- King Lear and the love test
Lear makes his daughters say their love out loud, then punishes the one who will not.
- Jane Eyre and Rochester's test
Rochester pretends to court another woman to make Jane jealous, then tells her it was a test.
- Jane Eyre and the praise she refuses
Once she is engaged, Jane turns away almost every kind word Rochester gives her.
- Little Women and Jo's temper
Jo stays silent in her anger while her sister skates onto thin ice.
- Frankenstein and the running away
Victor runs from the creature the moment it wakes, and keeps pulling away from everyone after.
- Of Human Bondage and Mildred
Philip keeps going back to Mildred, who is cold to him and uses him.
- Middlemarch and the book that never ends
Casaubon spends his life on a book he never finishes, because it must be beyond criticism.
- Middlemarch and Dorothea's promise
Dorothea marries to serve a great work, and nearly promises it her life after his death.
- The House of Mirth and the chance Lily lets go
Lily comes close to the marriage she planned for, then lets it slip, and does it again.
- Anne of Green Gables and the word Carrots
One word about her red hair sets Anne off, and the anger outlasts the moment by years.
- Mansfield Park and the praise Fanny cannot bear
Every kind word makes Fanny Price blush and turn away, as if praise were a danger.
- A Doll's House and Nora's performance
Nora keeps her marriage calm by playing a part, until the part is all he knows.
- Pride and Prejudice and Mr. Collins's apologies
Mr. Collins says sorry for things no one minds, and keeps going after he is told to stop.
- Moby-Dick and Ahab's anger
Ahab decides the whale meant to harm him, and that story keeps his anger burning for years.