Vivacious
Attractively lively and animated.
Witticisms
Witty remarks.
Alacrity
Brisk and cheerful readiness
Commodious
Roomy and comfortable, convenient.
Garnet
A precious stone consisting of a deep red vitreous silicate material.
some critics have likened Edna's grand dinner party to the Last Supper as recounted in the four Gospels.
In what ways is it similar?
For Edna, this is the last supper she has before she leaves L�once's home for "The pigeon house", her last supper before leaving behind her ideal of womenhood, societal conventions, and her old life entirely.
Edna is also isolated during her last meal, an
Who are the guests who attended the dinner?
Ten guests attended in total:
� Mr. And Mrs. Merriman
� Mrs. Highcamp
� Alc�e Arobin
�Mademoiselle Reisz
� Monsieur Ratignolle
� Victor Lebrun
� Miss Mayblunt
� Mr. Gouvernail
Who was invited but did not attend?
Madame Ratignolle and Madame Lebrun.
Consider Edna's behavior at the party. Has she become an independent woman?
She has become independent, but at the cost of command and isolation.
What does the following quotation indicate about the evening?
"The voices of Edna's disbanding guests jarred like a discordant note upon the quiet harmony of the night".
Despite Edna's best efforts to make everything perfect (the food, the dress, the jewels, and the guests), her desperate need to control the appearance of the party stems from her feeling of helplessness.
The guests are clumsy with their conversation, thei
How might this chapter turn out to be a climax to the story?
Mademoiselle Reisz has a suspicion about her affair with Alc�e and tells her to "be good", even though it's insinuated that in the next chapter they commit adultery.
This scene may also be the turning point in which Edna realizes that her independence com