
The Garden of Eden MCQs
1. Where are David and Catherine Bourne initially living?
A. Aigues Mortes
B. Palavas
C. Le Grau du Roi
D. Avignon
2. David and Catherine’s room resembles a painting by which artist?
A. Matisse
B. Picasso
C. Gauguin
D. Van Gogh
3. Catherine frequently comments that making love makes them feel what?
A. Tired
B. Hungry
C. Lonely
D. Inventive
4. What specific food item sometimes causes Catherine a headache until she consumes it?
A. Brioche
B. Red raspberry preserve
C. Coffee
D. Eggs
5. What type of fish does David Bourne catch on the jetty?
A. Mackerel
B. Mullet
C. Sea bass
D. Sandworm
6. What is the name of the excited waiter who assists David in landing the large fish?
A. Monsieur Jean
B. Andre
C. Aurol
D. Juma
7. What is the final fate of David’s fifteen-pound fish?
A. They cook and eat it
B. It is given to the waiter
C. It is sold and sent to Paris
D. They release it
8. Catherine’s initial “dangerous surprise” involves a trip to Aigues Mortes for what purpose?
A. Buying a new suit
B. Getting a divorce
C. Cutting her hair
D. Selling a painting
9. After her haircut, Catherine declares she is a girl, but now she is also a what?
A. Writer
B. Destruction
C. Boy
D. Teacher
10. Catherine states, “Now you can’t tell who is who, can you?” after which event?
A. Eating breakfast
B. Going swimming
C. Making love
D. Changing clothes
11. David internally reacts to Catherine’s initial change by repeating what word?
A. Happy
B. Goodbye
C. Loved
D. Hungry
12. David notes that Catherine initiated the gender role reversal in the dark, calling it what?
A. A playful game
B. The dark magic of the change
C. Wild behavior
D. An absolute bore
13. The arrival of what item significantly disrupts David and Catherine’s simple life?
A. A bill
B. A telegram
C. Letters and clippings
D. A bicycle manual
14. Catherine reacts to David’s literary clippings by comparing them to what?
A. Money
B. Ashes in a jar
C. A precious memory
D. Her dowry
15. What drink do they refer to as the “hero drink” that tastes “fresh, clean, healthy, ugly”?
A. Vermouth
B. Absinthe
C. Armagnac and soda
D. White wine
16. Which distant continent/region does Catherine mention as their next planned destination?
A. Spain
B. Africa
C. Italy
D. Estérel
17. David states his only rule about drinking is never to drink at what time?
A. Before noon
B. Before or while working
C. When Catherine is gone
D. After absinthe
18. After traveling from Le Grau du Roi, the couple stops in which location bordering Spain?
A. Cannes
B. Avignon
C. Hendaye
D. Biarritz
19. In the café at Hendaye, David and Catherine fight after drinking which beverage?
A. Manzanilla
B. Whiskey
C. Café creme
D. Absinthe
20. Colonel Boyle warns David that everything is fine until what moment?
A. They stop swimming
B. Catherine changes again
C. It’s wrong
D. David stops writing
21. In Madrid, David’s remorse is exacerbated after Catherine’s antics in which location?
A. The Prado
B. The Palace bar
C. The Buen Retiro
D. Aigues Mortes
22. What drink does David start consuming instead of pastis during the day while staying at La Napoule?
A. Martini
B. Whiskey and Perrier water
C. Tavel
D. Manzanilla
23. After their dramatic time in Madrid, the couple decides to return to where?
A. Cannes
B. La Napoule
C. Avignon
D. Spain
24. What distinct feature does Catherine instruct Monsieur Jean to add to her hair/look during her second haircut?
A. Make it dark
B. Make it fair
C. Make it long
D. Make it curly
25. What change does Monsieur Aurol immediately notice upon David and Catherine’s return from Cannes?
A. Their clothes
B. Their car
C. Their tans
D. Their hair color
26. Looking in the mirror after his hair is cut like Catherine’s, David reflects that he must admit he does what?
A. Hate the new look
B. Feel tempted
C. Like the new look
D. Regret the decision
27. Where did David and Catherine first meet Marita and her friend Nina?
A. La Napoule
B. Nice
C. Cannes
D. Hendaye
28. When Marita arrives, she is described as the dark, handsome one who frequently does what?
A. Smiles
B. Blushes
C. Argues
D. Talks too loudly
29. Marita states that she is in love with whom?
A. Only David
B. Only Catherine
C. David and Catherine both
D. Nina
30. What shared activity helps Marita overcome her initial shyness around David?
A. Driving the Bugatti
B. Swimming without suits
C. Playing chess
D. Drinking martinis
31. David interrupts his novel narrative at La Napoule to write what?
A. A letter to his publisher
B. A second novel
C. A new story
D. A reflection on marriage
32. What is significant about the story David finishes shortly before noon?
A. It is poorly written
B. It is the first work he has finished since marrying Catherine
C. Catherine hates it
D. It is his father’s story
33. David gives Marita a secret name, “Haya,” which means what?
A. Beloved
B. The dark one
C. The modest one
D. The clever one
34. Catherine proposes typing David’s manuscript and arranging illustrations from artists including Picasso and whom else?
A. Goya
B. Monet
C. Marie Laurencin
D. Van Gogh
35. What manuscript does Catherine tear in two after reading it?
A. The African story cahier
B. The narrative cahier
C. The latest clipping
D. Her bank correspondence
36. David suggests they take a trip to Switzerland to see whom?
A. A coiffeur
B. Lawyers
C. A tailor
D. A doctor
37. What drink gives David pleasure specifically because it belonged to Marita?
A. Tavel
B. Martini
C. Champagne
D. Whiskey and Perrier
38. What object do David, his father, and Juma find in the forest that belongs to the elephant’s friend?
A. A footprint
B. A skull
C. A tusk
D. A watering hole
39. During the elephant hunt, David begins to view the elephant as his what?
A. Brother
B. Enemy
C. Prey
D. Father
40. David finds that Catherine has burned what possessions in the trash drum?
A. All manuscripts and letters
B. His gun and bicycle
C. The story cahiers and clippings
D. Marita’s clothes
41. David tells Catherine that the only reason he doesn’t kill her is what?
A. He still loves her
B. She is crázy
C. Marita asked him not to
D. He has no weapon
42. Catherine plans to have the destroyed stories appraised and then pay David what amount?
A. The appraised value
B. Double the appraisal
C. Half the value
D. A fixed sum of $1000
43. David’s father once advised him never to bet on anything that can talk, except whom?
A. Juma
B. Catherine
C. Himself
D. Colonel Boyle
44. How does Catherine depart from David in the evening?
A. Driving the Bugatti
B. By bicycle
C. Taking the train to Biarritz
D. Driving to Paris
45. David toasts Madame Aurol and Marita “Á nous et á la liberté.” What does this phrase mean?
A. To us and love
B. To us and happiness
C. To us and freedom
D. To us and success
46. David finds he cannot write more than a single simple sentence due to what?
A. Lack of inspiration
B. Resolution being powerless against what happened
C. Marita disturbing him
D. Too much Perrier
47. What activity do David and Marita engage in that is further than they had ever done before?
A. Driving the Bugatti
B. Cycling to Aigues Mortes
C. Swimming out to sea
D. Reading the papers
48. David successfully recovers, corrects, and improves what previously destroyed work?
A. The Madrid narrative
B. The story about the elephant hunt
C. The press clippings
D. The letters
49. David finds he has inherited his father’s ability to do what regarding coming danger?
A. Lie effectively
B. Forget and not dread
C. Drink whiskey reliably
D. Write simple sentences
50. David realizes his greatest strength is writing from an “inner core” that cannot be what?
A. Defined
B. Shared
C. Split
D. Confusing
Brief Overview
This novel by Ernest Hemingway is about a young married couple. David Bourne is a writer. His wife is Catherine. They are on a long honeymoon by the sea. They enjoy a happy, simple life of swimming and eating well.
Catherine seeks constant change and excitement. She cuts her long hair very short, like a boy’s cut. This changes how they act together. David’s published book finds success, which Catherine dislikes. She worries his professional life will ruin their private world.
They travel and meet another beautiful girl named Marita. Catherine invites Marita to join them. Catherine also encourages David to love Marita. David begins a complex relationship with both women.
David tries to write new stories. Catherine becomes unstable. She sees his new writing as worthless and destructive. In a sudden act, Catherine takes all of David’s completed stories and his press clippings and burns them. David is devastated by this huge loss of his work.
Catherine then leaves abruptly by train. David finds comfort and support with Marita. Though he struggles at first, he eventually discovers he can successfully rewrite the destroyed manuscripts. David and Marita then begin a new life together.
