Jane Austen

Study question Jane Austen

Facts about Jane Austen

➾ She focused her novels on a social microcosm, ignoring major political events like revolution and war.

➾ Her first novel manuscript, First Impressions, was rejected by a publisher when her father submitted it.

➾ She wrote behind a door that creaked, allowing her time to hide her manuscripts when visitors approached.

➾ At the age of eight, she nearly died while attending a boarding school due to an outbreak of typhus.

➾ Scholars refer to her early collected writings as her “Juvenalia”.

➾ She penned a comic novel with the intentional misspelling, “Love and Freindship”.

➾ She insisted on strict anonymity for her work, keeping its authorship secret outside her family.

➾ She received only one known marriage proposal (from Harris Bigg-Wither) and accepted, but rescinded the engagement the following day.

➾ She and her siblings staged private theatrical performances in the barn at their Steventon home.

➾ She affectionately called Pride and Prejudice “my own darling child”.

➾ Her original burial inscription in Winchester Cathedral made no mention of her literary career.

Jane Austen MCQs

1. When was Jane Austen born?

A. July 18, 1817
B. December 16, 1795
C. December 16, 1775
D. January 28, 1770

C. December 16, 1775

2. Where was Jane Austen born?

A. Bath, England
B. Winchester, England
C. Southampton, England
D. Steventon, Hampshire, England

D. Steventon, Hampshire, England

3. What was Jane Austen’s father’s profession?

A. A merchant
B. A lawyer
C. A doctor
D. A country rector/minister

D. A country rector/minister

4. What was the name of Jane Austen’s mother?

A. Elizabeth Bennet
B. Elinor Dashwood
C. Cassandra (née Leigh) Austen
D. Catherine Morland

C. Cassandra (née Leigh) Austen

5. Jane Austen was the seventh of how many children?

A. Five
B. Seven
C. Six
D. Eight

D. Eight

6. Which sibling was Jane Austen particularly close to?

A. Her brother Henry
B. Her brother Edward
C. Her sister Cassandra
D. Her brother George

C. Her sister Cassandra

7. For how long did Jane Austen live in Steventon during her early life?

A. Her first ten years
B. Her first twenty-five years
C. Her first fifteen years
D. Her entire life

B. Her first twenty-five years

8. What was the primary method of Jane Austen’s education?

A. Studying abroad in France
B. Mostly home-schooled
C. Attending a prestigious university
D. Taught by private tutors in London

B. Mostly home-schooled

9. Which subjects did Jane Austen study at home?

A. Only domestic sciences
B. French, Italian, history, music, and eighteenth-century fiction
C. Mathematics and science exclusively
D. Latin and Greek philosophy

B. French, Italian, history, music, and eighteenth-century fiction

10. At what age did Jane Austen begin writing?

A. Age seven
B. Age thirty
C. Age twenty
D. Age twelve

D. Age twelve

11. Which of the following was an early work by Jane Austen, part of her “Juvenalia”?

A. “Love and Freindship” [sic]
B. Pride and Prejudice
C. Sense and Sensibility
D. Emma

A. “Love and Freindship” [sic]

12. Which two early novels were written at Steventon, though not published in their original form?

A. Mansfield Park and Emma
B. “Elinor and Marianne” and “First Impressions”
C. Northanger Abbey and Persuasion
D. Lady Susan and Sanditon

B. “Elinor and Marianne” and “First Impressions”

13. What was a significant aspect of Jane Austen’s personal life regarding marriage?

A. She never married.
B. She married at a young age.
C. She had several children.
D. She had a long-term secret relationship.

A. She never married.

14. Who was Tom Lefroy in Jane Austen’s life?

A. Her cousin
B. A romantic interest she met in 1795
C. Her literary agent
D. A publisher who rejected her work

B. A romantic interest she met in 1795

15. In what year did Jane Austen move with her family to Bath?

A. 1801
B. 1809
C. 1795
D. 1805

A. 1801

16. During her time in Bath, what happened to Austen’s literary productivity?

A. It decreased suddenly.
B. It significantly increased.
C. It remained consistent.
D. She started a new literary genre.

A. It decreased suddenly.

17. From whom did Jane Austen receive her only known marriage proposal?

A. Her brother Henry
B. Harris Bigg-Wither
C. Tom Lefroy
D. Dr. Samuel Johnson

B. Harris Bigg-Wither

18. Why did Jane Austen decline the marriage proposal a day after accepting it?

A. His family disapproved of her.
B. She found someone else wealthier.
C. She was forced by her family.
D. She realised she did not love him.

D. She realised she did not love him.

19. After her father’s death, where did Jane, her mother, and sister initially move?

A. Steventon Parsonage
B. Chawton Cottage
C. Winchester
D. Southampton

D. Southampton

20. To which location did Austen move in 1809, sparking a renewed artistic period?

A. Bath
B. London
C. Winchester
D. Chawton Cottage, Hampshire

D. Chawton Cottage, Hampshire

21. What was the new title of “Elinor and Marianne” when published in 1811?

A. Mansfield Park
B. Pride and Prejudice
C. Sense and Sensibility
D. Emma

C. Sense and Sensibility

22. In what year was “Pride and Prejudice” published?

A. 1815
B. 1811
C. 1813
D. 1809

C. 1813

23. Which of Austen’s novels was originally titled “First Impressions”?

A. Pride and Prejudice
B. Sense and Sensibility
C. Northanger Abbey
D. Mansfield Park

A. Pride and Prejudice

24. How many more novels did Austen complete at Chawton Cottage?

A. Two
B. Four
C. Three
D. Five

B. Four

25. What was Austen’s approach to publishing her novels during her lifetime?

A. She insisted they be published anonymously.
B. She openly used her full name as the author.
C. She published them under a male pseudonym.
D. She co-authored them with her sister.

A. She insisted they be published anonymously.

26. Why did Jane Austen seek anonymity for her publications?

A. To avoid paying taxes on her earnings.
B. To create mystery around her identity.
C. To preserve her privacy and femininity in a society that looked down on female authors.
D. To challenge publishing conventions.

C. To preserve her privacy and femininity in a society that looked down on female authors.

27. Which of Austen’s novels were published posthumously?

A. Mansfield Park and Emma
B. Northanger Abbey and Persuasion
C. Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice
D. Sanditon

B. Northanger Abbey and Persuasion

28. What was the title of Austen’s final, unfinished work?

A. Sanditon
B. Lady Susan
C. The Watsons
D. Catherine

A. Sanditon

29. Who was instrumental in the posthumous release of some of Austen’s works?

A. Her nephew, Mr. Austen-Leigh
B. Her brother, Henry Austen
C. Her father, Reverend George Austen
D. Her sister, Cassandra Austen

B. Her brother, Henry Austen

30. What is a common criticism of Jane Austen’s novels?

A. They focused too much on political unrest.
B. They portrayed a limited world of the middle and upper classes.
C. They were overly concerned with the lives of the poór.
D. They lacked depth in character development.

B. They portrayed a limited world of the middle and upper classes.

31. Which of Austen’s novels was her “own darling child”?

A. Emma
B. Persuasion
C. Pride and Prejudice
D. Sense and Sensibility

C. Pride and Prejudice

32. What enduring achievement is attributed to “Pride and Prejudice”?

A. It was immediately adapted into a play.
B. It achieved a popularity that has endured to this day.
C. It received government censorship.
D. It was the only novel she published under her real name.

B. It achieved a popularity that has endured to this day.

33. What is a notable characteristic of Austen’s female characters?

A. They were typically weak and submissive.
B. They were rarely protagonists in her stories.
C. They were primarily focused on careers outside of marriage.
D. They were strong, unusual, and well-developed.

D. They were strong, unusual, and well-developed.

34. What were the central subjects of Austen’s novels?

A. Grand historical narratives
B. Industrialization and urban poverty
C. The microcosm of the country gentry
D. Wars and revolutions

C. The microcosm of the country gentry

35. In her work, what distinction does Austen often make?

A. External merit is more important than internal merit.
B. Internal merit is more important than external merit.
C. Both are equally unimportant.
D. She only focuses on external merit.

B. Internal merit is more important than external merit.

36. What was the chief method of self-improvement for women in Austen’s time?

A. Pursuing a professional career.
B. Acquisition of wealth through successful marriage.
C. Engaging in political activism.
D. Independent travel and adventure.

B. Acquisition of wealth through successful marriage.

37. Which famous writer did Austen admire and often quote?

A. Lord Byron
B. Charles Dickens
C. William Shakespeare
D. Dr. Samuel Johnson

D. Dr. Samuel Johnson

38. Austen’s novels align with which literary movement?

A. Modernism
B. Romanticism
C. Classicism
D. Realism (solely)

B. Romanticism

39. What qualities are her completed novels known for?

A. Their extensive use of supernatural elements.
B. Their complex historical detailing.
C. Their focus on dystopian futures.
D. Their brilliant wit, comedy, and understanding of human nature.

D. Their brilliant wit, comedy, and understanding of human nature.

40. When did Jane Austen’s health sharply decline?

A. Summer of 1815
B. Winter of 1816
C. Autumn of 1814
D. Spring of 1817

D. Spring of 1817

41. What illness is Austen believed to have died from?

A. Smallpox
B. Tuberculosis
C. Addison’s disease or a form of lymphoma
D. Pneumonia

C. Addison’s disease or a form of lymphoma

42. What was Jane Austen’s age when she died?

A. 35
B. 41
C. 52
D. 60

B. 41

43. On what date did Jane Austen die?

A. December 16, 1775
B. July 18, 1817
C. January 28, 1827
D. May 24, 1817

B. July 18, 1817

44. Where was Jane Austen taken for medical treatment before her death?

A. Bath
B. London
C. Winchester
D. Chawton

C. Winchester

45. Where is Jane Austen buried?

A. Steventon Churchyard
B. Bath Abbey
C. Westminster Abbey
D. Winchester Cathedral

D. Winchester Cathedral

46. What was initially absent from Austen’s tombstone inscription?

A. Her birth date
B. Any mention of her career as an author
C. Her full name
D. Her family crest

B. Any mention of her career as an author

47. When was the first collected edition of Austen’s novels published?

A. 1833
B. 1850
C. 1817
D. 1900

A. 1833

48. What was Jane Austen’s public recognition like during her lifetime?

A. She was a literary celebrity.
B. She gained little public recognition and was largely ignored by critics.
C. Her identity was widely known and celebrated.
D. She won numerous literary awards.

B. She gained little public recognition and was largely ignored by critics.

49. What aspect of her family life contributed to Austen’s literary development?

A. Her family strongly disapproved of her writing.
B. Her family was uncultured and unsupportive.
C. Her cultured and affectionate family encouraged her.
D. She was forced into writing by economic hardship.

C. Her cultured and affectionate family encouraged her.

50. How did Jane Austen’s brother Henry describe her life?

A. A life of extraordinary events.
B. Not by any means a life of events.
C. A tragic and tumultuous existence.
D. Full of public triumphs and recognition.

B. “Not by any means a life of events.”

Mansfield Park MCQs

1. Whom did Miss Maria Ward captivate and marry?

A. Mr. Yates
B. Mr. Rushworth
C. Sir Thomas Bertram
D. Mr. Crawford

C. Sir Thomas Bertram.
Maria Ward was considered lucky to marry Sir Thomas Bertram of Mansfield Park, gaining a high rank.

2. What amount was Maria Ward’s initial fortune?

A. £3,000
B. £7,000
C. £1,000
D. £20,000

B. £7,000.
Miss Maria Ward of Huntingdon had only seven thousand pounds when she captivated Sir Thomas.

3. Which of the three Ward sisters made the most “untoward” marriage?

A. Maria
B. Miss Ward (Mrs. Norris)
C. Frances (Mrs. Price)
D. Mrs. Grant

C. Frances (Mrs. Price).
Miss Frances married Lieutenant Price, a poor choice that thoroughly displeased her family.

4. Approximately what annual income did Mr. Norris and his wife receive?

A. £300
B. £700
C. Nearly £1,000
D. £2,000

C. Nearly £1,000.
Sir Thomas provided Mr. Norris with the Mansfield living, resulting in nearly a thousand pounds a year.

5. Mrs. Norris initially raised concerns about adopting Fanny based primarily on what?

A. Her health
B. Her temper
C. Expected future expense
D. Lack of education

C. Expected future expense.
Mrs. Norris was wary of the plan due to the implied financial commitment and future expense involved.

6. Where did Mrs. Norris suggest Fanny should be placed upon her arrival at Mansfield Park?

A. The Blue Room
B. The little white attic
C. The old nursery
D. The Parsonage

B. The little white attic.
Mrs. Norris recommended placing Fanny in the little white attic, near Miss Lee and the housemaids.

7. How old was Fanny Price when she first arrived at Mansfield Park?

A. Seven
B. Ten
C. Twelve
D. Fifteen

B. Ten.
Fanny Price performed her long journey and was just ten years old upon her arrival.

8. Who was the only member of the Bertram family who showed Fanny consistent kindness initially?

A. Lady Bertram
B. Sir Thomas
C. Tom Bertram
D. Edmund Bertram

D. Edmund Bertram.
Edmund was uniformly kind, helping Fanny overcome her shyness and providing emotional support.

9. What initial academic deficiency made Fanny’s cousins hold her “cheap”?

A. She could not draw
B. She had never learned French
C. She could not read
D. She was poor

B. She had never learned French.
The Miss Bertrams quickly dismissed Fanny because she had only two sashes and had not learned French.

10. What country did Fanny mistakenly say she would cross to reach Ireland?

A. Asia Minor
B. Isle of Wight
C. Russia
D. France

B. Isle of Wight.
Fanny showed ignorance by suggesting crossing to the Isle of Wight to get to Ireland.

11. Where was Sir Thomas Bertram during his long absence from Mansfield Park?

A. London
B. Bath
C. Norfolk
D. Antigua

D. Antigua.
Sir Thomas was absent on business in the West Indies, and letters later confirmed his arrival in Antigua.

12. Who were the siblings that came to stay at the Parsonage with the Grants?

A. Tom and Mary
B. Henry and Julia
C. Henry and Mary
D. Edmund and Julia

C. Henry and Mary.
Henry and Miss Crawford, children of Mrs. Grant’s mother by a second marriage, visited.

13. What fortune did Miss Mary Crawford possess?

A. £7,000
B. £10,000
C. £20,000
D. £30,000

C. £20,000.
Mary Crawford and her brother Henry were young people of fortune; she specifically had twenty thousand pounds.

14. Whom was Maria Bertram engaged to marry by the time the Crawfords arrived?

A. Mr. Yates
B. Dr. Grant
C. Mr. Rushworth
D. Charles Maddox

C. Mr. Rushworth.
Maria, being twenty-one, felt marriage a duty, settling upon the rich young man, Mr. Rushworth.

15. Who was determined to make the most of Mr. Crawford’s barouche, calling it the “favourite seat”?

A. Fanny
B. Lady Bertram
C. Maria
D. Julia

D. Julia.
Julia declared the barouche box would be the favourite seat, offering the best view of the country.

16. What amount per day was the architect Mr. Repton expected to charge for improving Sotherton?

A. Five guineas
B. Ten guineas
C. Fifty pounds
D. Seven shillings

A. Five guineas.
Mr. Rushworth mentioned that the professional improver, Mr. Repton, charged terms of five guineas a day.

17. What part of Sotherton was Mr. Rushworth eager to cut down for improvement?

A. The pleasure grounds
B. The avenue
C. The shrubbery
D. The churchyard wall

B. The avenue.
Mr. Rushworth thought Mr. Repton would certainly want to cut down the long avenue of trees.

18. When Fanny heard the plan to cut down the avenue, what did she spontaneously think of?

A. Cowper’s poetry
B. Edmund’s house
C. Her brother William
D. Her aunt Norris

A. Cowper’s poetry.
Fanny silently thought of the poet Cowper’s line mourning the fate of fallen avenues.

19. The house at Sotherton Court was described as built during whose time?

A. Queen Anne
B. Elizabeth’s
C. Henry VIII
D. The Stuarts

B. Elizabeth’s.
The house was a large, regular brick building built in Elizabeth’s time, which was respectable-looking.

20. What object prevented Maria Bertram and Henry Crawford from leaving the wilderness immediately?

A. A winding stream
B. A high wall
C. A locked iron gate
D. A fierce dog

C. A locked iron gate.
Maria and Henry wished to pass through the iron gate, but Mr. Rushworth had forgotten the key.

21. Which play did the young people ultimately decide to perform?

A. Lovers’ Vows
B. Hamlet
C. The Rivals
D. Heir at Law

A. Lovers’ Vows.
Tom Bertram suddenly proposed Lovers’ Vows as a suitable play that would fit them exactly.

22. Which character in the play Lovers’ Vows was Maria Bertram convinced to take?

A. Amelia
B. Cottager’s Wife
C. Agatha
D. Miss Summers

C. Agatha.
Tom and Henry quickly decided that Maria would be the best fit for the tragic part of Agatha.

23. When Fanny read the play, what shocked her regarding its unsuitability?

A. Its excessive length
B. Its religious language
C. Its improper situations and language
D. Its German origin

C. Its improper situations and language.
Fanny found Agatha’s situation and Amelia’s language totally improper for home representation.

24. What ultimately compelled Edmund to agree to participate in the play?

A. His father’s return
B. His desire to act
C. Preventing a stranger from joining
D. Mary Crawford’s insistence

C. Preventing a stranger from joining.
Edmund realized he must take the part of Anhalt to prevent the highly objectionable intimacy with Charles Maddox.

25. What reason did Tom give for his father not objecting to the play, despite his principles?

A. It was an exercise of talent
B. It was for Tom’s benefit
C. It was Tom’s idea
D. It was done by accident

A. It was an exercise of talent.
Tom claimed Sir Thomas promoted the exercise of talent in young people and had a taste for reciting.

26. When did Sir Thomas arrive home, unexpectedly interrupting the theatricals?

A. During a rehearsal
B. Before breakfast
C. The moment the play started
D. After the party left

A. During a rehearsal.
Sir Thomas arrived suddenly while the family was holding a rehearsal in the billiard-room/theatre.

27. Whose face did Sir Thomas fix with a look of severe reproach upon entering the room?

A. Tom Bertram
B. Mrs. Norris
C. Mr. Yates
D. Edmund Bertram

D. Edmund Bertram.
Fanny observed Sir Thomas’s dark brow contract as he looked earnestly at Edmund, speaking reproach.

28. What action did Sir Thomas take the morning after his return regarding the theatre?

A. He cancelled the public performance
B. He joined the cast
C. He dismissed the painter
D. He burned the play scripts

C. He dismissed the painter.
Sir Thomas gave the scene-painter his dismissal and ordered the carpenter to pull down the set.

29. Henry Crawford calculated that Edmund would likely have what annual income from his living?

A. £300
B. £700
C. £1,000
D. £2,000

B. £700.
Henry Crawford calculated Edmund would have a very pretty income, not less than seven hundred a year.

30. After Maria’s wedding, what new project did Henry Crawford resolve to pursue for amusement?

A. Renovating Everingham
B. Flirting with Fanny Price
C. Travelling abroad
D. Buying a new house

B. Flirting with Fanny Price.
Henry told his sister, Mary, that his plan was to make Fanny Price fall in love with him.

31. What negative quality, noticed in the autumn, made Fanny disesteem Crawford despite his attempts to please?

A. His lack of taste
B. His flirtatious character
C. His low fortune
D. His bad temper

B. His flirtatious character.
Fanny still thought ill of him because he had been a sad flirt, caring little for the feelings he hurt.

32. What was the real reason Henry Crawford went to London (unknown initially to Mary)?

A. To buy a house
B. To consult Sir Thomas
C. To secure William Price’s promotion
D. To attend a party

C. To secure William Price’s promotion.
Henry went to London with the sole aim of persuading the Admiral to advance William’s career.

33. After receiving Miss Crawford’s necklace, Fanny received a second, plainer chain from whom?

A. Sir Thomas
B. William
C. Edmund
D. Mrs. Norris

C. Edmund.
Edmund gave Fanny a beautiful, plain gold chain to wear with William’s cross as a token of love.

34. Edmund’s advice to Fanny regarding the necklaces included the confession that Fanny and Mary were what to him?

A. His two dearest objects
B. His two closest friends
C. His best companions
D. His greatest comforts

A. His two dearest objects.
Edmund stated that he did not want a coolness to arise between the two dearest objects he had on earth.

35. Sir Thomas eventually started to class Mrs. Norris as one of those well-meaning people who do what?

A. Always act foolishly
B. Are too active
C. Are frequently disagreeable things
D. Never visit

C. Are frequently disagreeable things.
Sir Thomas thought Mrs. Norris was one of those who were always doing mistaken and very disagreeable things.

36. What was the name of the sloop William Price was preparing to sail on?

A. The Canopus
B. The Thrush
C. The Endeavour
D. The Elephant

B. The Thrush.
William’s immediate concern upon arrival at Portsmouth was the quick sailing of the Thrush sloop.

37. What major domestic deficiency did Fanny immediately notice upon arriving at her parents’ house?

A. Lack of food
B. Excessive heat
C. Lack of cleanliness and order
D. No fire in the grate

C. Lack of cleanliness and order.
Fanny was upset by the half-cleaned plates, dirty knives, and generally low standard of comfort.

38. After spending time at Portsmouth, where did Fanny admit her true “home” was?

A. London
B. Mansfield
C. Sotherton
D. Bath

B. Mansfield.
Fanny decided that Portsmouth was Portsmouth, but Mansfield Park was now truly her home.

39. What excuse did Henry Crawford use to justify his visit to Fanny in Portsmouth?

A. Urgent business
B. He could not endure separation
C. To visit the Admiral
D. To meet her father

B. He could not endure separation.
Crawford told Fanny his only business in Portsmouth was to see her, as he could not endure separation.

40. What profession did Mary Crawford believe would be more prestigious for Edmund than the clergy?

A. Law
B. Army or Navy
C. Member of Parliament
D. Farming

C. Member of Parliament.
Mary suggested that a man with Edmund’s estate should be in Parliament, escaping his profession.

41. How did Fanny first learn of the disgrace and scandal involving her family member?

A. A letter from Edmund
B. A visit from Mary Crawford
C. A paragraph in her father’s newspaper
D. A letter from Sir Thomas

C. A paragraph in her father’s newspaper.
Fanny learned of the “devil to pay” among her cousins from a specific paragraph in Mr. Price’s paper.

42. Who were the two people involved in the scandalous elopement?

A. Julia and Mr. Yates
B. Maria and Mr. Rushworth
C. Henry Crawford and Maria Rushworth
D. Edmund and Mary Crawford

C. Henry Crawford and Maria Rushworth.
The elopement was between Mrs. Rushworth (Maria) and Henry Crawford, confirming Fanny’s fears.

43. When speaking of the elopement to Edmund, Mary Crawford criticized the couple for what specific error?

A. Their lack of feeling
B. Their want of discretion or exposure
C. Their choice of destination
D. Their haste

B. Their want of discretion or exposure.
Mary saw the elopement only as “folly stamped only by exposure,” not the moral offence.

44. What was the primary consequence of Mary Crawford’s reaction to the scandal for Edmund?

A. He immediately left London
B. His eyes were opened to her corrupted mind
C. He blamed his father
D. He married Fanny immediately

B. His eyes were opened to her corrupted mind.
Mary’s cool candor about the affair shattered Edmund’s illusions, showing her total want of principle.

45. What quality did Edmund eventually realize he valued more in Fanny than the sparkling dark eyes of Miss Crawford?

A. Her wealth
B. Her soft light eyes
C. Her accomplishments
D. Her witty conversation

B. Her soft light eyes.
Edmund soon learned to prefer Fanny’s soft light eyes and unchanging, steady attachment over Mary’s.

46. What immediately followed Maria’s elopement and disgrace?

A. Marriage to Henry
B. A divorce
C. A sudden death
D. A happy retirement

B. A divorce.
Mr. Rushworth had no difficulty obtaining a divorce, ending a marriage based on mutual lack of respect.

47. What became of Mrs. Norris after the scandal involving Maria?

A. She was sent to London
B. She was welcomed by Sir Thomas
C. She went to live with Maria
D. She reconciled with Mrs. Price

C. She went to live with Maria.
Mrs. Norris, whose affection increased with Maria’s faults, was chosen to attend her in retirement.

48. Tom Bertram improved his character following what two experiences?

A. His education and travel
B. His illness and self-reproach
C. His financial stability and marriage
D. His father’s return and Edmund’s advice

B. His illness and self-reproach.
Tom became steady and useful, having suffered and learned to think due to his illness and self-reproach.

49. Why did Mary Crawford struggle to find a suitable husband after Edmund?

A. She lacked money
B. Her family rejected her
C. She could not find a character worthy of her acquired taste
D. She refused to leave her sister

C. She could not find a character worthy of her acquired taste.
Mary’s improved taste, acquired at Mansfield, made it difficult to find a suitable man among her suitors.

50. What specific cause was given for the death of Dr. Grant?

A. Consumption
B. A fall from a horse
C. Apoplexy from over-eating
D. Old age

C. Apoplexy from over-eating.
Dr. Grant died from apoplexy brought on by three great institutional dinners in one week.

Brief Overview

Mansfield Park is a novel by the English author Jane Austen, first published in 1884. Austen uses the story to explore themes of social class, marriage, morality, and the influence of wealth, even touching on the slave trade, which was a source of the family’s riches.

The novel begins when Fanny Price, a poor and timid girl of ten, is sent to live with her wealthy uncle, Sir Thomas Bertram, at Mansfield Park.

Fanny feels neglected by her cousins and Mrs. Norris. Only her cousin Edmund Bertram shows her consistent kindness; he intends to become a clergyman.

Later, the charming siblings, Henry and Mary Crawford, arrive. Maria Bertram marries the rich, foolish Mr. Rushworth, while Henry flirts intensely with Maria and her sister Julia.

Edmund falls in love with Mary Crawford. Henry tries to win Fanny’s love by helping her brother William’s Navy career, but Fanny refuses his proposal because she secretly loves Edmund. Sir Thomas punishes Fanny by sending her back to her poor family in Portsmouth.

While Fanny is away, Maria Rushworth runs away with Henry Crawford, causing a major scandal. Edmund is devastated when Mary Crawford shows little moral concern over the situation.

Edmund brings Fanny back home to comfort her. Finally recognizing Fanny’s true worth and strong principles, Edmund falls in love with her. They marry, and Fanny becomes the mistress of Thornton Lacey.