Pride and Prejudice: Preface Comprehension Quiz

(Based on George Saintsbury's Preface to the 1894 George Allen edition)

Multiple Choice Questions

**1. Who wrote the preface to this edition of Pride and Prejudice?**
A) Jane Austen
B) Hugh Thomson
C) George Saintsbury
D) J. Comyns Carr

2. Who illustrated this edition, and to whom did he dedicate his illustrations?
A) George Allen; to Jane Austen
B) Hugh Thomson; to J. Comyns Carr
C) George Saintsbury; to Hugh Thomson
D) Hugh Thomson; to Goldwin Smith

**3. According to the preface, when was Pride and Prejudice first written, and when was it finally published?**
A) Written in 1796, published in 1813
B) Written in 1813, published in 1817
C) Written in 1811, published in 1813
D) Written in 1796, published in 1796

4. Which distinction from Walt Whitman does Saintsbury use to open his argument?
A) "Comedy" versus "tragedy"
B) "Loving by allowance" versus "loving with personal love"
C) "Construction" versus "character"
D) "Narrowness" versus "greatness"

**5. Which novel does Saintsbury suggest the "vulgar verdict" of most readers would actually prefer over Pride and Prejudice?**
A) Persuasion
B) Sense and Sensibility
C) Emma
D) Northanger Abbey

6. Saintsbury compares Austen's humour most closely to which writer?
A) Jonathan Swift
B) Henry Fielding
C) Joseph Addison
D) Tobias Smollett

**7. According to the preface, what makes the elopement of Lydia and Wickham different from the elopement of Crawford and Mrs. Rushworth in Mansfield Park?**
A) It is a bigger scandal
B) It is not a sudden "coup de théâtre" but connects naturally with the earlier plot
C) It happens off-page and is never explained
D) It involves a duel

8. What does Saintsbury say is the source of the "awkwardness" and misunderstanding between Darcy and Elizabeth?
A) A forged letter from Elizabeth's father
B) Wickham's false account of Darcy's conduct, and the natural change in Elizabeth's feelings
C) A misunderstanding caused by Mr. Collins
D) Jane Bennet's illness at Netherfield

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Short Answer Questions

9. According to Saintsbury, why does he believe construction (plot) is important but not "the highest merit" of a novelist? What does he value more?

10. Explain the comparison Saintsbury draws between Miss Austen's "art" and the work of a miniature painter (referencing Goldwin Smith's observation). What two named painters does he use to clarify this comparison?

11. Saintsbury argues that Miss Austen's humor contains "a certain not inhuman or unamiable cruelty." Using details from the passage, explain what he means by this and how he defends her against charges of "cynicism."

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Answer Key

1. C – George Saintsbury
2. B – Hugh Thomson; dedicated to J. Comyns Carr
3. A – Written in 1796, published in 1813 (revised at Chawton ~15 years after first draft)
4. B – "Loving by allowance" versus "loving with personal love"
5. C – Emma
6. C – Joseph Addison
7. B – It connects naturally with the earlier course of the story rather than being a sudden dramatic twist
8. B – Wickham's false account of Darcy's conduct, combined with Elizabeth's gradual and natural change of feeling

1. Saintsbury states that construction "sets off" a novelist's other gifts to the critical eye, but a badly-built novel with excellent character, pathos, humor, or dialogue would still be far better than "a faultless plot acted and told by puppets with pebbles in their mouths." He values character-creation, humor, and mastery of dialogue above plot construction.

1. Saintsbury references Goldwin Smith's idea that Austen's art achieves perfection despite (or through) a narrow field, like a miniature painter. Saintsbury clarifies that "miniature" should be understood in its broad historical sense, comparing Austen to Memling and Meissonier—two great painters known for detailed, finely wrought work—rather than to a narrower miniaturist like Cosway.

1. Saintsbury argues that Austen, like Addison, possesses a "restrained and well-mannered" but "insatiable and ruthless delight in roasting and cutting up a fool." He defends her against charges of cynicism (citing her satire of Mrs. Musgrove's self-deceiving regret over her son) by redefining cynicism as simply clear-eyed perception of human nature and mixed motives—arguing that anyone who is not a fool and does not live in "a fool's paradise" could be called a cynic in that sense, and that Austen, like her own character Mr. Bennet, took artistic delight in exposing fools without being any "worse" as a person for it.