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Project Gutenberg's Exext of Von Arnim's Elizabeth and Her German Garden
A Celebration of Women Writers' text of Enchanted April
A site on the film of Enchanted April [Note: The film changes parts of the ending of the novel, as well as some of the characters and their motivation.] More reviews/discussions of the film: 1 2
This novel also is now a Broadway play; see this site for a review of the play.
Questions on the Novel
(answer them as you read; no answers are available--the benefit comes from trying to answer these!)
What is the tone of the narrator's language?
What does it mean when the narrator tells us Mrs. Wilkins' looks like "a perfect sight"?
What does Mr. Wilkins' obsession with food and thrift about everything but food tell us about him?
What signs do we have that Mr. Wilkins does not understand his wife?
What signs do we have that Mrs. Wilkins has hidden values and depths not readily seen at
parties
or by her husband?
What is Mrs. Arbuthnot's mental life like?
How do Mrs. Arbuthnot and Mrs. Wilkins differ in their view of heaven?
Why does Mrs. Wilkins want to rent the castle?
Why doesn't Mrs. Arbuthnot think they should?
Why does Mrs. Wilkins assert both women are miserable? Is this true?
Vocabulary
omnibus (public bus), dilapidated (decayed, run down), mackintosh
(raincoat), sole
(a
type of fish you eat), alliance (a bond or connection), pithy (compact but meaningful), prudent
(wise, careful), marshalling (directing, ranking, organizing), refectory tables (a dining hall
table),
lank (thin, limp), Chatsworth (huge ducal estate, big showplace), villa (small suburban home),
exposition (discourse that explains things), luminous (glowing, enlightening), vicar (an
Episcopal
minister), impetuous (impulsive), wobbly (rocking, unsteady), nest-egg (money saved for
retirement
or an emergency), pro tem (temporarily), forbearances (acts of patience and endurance),
agitatedly
(nervously, moving in shakes and jerks)
What is Mrs. Wilkins' theory about being good?
Why is Mrs. Arbuthnot estranged from her husband?
Why does Mrs. Arbuthnot look forward to old age?
Why can't Mrs. Arbuthnot classify Frederick?
Vocabulary
incoherent (disordered, inconsistent), impelled (driven forward, often by
a moral
force), furtive (secret, stolen), alleviation (partially remove or correct), seer (one who sees,
one
with great moral insight, a prophet), purged (cleared of guilt), stout (strong, sturdy),
jovial(good-humored)
What does Mrs. Wilkins assume about Frederick?
What does Mr. Briggs think of Mrs. Arbuthnot?
Why don't Mrs. Arbuthnot and Mrs. Wilkins initially want Lady Caroline to go to Italy with them?
Why does Mrs. Fisher want references?
What does Mrs. Wilkins mean when she says Mrs. Fisher will "find her level" at the castle?
Vocabulary
battlements solicitor vistas reminiscent self-indulgence
vouchsafed nimbus plover sonorously inarticulately
anniliating acute candor
What is Mr. Wilkins' reaction to the proposed trip?
What does Mrs. Arbuthnot think her husband will think of the trip?
Why does Mr. Wilkins' propose to take his wife on a vacation?
What is Mr. Wilkins' opinion of his wife?
Why are Mrs. Wilkins and Mrs. Arbuthnot more miserable than before in March?
What is Mrs. Wilkins' moral opinion of the trip? Mrs. Arbuthnot's? What is your own moral
opinion
of the trip?
Vocabulary
disinclination precedent zeal vileness
dumbfounded credence tube brow-beaten
obstinacy blustering roost acerbity
Why does Lottie kiss Rose?
Why does this please Domenico?
Vocabulary
vociferously amply reverie patios boisterous
elucidatory fly clamor prop gesticulate
prevarication quay
What is Lottie's opinion of San Salvatore?
What is the significance of Lottie's inability to imagine Mellersh?
Why does Lottie feel it was silly not to want Lady Caroline or Mrs. Fisher to come to the castle?
What is Lady Caroline like?
What does Lady Caroline think of Lottie and Rose?
What appears to be Rose's opinion of Lady Caroline?
Vocabulary
austerity tranquil
Why does Rose somewhat resent Mrs. Fisher?
Why does Mrs. Fisher want to curb Lottie?
Why do you think Lottie and Rose differ in their opinion of the news they have no work to do?
Vocabulary
serene curb
Why doesn't Lady Caroline want to do the housekeeping?
Why is Lady Caroline annoyed with Domenico and Francesca?
Why does Lady Caroline want to think?
What does Lady Caroline begin to think of her past life?
What sort of person is Lady Caroline's mother?
What do Lady Caroline's friends and family think of her trip to Italy?
Vocabulary
exuberance pergola ossified geniality
condonation levity skimp absurd
melodiously obstinate
What is Mrs. Fisher's opinion of her dead husband?
What does Mrs. Fisher value?
Why doesn't Mrs. Fisher like macaroni?
Why doesn't Francesca like Mrs. Fisher?
Why won't Scrap come to lunch?
Why do Francesca, Mrs. Fisher, and Mrs. Arbuthnot each try to get Scrap to do something other
than
just keep staying in the garden?
What does Lottie's perception about Scrap tell the reader?
Vocabulary
troughs sarcophagi inkling barren voluble
egress illustrious rugged flair disposition
morosely protrusions invective flax injudicious
scrunching
rousing
Why does Mrs. Fisher do so anyway?
What does Mrs. Fisher think of Lady Caroline?
What do we learn about Mrs. Fisher's husband?
Why does Scrap start to like Mrs. Fisher?
What happened in World War I to Scrap?
How important and famous is Scrap's family?
What problems does Scrap have with men?
Vocabulary
excrescence daphne retorted officiously mincemeat
tonic
docility forlorn
parapet Tommies vergers petted
jauntily marchioness amiably potentates
Why does Rose feel Lottie is becoming a saint?
Why is Mrs. Fisher so upset by Lottie?
What is Lottie's opinion of love? how has this opinion changed?
Vocabulary
rasped ramshackle breezy imperviousness
gusts yearned rebuked rollick
disconcerted churlish aridity robust
menage