Nights at the Circus Quizzes

Nights at the Circus Quiz #1 London 1/2

By Sean Michaels · Last reviewed April 12, 2021

1 Who is speaking when the novel begins?

Fevers

A third-person narrator

Lizzie

Walser
2 To which Roman deity is Fevvers often compared?

Zeus

Leda

Venus

Athena
3 What is Fevvers' slogan as a performer?

"Not English but an angel"

"Is she fact or is she fiction?"

"The albatross of the East End"

"The face that launched a thousand quips"
4 The Illustrated London News coins which term for the phenomenon of rabid fandom surrounding Fevvers' return to London?

"Avian Fever"

"Fevvermania"

"Aerialistomania"

"Sophie's Soldiers"
5 Which word best describes how Jack Walser feels about Fevvers at the start of the interview?

Skeptical

Spiteful

Wary

Admiring
6 From where does it seem Fevvers sources the ice for her champagne buckets?

She steals it from Madame Schreck's private cooler.

From Islotta's ice cream shop, based on the frozen milk Walser spots in the bucket.

From the circus's first aid stash, based on the bandage Walser spots in the bucket.

From a fishmonger's display, based on the stray scales Walser spots in the bucket.
7 Why is Walser so uncomfortable in Fevvers' dressing room?

It's cluttered with undergarments and reeks of perfume and meat pies.

Because Fevvers has a cat and he has a severe cat allergy.

Because he's there on a secret mission to expose her as a fraud, and the setting is more intimate than he expected.

Because Lizzie clearly hates him, and she makes no effort to hide her disdain.
8 Where is Jack Walser from, originally?

New York

Chicago

Los Angeles

San Francisco
9 Carter compares Walser's somewhat indistinct personality to which of the following?

An unfinished piece of custom furniture.

A beautiful gallery with no art in it.

A handsome house that has been let, furnished.

A grand piano in a country where everyone has had their hands cut off.
10 How tall is Fevvers?

6'2"

"No shorter than eight feet"

5'3"

7 feet tall
11 For what was Fevvers' dressing room notable?

Its hominess

Its clutteredness

Its foul odor

Its anonymity
12 Where is Fevvers performing the night Walser interviews her?

Radio City Music Hall

London's West End Theatre

Stratford-upon-Avon

The Alhambra
13 Which is Walser wondering while he watches Fevvers perform?

Are Fevvers' wings real?

Is Lizzie Fevvers' real mother?

Would Fevvers marry me?

Does Fevvers have a belly button?
14 To which Greek myth does Fevvers compare her own conception?

Leda and the Swan

Narcissus and Echo

The Transformation of Daphne into a Lawrel

Pygmalion and Galatea
15 According to Lizzie, marriage is...

prostitution to one man instead of many.

the key to a fulfilled life.

a fine institution, for the rich.

a more socially acceptable form of slavery.
16 What is Fevvers' role at Ma Nelson's brothel from ages 7 through 14?

She panhandles outside of the brothel to bring in extra cash to the business.

She goes around the streets of East London, trying to drum up business by bringing men back to the brothel.

She poses as Cupid at the entrance of the brothel.

She works as a host and housekeeper alongside Lizzie.
17 How did Ma Nelson die?

She died of consumption.

Fevvers accidentally drops her while flying around London.

She was murdered by her covetous brother for possession of her brothel.

She was trampled by buggies.
18 From where does Fevvers first test out her wings?

Ma Nelson's mantel

Off the top of parliament

From the steeple of St Mary-le-Bow

The roof of Ma Nelson's Brothel
19 After her first attempt fails, how does Fevvers initiate her first successful flight?

She ties weights to herself for a few weeks, so that when she takes them off, she feels light enough to fly.

She has Liz push her off of Ma Nelson's roof.

She jumps off the Cliffs of Dover, knowing if she fails, she'll surely die.

She takes flight from horseback, using the galloping momentum to put wind beneath her wings.
20 Which of the following do Lizzie and Fevvers consider the singular breast of London?

The largest turret of Buckingham Palace

The roof of Big Ben

The dome over St. Paul's

The dome over St Mary-le-Bow
21 To which Shakespearian character is Ma Nelson compared?

Claudius

Othello

Lady Macbeth

Prospero
22 What is "wet white"?

Drywall

The paint used to mark boundaries on the sand in the circus ring

The glue Fevvers uses to paste on her wings

The make-up clowns use to cover their faces
23 Scheherezade, to whom Walser compares Lizzie and Fevvers, is the narrator of which classic work of literature?

A Thousand and One Nights

Vikram and the Vampire

Conference of the Birds

The Magic Doe
24 Where was Ma Nelson going when she was trampled to death?

On her way to Blooms to buy the girls beef sandwiches

On her way to her lawyer's to finalize her will

On her way to Blooms to buy the girls new clothes

On her way to the bank to deposit the week's take
25 Which souvenir of her time at Ma Nelson's does Fevvers still keep close at hand at all times?

Ma Nelson's admiral sword

Her first pair of shoes, now ten sizes too small

The magical clock

Ma Nelson's ceremonial jacket

Essays for Nights at the Circus

Nights at the Circus essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Nights at the Circus by Angela Carter.

“Whores of Mirth”: Examining Sex Work in Angela Carter’s Nights at the Circus

Lesson Plan for Nights at the Circus

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Wikipedia Entries for Nights at the Circus

Introduction

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