Quiz Lessons in Chemistry Bonnie Garmus

Lessons in Chemistry: 20-Question Book Quiz

Quiz

This quiz covers the entire novel. Answer each question to the best of your ability. The answer key follows all questions.

Plot and Sequence (8 questions)

  1. In what year does the novel open?
    A. 1952
    B. 1961
    C. 1962
    D. 1960

  2. What object does Calvin carry for months before proposing to Elizabeth?
    Short answer

  3. How does Calvin Evans die?
    A. Heart attack during a rowing race
    B. Hit by a car while jogging with Six‑Thirty
    C. Laboratory accident at Hastings
    D. Drowning in the rowing tank

  4. What name is legally recorded for Elizabeth's daughter at birth?
    Short answer

  5. Who funds Calvin's abiogenesis research after his death, eventually hiring Elizabeth back?
    A. Dr. Donatti
    B. Avery Parker
    C. Wilson
    D. Harriet Sloane

  6. What event forces Elizabeth to leave Hastings Research Institute after Calvin's death?
    Short answer

  7. On her final episode of Supper at Six, what two actions does Elizabeth take?
    Short answer

  8. What truth does Elizabeth learn about Calvin's biological father?
    Short answer

Character Motivation (5 questions)

  1. Why does Elizabeth insist on wearing a lab coat instead of the tight dresses provided for her TV show?
    A. To make a political statement
    B. Because the dresses restrict her breathing and she wants to present herself as a scientist
    C. To annoy producer Walter Pine
    D. Because she is allergic to the fabric

  2. Why does Madeline pretend to be unable to read at school?
    A. She is actually illiterate
    B. To fit in with her classmates and avoid being seen as a prodigy
    C. Her mother told her to hide her abilities
    D. She enjoys the attention from teachers

  3. Why does Calvin initially resist using a leash for Six‑Thirty?
    Short answer

  4. Why does Miss Frask write a letter to Life magazine?
    A. To gain fame for herself
    B. To expose Dr. Donatti's theft of Elizabeth's research and confess her own role
    C. To apologize to Elizabeth publicly
    D. To promote the TV show

  5. Why does Harriet Sloane decide to help Elizabeth despite initially judging her?
    Short answer

Theme and Symbolism (4 questions)

  1. In the novel, what does the rowing pair primarily symbolize?
    Short answer

  2. In Elizabeth's cooking show, what does the "ionic" chemical bond represent?
    A. A strong marriage built on shared interests
    B. A relationship between opposites that are still connected
    C. A fragile bond that breaks easily
    D. A bond formed by sharing electrons

  3. What does the leash come to symbolize in the story?
    Short answer

  4. How does chemistry function as a metaphor throughout the novel?
    Short answer

Synthesis (3 questions)

  1. In what ways does the novel challenge traditional gender roles of the 1960s? Provide two specific examples.
    Short answer

  2. How does the concept of "family" evolve from Calvin and Elizabeth's relationship to Madeline's family tree project?
    Short answer

  3. What does Elizabeth mean when she writes "Chemistry is change" on her final show, and how does this apply to her own journey?
    Short answer

Answer Key

  1. B. 1961 – The first chapter is set in November 1961 (see Chapter 1 outline).

  2. An engagement ring – Calvin carries a ring for months before proposing in the cafeteria (Chapter 6 outline).

  3. B. Hit by a car while jogging with Six‑Thirty – Calvin slips on motor oil in a police parking lot and is run over by a backing police car (Chapters 10–11 outline).

  4. Mad Zott – The nurse mishears Elizabeth's answer "mad" during labor (Chapter 18 outline).

  5. B. Avery Parker – She is Calvin's biological mother and takes over Hastings, firing Donatti and offering Elizabeth a directorship (Chapters 42–44 outline).

  6. She is fired because she is an unwed pregnant woman – Hastings terminates her to avoid scandal (Chapter 13 outline).

  7. She announces her resignation, shares Marjorie Fillis's medical school acceptance, writes "Chemistry is change," and urges women to design their own futures (Chapter 41 outline).

  8. He died of tuberculosis and looked exactly like Calvin – Avery shows Elizabeth the death certificate (Chapter 45 outline).

  9. B. Because the dresses restrict her breathing and she wants to present herself as a scientist – Elizabeth argues the dresses are impractical and insists on authenticity (Chapter 24 outline).

  10. B. To fit in with her classmates and avoid being seen as a prodigy – Madeline sees her mother's outsider status as a warning (Chapter 1 outline).

  11. He associates the leash with lack of trust and vulnerability; he prefers to trust the dog – Calvin resists the leash law until his final run (Chapters 10–11 outline).

  12. B. To expose Dr. Donatti's theft of Elizabeth's research and confess her own role – Frask writes after Madeline visits and reveals the injustice (Chapter 39 outline).

  13. She recognizes Elizabeth's genuine struggle and decides to offer support rather than judgment – Harriet changes from judgmental neighbor to loyal friend after seeing Elizabeth's exhaustion (Chapter 17–18 outline).

  14. Partnership, trust, resilience – Rowing symbolizes the collaborative bond between Elizabeth and Calvin and later her healing (Chapters 7–8, 19 outline).

  15. B. A relationship between opposites that are still connected – Elizabeth uses the example of a PhD economist married to a tire-rotating husband (Chapter 29 outline).

  16. Trust, vulnerability, and the failure to protect – The leash that should have protected Calvin fails; it also represents the bond between human and dog (Chapters 10–11, 12 outline).

  17. Chemistry represents change, transformation, and the fundamental structure of relationships and life – Elizabeth uses chemical bonds, abiogenesis, and the periodic table to explain human connections and personal growth (throughout, especially Chapter 29 and 41).

  18. Two examples: (1) Elizabeth works as a chemist and later a TV host who treats cooking as science, refusing to smile or be sexualized. (2) Madeline hides her intelligence to fit in, highlighting societal pressure on girls. The novel shows women challenging these norms (Chapters 1, 41).

  19. The novel redefines family beyond biology: Calvin and Elizabeth create a chosen family, Madeline's tree project forces her to confront missing relatives, and Avery Parker is ultimately accepted as a grandmother. Secrets and lies about biological ties are replaced by honest chosen bonds (Chapters 27–28, 34, 45).

  20. "Chemistry is change" means that change is inherent in the natural world and should be embraced. Elizabeth applies it to her life: she changes from a chemist fired for pregnancy to a TV star, and finally returns to research on her own terms. She urges women to design their futures (Chapter 41 outline).