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Quiz about Charlotte Bronts Shirley
Quiz about Charlotte Bronts Shirley

Charlotte Brontė's "Shirley" Trivia Quiz


Charlotte Brontė's "Shirley" is lesser known than its predecessor "Jane Eyre", and tainted by the deaths of her three siblings during its creation, yet remains a much-loved novel. See how much you know!

A multiple-choice quiz by AlexxSchneider. Estimated time: 4 mins.
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Time
4 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
368,319
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
7 / 10
Plays
159
- -
Question 1 of 10
1. "Shirley" is set in North Yorkshire, and its backdrop is the milling industry, but in which wartime period? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. One of the main characters is Caroline Helstone, the rector's niece, who is enamoured of Robert Moore, a mill-owner who lives nearby. The two are also related, but in what way? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. There are three curates from nearby villages who frequently appear in the novel, but which one of these is NOT such a curate and his village? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. It is a while before we are introduced to the eponymous character of the novel, Shirley Keeldar, but what is unusual about her name? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. Shirley's governess, Mrs Pryor, has a secret: one of the characters is the child she abandoned! Which character discovers that their mother is nearby after all? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. Some characters use different abbreviations of the name Caroline to address her. Which is the one, influenced by his European nationality, most favored by Robert? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. Caroline has a special keepsake in her locket, which in her time of illness she keeps firmly grasped in her hand lest someone make off with it. What is it that she treasures? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. Robert sustains an injury that keeps him in bed for six months, during which time he is a guest at the Yorkes' home. What causes this injury? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. During Robert's convalescence, Caroline is forbidden by Mrs Yorke to visit him. Which of the Yorke children, who dislikes women, makes a crafty deal with Caroline to allow her to secretly reunite with the man she loves? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. Shirley has her fair share of suitors, allowing her to choose more wisely who she will take as her husband. After many rejected proposals, to the dismay of her uncle Sympson, who is visiting for the sole purpose of seeing her marry, who does she finally decide is the best match for her? Hint



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Most Recent Scores
Mar 06 2024 : Guest 120: 3/10
Feb 14 2024 : Guest 120: 5/10

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quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. "Shirley" is set in North Yorkshire, and its backdrop is the milling industry, but in which wartime period?

Answer: Napoleonic Wars

The Napoleonic Wars are ongoing during the novel, but more or less kept in the background, while the events of Briarfield village take centre stage. At the time, new machinery is being invented, making the milling process much easier, but it creates a lot of contention among the workers who have been ousted, their positions no longer needed.

These unemployed men are desperate to have money to feed their families, and as such the war in Europe is very much at the back of their minds.
2. One of the main characters is Caroline Helstone, the rector's niece, who is enamoured of Robert Moore, a mill-owner who lives nearby. The two are also related, but in what way?

Answer: Robert is her cousin.

Yes, they are cousins, although distantly and not by blood. Caroline visits Robert and his sister Hortense every morning for French lessons, and falls in love with Robert. He, too, becomes fond of her, but he keeps it to himself, considering a marriage for love to be impossible as he needs money to keep his mill running. Caroline keeps her love for him a secret too, but is desperate for him to make a move and reciprocate.
3. There are three curates from nearby villages who frequently appear in the novel, but which one of these is NOT such a curate and his village?

Answer: Mr Branwell of Rosehedge

Mr Sweeting is, as his name suggests, a kind and gentle man, and is respected by the villagers. He is in love with a young woman, Dora Sykes, but feels completely out of her league. They do eventually marry and live happily.

Mr Donne is not well liked by the parishioners, least of all by Shirley, because of his prejudice and dislike of Northerners. He spoils an afternoon tea telling Shirley that he thinks of Yorkshire and its people as miserly and awful, preferring his native London. He is thrown out by Shirley.

Mr Malone is an obnoxious, overbearing man, whose greed leads him to try to court several women in the village, to no avail. In the end he has disappeared from town under suspicious circumstances, but Brontė leaves out the details, to the reader's frustration (or mine, at least!).

Although Branwell is not the name of a character in this novel, it is in fact the name of Charlotte Brontė's brother.
4. It is a while before we are introduced to the eponymous character of the novel, Shirley Keeldar, but what is unusual about her name?

Answer: Shirley was a male name at the time.

Shirley's parents wanted to have a boy, and Shirley was the intended name. When they have a baby girl, they don't bother changing their choice of name and thus Shirley is left with a male moniker. This seems to suit her independent personality, and as lady of the manor, she requests to be jokingly named "Lord" and "Captain Keeldar", as there is no lord of the manor - Shirley has her own property.

The name Shirley become popular for girls after the publication of this novel, and remains almost solely a female name to this day, although it still exists as a rare male name.

The incorrect answer of Shirley's (non-existent) older sister bearing the name before her actually refers to the painter Salvador Dalķ, whose parents considered him to be the reincarnation of his dead brother, also named Salvador, who died nine months before his birth.
5. Shirley's governess, Mrs Pryor, has a secret: one of the characters is the child she abandoned! Which character discovers that their mother is nearby after all?

Answer: Caroline

Caroline's father, James Helstone, was an alcoholic and mistreated his wife. When Caroline was born, Mrs Helstone couldn't bear to look at her because she simply saw her husband in the baby, so she left the family. Caroline, at the age of eighteen, does not recognize her mother, who has arrived in town in the form of Shirley's governess, but the two strike up a caring friendship.

It is only when Caroline is gravely ill and could die that Mrs Pryor decides to tell her the truth. Caroline embraces her "mamma" and the two are very happy to be reunited.
6. Some characters use different abbreviations of the name Caroline to address her. Which is the one, influenced by his European nationality, most favored by Robert?

Answer: Lina

Other characters, particularly Shirley and Mr. Helstone, Caroline's uncle, call her "Cary", though at least once Shirley calls her "Lina" and Robert calls her "Cary"! (I tend to attribute this to an error on Charlotte Brontė's part, but I could be wrong.) Robert's nickname of "Lina" is said to be because he is from Belgium.

"Rolli" and "Lee" are never used by any character.
7. Caroline has a special keepsake in her locket, which in her time of illness she keeps firmly grasped in her hand lest someone make off with it. What is it that she treasures?

Answer: A lock of Robert's hair

Shirley discovers this and questions Caroline about it. Caroline had seen Robert's sister Hortense keep such a keepsake in her toolbox, and she asked Robert if she could have one of her own. He agrees only if she gives him a clipping of her own hair in return. She keeps his lock safe in her locket, though she is convinced that he has lost hers in absentmindedness.
8. Robert sustains an injury that keeps him in bed for six months, during which time he is a guest at the Yorkes' home. What causes this injury?

Answer: He is shot

Robert is riding home with Mr Yorke as company, when a then-unidentified man cries out odd sentiments and shoots Robert. His injuries lessen with time, but he must remain bedridden for six months. Mr Yorke, enjoying the power of having a fellow man completely depend on him, insists Robert must partake of his hospitality. A nurse is sent in by his surgeon, and his convalescence begins.

It turns out that the man who shoots him is Michael Hartley, a loner and drunkard whom politics intensely angers. It is revealed that after the events of the novel are over, Hartley dies, and Robert is kind enough to give the widow of his would-be killer money to cover the burial.
9. During Robert's convalescence, Caroline is forbidden by Mrs Yorke to visit him. Which of the Yorke children, who dislikes women, makes a crafty deal with Caroline to allow her to secretly reunite with the man she loves?

Answer: Martin

Mrs Yorke allows the patient no guests, a decision made with the permission of his sister Hortense, leaving Caroline severely worried about Robert's health and missing him. Caroline tries several times to access the house to see him, but is barred. She approaches Martin desperate for news about Robert, who likes the attention he is receiving, and agrees to sneak her into the house to visit him, after which he demands a kiss from Caroline in return. Martin dislikes women, considering them useless ("I hate all womenites. I wonder what they were made for.") but he likes, like his father, the power trip that having people in his debt gives him.

Robert and Caroline eventually voice their love for each other, and marry.
10. Shirley has her fair share of suitors, allowing her to choose more wisely who she will take as her husband. After many rejected proposals, to the dismay of her uncle Sympson, who is visiting for the sole purpose of seeing her marry, who does she finally decide is the best match for her?

Answer: Louis Moore

Louis Moore is the brother of Robert and Hortense, and a tutor for the family of Shirley's uncle, the Sympsons. Shirley does not acknowledge Louis much, treating him simply like a member of the household and barely ever talking to him. Yet it transpires that he was Shirley's tutor in her youth and has fallen desperately in love with her, yet he dare not voice it to her, being a lowly tutor and unworthy of a landowner such as she. He keeps all her old exercises in his desk, which Caroline and Shirley's young cousin Henry find one day.

Shirley rejects the proposals of three other men: Samuel Wynne, on whose behalf his father makes the proposal, Robert Moore, who proposes simply for financial reasons, and Sir Philip Nunnely, to everyone's surprise. Shirley's uncle is outraged that she refuses to marry him, but she does not wish to marry for a reason other than love, and even then she is fiercely protective of her independence and reluctant to give it up. Upon Shirley's insistence that she will not marry Sir Philip, her uncle Sympson decides he and the family will leave, his goal unaccomplished, and this causes Louis to panic that he will never see her again. He quickly declares his love for her and urges her to accept his proposal, which she eventually does, but still very reluctant to switch her independent life for that of marriage.

Shirley and Louis have a double wedding with Caroline and Robert.
Source: Author AlexxSchneider

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor MotherGoose before going online.
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