novel is "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Bronte.

St John Rivers is actually a cousin of Jane Eyre. He tells her that her uncle John Eyre is also his uncle. John Eyre leaves a fortune in his will to Jane - �20,000 (which would be over a million pounds today!) which she insists on sharing with St John Rivers and his sisters. Although she doesn't love St John she agrees to marry him and go as a missionary to India, as he convinces her this is her duty. She later changes her mind and decides not to marry him. Shortly afterwards Jane hears the voice of Edward Rochester in a dream and hurries back to him. Edward's wife has killed herself, and Edward is seriously injured (he loses a hand and is blind) having tried to save her. Jane and Edward are married and he recovers enough sight to be able to see his first born son.

Some of the events of Jane's childhood are taken from Charlotte Bronte's own childhood; in particular the miserable life Jane had at Lowood school mirrors Charlotte's own schooldays at the Clergy Daughters School. The death from consumption (tuberculosis) of Jane's young friend Helen at school is based on the death of Charlotte's younger sisters Elizabeth and Maria from the same disease.

4. One very hot summer, this young woman falls in love with Farmer Ted Burgess. At the same time she becomes engaged to Hugh Viscount Trimingham and later marries him. Who is this haughty woman who uses a young boy to send letters to her true love?

Answer: Marian Maudsley

The novel is "The Go-Between" by L.P.Hartley.

The drama of the novel takes place during one long hot summer. As the temperature soars, the love affair between Marian and Ted becomes increasingly heated. Finally as the weather breaks and a thunderstorm erupts, so the romance reaches its tragic conclusion. Marian and Ted are caught by her mother. Ted kills himself and Marian marries Hugh despite them both knowing she doesn't love him. The young boy, Leo, who acted as 'postman' and was the Go-Between, was mentally scarred by the events and took many years to recover.

"The Go-Between" is such a successful novel, it has been adapted as film, a play (both for the radio and on stage), a musical and even an opera.

5. She grows up in a family of four sisters, and becomes very fond of Theodore Laurence the boy next-door. Some years later he proposes to her but she is strong enough to realise that they are not suited. Thankfully, she later finds love with Professor Friedrich Bhaer. Who is this heroine of a series written for young girls?

Answer: Jo March

The novel is "Little Women" (parts 1 and 2) by Louisa May Alcott.

The Professor may not seem the 'obvious' choice for Jo, but they are very happy together. He encourages her talent for writing serious stories rather than cheap novelettes. When married, they have two sons and also bring up Friedrich's two nephews. They also run a fairly progressive school. (This is in the later books of the series). Laurie eventually proposes to Jo's younger sister Amy and the two of them are married.

"Little Women" is semi-autobiographical. Alcott clearly identified with Jo and never corrected people who called her Jo March when they wrote her letters about the books. The character of Beth was based on Louisa's sister Lizzie.

6. Another heroine from a series of novels for children, this girl leads a very sheltered life. While away on holiday she falls for the charms of the womaniser Bromly Egerton, and would happily marry him, but is prevented by her father. She is proposed to by Herbert Carrington and accepts, subject to her father's permission, which is not given. Finally she realises she is in love with her father's friend Edward Travilla who has loved her for many years. The two of them are blissfully happy and have eight children before Edward dies unexpectedly. Who is this devoutly Christian and frequently weeping heroine?

Answer: Elsie Dinsmore

The novels are the "Elsie Dinsmore" series by Martha Finley - in particular "Elsie's Girlhood" which includes the marriage proposals.

Elsie is completed fooled by Bromly Egerton, never realising he is really Tom Jackson, a scoundrel who is encouraged by Elsie's wicked Uncle Arthur to woo her in order to claim her large fortune. Poor Herbert Carrington is seriously ill but believes he can recover if Elsie marries him. Mr Dinsmore refuses to let Elsie marry someone so weak, and Herbert shortly afterwards dies of a broken heart. Elsie's true Mr Right turns out to be Edward Travilla, a man only a few years younger than her father.

There are 28 novels in the original series, published between 1865 and 1905. As the series progresses, the plots revolve around Elsie's children and grandchildren, but Elsie is always there too.

7. Everyone expects her to settle down and marry Sir James Chettam, but she doesn't love him. Actually, she doesn't really love the man that she does marry, Edward Casaubon, but she hopes to find happiness and meaning to her life by helping with his work. Her real love is Will Ladislaw, the young cousin of her husband. Who is this heroine who gives up everything for love?

Answer: Dorothea Brooke

The novel is "Middlemarch" by George Eliot.

James Chettam eventually marries Dorothea's younger sister Celia. Dorothea marries Casaubon and wants to help him with the book he is writing. Their marital happiness doesn't even last as long as their honeymoon! Dorothea learns to pity her husband, but is friendly with his young cousin Will. When Casaubon dies he leaves a will stating that if Dorothea ever marries Ladislaw she will lose her inheritance. Will already loves Dorothea but does not tell her as it would cause a scandal. Eventually Dorothea realises she loves Will and renounces her inheritance in order to marry him.

George Eliot is the pen-name of Mary Anne (later Marian) Evans. The novel "Middlemarch" was originally published as a serial in eight instalments over a period of two years.

8. Her Mr Right is the humble shepherd Gabriel Oak. However she is too proud to marry someone so far beneath her socially. She considers becoming engaged to William Boldwood, a prosperous farmer, but does not accept his proposal. Later she marries the charming but dastardly Sgt Francis Troy. Finally, after the death of Troy, she marries Gabriel Oak. Who is this tragic Hardy heroine?

Answer: Bathsheba Everdene

The novel is "Far from the Madding Crowd" by Thomas Hardy.

Bathsheba actually proposes marriage to William Boldwood. She sends him a Valentine Card saying 'marry me' as a joke - but he takes her seriously. She is swept off her feet somewhat by Sgt Troy who is later seen to have abandoned his former fianc�e Fanny Robin leaving her pregnant with his child. When Fanny and her child both die due to his neglect, Troy walks into the sea and is presumed drowned. It is only when Bathsheba is about to marry William Boldwood that Troy reappears. There is a fight and Troy is killed. William is saved from hanging by pleading insanity and Bathsheba quietly marries the steady and loyal Gabriel Oak.

Two characters from "Far from the Madding Crowd" also appear in one of Hardy's other novels, "The Mayor of Casterbridge" - they are Farmer Everdene and Farmer Boldwood.

9. She falls deeply in love with the heroic Aragorn, not knowing that he is already in love with someone else. When she realises he does not love her she determines to die in battle. However, she finds true love with Faramir. Who is this shield-maiden warrior heroine?

Answer: Eowyn

The novel is "The Lord of the Rings" by J R R Tolkien.

Eowyn is infatuated with Aragorn, but he is betrothed to Arwen. She has always longed to prove herself in battle, but, because she is a woman, she is told her duty is to remain at home. When she cannot win the love of Aragorn she disguises herself as a young man, Durnhelm, and rides out to the Battle of Pellenor Fields. She plays a vital part in the battle but is injured and initially presumed dead. Later, while recovering, she meets Faramir who was also injured. The two of them are married and Eowyn becomes a healer.

"The Lord of the Rings" was originally conceived as a sequel to "The Hobbit". Tolkien warned his publisher that he wrote slowly - and this proved to be true. It took him 12 years to finish this epic.

10. If anyone makes a habit of marrying Mr Not-Quite-Right it is this heroine. Firstly she marries Charles Hamilton. Later she marries Frank Kennedy. All the time she really wants to be married to Ashley Wilkes. Finally she marries the man who is right for her - the dashing Rhett Butler. Which Southern Belle is this?

Answer: Katie Scarlett O'Hara

The novel is "Gone with the Wind" by Margaret Mitchell.

Scarlett and Rhett are clearly meant to be together. At first their marriage is happy, and they have a child - a little girl named Bonnie Blue. Sadly, the little girl dies in a horse-riding accident. Rhett becomes depressed and turns to drink before leaving Scarlett. The novel ends with Scarlett vowing that she will win Rhett back - after all 'tomorrow is another day'.

Published in 1936, the novel was an amazing success. It sold a million copies in about 6 months. It was the only novel Margaret Mitchell had published during her lifetime.

Source: Author Bethannieh

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor looney_tunes before going online.
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Before She Marries Mr Right.... Quiz

Before she marries Mr Right, the heroine often meets a Mr Not-Quite-Right. If I give you the names of the men in her life, can you give the name of the heroine of various works of literature? This quiz covers a wide variety of novels.

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