"Cranford" by Elizabeth Gaskell Quiz

Answer: All substantial homeowners are women.

Mary Smith states: "...all the holders of houses, above a certain rent, are women". She adds that any men that do settle in Cranford somehow disappear--terrified at being the only males at Cranford socials.

Answer: 12:00 noon to 3:00pm

Visitors may only call upon their neighbors from 12:00 noon to 3:00pm. Once a Cranford lady enters her friend's home, she must never stay longer than 15 minutes. After one receives a call, Cranford etiquette demands that the visit be repaid within three days.

Answer: Sucking oranges

Miss Matty, ever fastidious, cannot eat oranges in public. Cutting open an orange is a messy business. The only way to truly enjoy an orange, according to Mary Smith, is to suck it. However, it would be highly impolite for genteel ladies to openly suck oranges, so Miss Matty always eats her favorite fruit in complete privacy.

Answer: Candles

Miss Matty tries very diligently to never waste candles. She will sit by a window while knitting to take advantage of the sunlight. Once the light gives way, she continues knitting in the dark or by a fire-light. She also only burns one candle at a time, but is careful to keep all of her candles at an equal height so it appears that she burns more.

Answer: He dressed in his sister's clothes and paraded himself before the townspeople

Peter, for unknown and perverse reasons, decided to dress in his sister Deborah's clothes--gown, shawl, and bonnet! To make matters worse, he cradled a pillow disguised as a baby in his arms. All of the townspeople were shocked to see "Miss Deborah" walking around with a baby, spouting nonsense. When his father, Mr. Jenkyns, found out, he publicly flogged him.

Answer: Milk

Mrs. Forrester washes this one-of-a-kind lace in milk to "stiffen" it and to give it a "very good creamy color". Her cat once swallowed the lace while it was soaking in a bowl of milk, and gentle Mrs. Forrester had to make the cat vomit the lace back up.

Answer: Because of his unfortunate last name

Mr. Hoggins is described as being wealthy, attractive, kind, and pleasant. Yet, all of the ladies in Cranford look down upon him because of his "coarse" surname.

Answer: False

Miss Matty's friends actually decide to set up a monetary fund for her--each woman contributing to the best of her financial capability. True friends that they are, they insist that Miss Matty know nothing about their assistance, and instead wish to make it appear as if the bank is paying her money it owes.

Answer: A muslin gown and pearl necklace

Since Peter and Matty have been separated for decades, both imagine one another much younger in their minds than their actual ages. Peter brings Miss Matty gifts that are more suitable for a young girl, not the aging spinster that she has become.

Answer: Everyone is friendly and sociable again

Cranford is a town full of sweet, friendly people. It is happily insular, and the inhabitants must tolerate one another, as they have so small a pool of people to socialize with.