A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man MCQs

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Author: Nasir Iqbal | Assistant Professor of English Literature

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man MCQs
Updated on: October 31, 2025
Estimated Reading Time: 17 min

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man MCQs

1. Who first told Stephen the story of the moocow?

A. Uncle Charles
B. Dante
C. His father
D. Betty Byrne

C. His father.
Stephen’s father, who wore a glass, told him the simple childhood story of the moocow coming down the road.

2. What colors were associated with the political brushes kept by Dante?

A. Yellow and blue
B. Maroon and green
C. Red and white
D. Black and gold

B. Maroon and green.
Dante kept a maroon brush for Michael Davitt and a green brush for Charles Parnell in her press.

3. What did Dante threaten Stephen with if he did not apologize?

A. Going to hell
B. The eagles will pull out his eyes
C. His father beating him
D. Being expelled

B. The eagles will pull out his eyes.
Dante fiercely threatened that the eagles would come and pull out Stephen’s eyes if he refused to say sorry.

4. What item did Dante give Stephen when he brought her tissue paper?

A. A shilling
B. A lemon platt
C. A cachou
D. A ribbon

C. A cachou.
Dante rewarded Stephen with a cachou, a small medicinal breath freshener, every time he brought her paper.
5. What name did Nasty Roche give to the Friday pudding at Clongowes?

A. Shortbread
B. Hogwash
C. Lemon Platt
D. Dog-in-the-blanket

D. Dog-in-the-blanket.
Nasty Roche mockingly called the pudding served in the refectory at the college “dog-in-the-blanket”.

6. Why did Wells push Stephen into the square ditch?

A. Stephen insulted him
B. Stephen would not trade his snuff box
C. Stephen preached on him
D. Stephen was laughing

B. Stephen would not trade his snuff box.
Wells forced Stephen into the cold, slimy ditch because Stephen refused to trade his snuff box for a chestnut.

7. Which kind of creature had a fellow seen jump into the scum of the square ditch?

A. A frog
B. A rat
C. A snake
D. A dog

B. A rat.
Stephen recalled a fellow who once saw a big rat jump plop into the scum of the cold, square ditch.

8. In the geography book, what color did Fleming use to color the earth?

A. Maroon
B. Red
C. Green
D. Blue

C. Green.
Fleming used his crayons to color the picture of the Earth found on the first page of Stephen’s geography book.

9. Which Jesuit motto was found pointing to the words AD MAJOREM DEI GLORIAM on a picture?

A. Saint Aloysius
B. Saint Francis Xavier
C. Saint Ignatius Loyola
D. Lorenzo Ricci

C. Saint Ignatius Loyola.
Stephen saw a portrait of Saint Ignatius Loyola, the founder of the Jesuit order, pointing to the order’s motto.
10. What politician’s death was the center of the fierce Christmas dinner argument?

A. Michael Davitt
B. Lord Leitrim
C. Charles Stewart Parnell
D. Henry Grattan

C. Charles Stewart Parnell.
The bitter political argument focused on the betrayal and ruin of the Irish leader, Charles Stewart Parnell.

11. Which characters were on Parnell’s side during the Christmas argument?

A. Dante and Mrs. Dedalus
B. Mr. Dedalus and Mr. Casey
C. Uncle Charles and Stephen
D. Dante and Uncle Charles

B. Mr. Dedalus and Mr. Casey.
Mr. Dedalus and Mr. Casey passionately defended Parnell against the harsh religious and political attacks by Dante.

12. What did Dante scream after Mr. Casey shouted, “No God for Ireland!”?

A. Traitor!
B. Devil out of hell!
C. Sons of bitches!
D. Blasphemer!

B. Devil out of hell!.
When Mr. Casey denounced God for Ireland, Dante screamed, “Devil out of hell!” and stormed away from the table.

13. What was Stephen thinking about when the prefect of studies (Father Dolan) pandied him?

A. His broken glasses
B. The Latin sum
C. His mother is crying
D. Being wrongly punished

A. His broken glasses.
Stephen’s glasses were broken, and Father Arnall had excused him, making the pandying unjust and cruel.

14. How did the boys react when Stephen returned from seeing the Rector about the pandying?

A. They ignored him
B. They cheered the Rector and groaned for Father Dolan
C. They asked him to leave the college
D. They began to fight

B. They cheered the Rector and groaned for Father Dolan.
All the fellows cheered the Rector for the fair decision and gave three groans for Father Dolan.
15. What type of tobacco did Uncle Charles usually smoke in the outhouse?

A. Cigars
B. Pipes
C. Black twist
D. Cigarettes

C. Black twist.
Uncle Charles smoked strong black twist tobacco in his arbor, which his father called “gunpowder.”

16. What book did Stephen pore over every evening during his time in Blackrock?

A. Doctor Cornwell’s Spelling Book
B. Richmal Magnall’s Questions
C. The Count of Monte Cristo
D. Peter Parley’s Tales

C. The Count of Monte Cristo.
Stephen spent his evenings reading a ragged, translated copy of The Count of Monte Cristo.

17. Why was Stephen not sent back to Clongowes after the holiday?

A. He was sick
B. He was expelled
C. His father was having money troubles
D. He refused to go back

C. His father was having money troubles.
Stephen dimly understood that financial trouble, due to his father’s reduced means, prevented his return.

18. What disturbing word did Stephen see carved into a desk in the anatomy theatre in Cork?

A. JESUS
B. FOETUS
C. ANATOMY
D. DIEU

B. FOETUS.
The carved word “FOETUS” startled Stephen, giving him a vivid, terrible vision of student life.

19. When wandering in Cork, what poet’s lines did Stephen repeat that emphasized human ineffectiveness?

A. Ben Jonson
B. Lord Byron
C. Lord Tennyson
D. Shelley

D. Shelley.
He repeated Shelley’s fragment, feeling chilled by the contrast between human weakness and vast cosmic cycles.
20. What did Stephen try to cover up at Newcombe’s coffee-house regarding his father?

A. His father’s financial trouble
B. His father’s drinking bout
C. His father’s accent
D. His father’s flirting

B. His father’s drinking bout.
Stephen tried to hide the noisy rattling of his father’s cup, a shameful sign of the previous night’s heavy drinking.

21. What biblical book was the retreat theme, “REMEMBER ONLY THY LAST THINGS,” taken from?

A. Psalms
B. Ecclesiastes
C. Isaias
D. New Testament

B. Ecclesiastes.
The preacher stated that the words for the retreat were taken from the book of Ecclesiastes, chapter seven.

22. What were the four last things discussed during the religious retreat?

A. Faith, hope, charity, sin
B. Pride, lust, anger, sloth
C. Death, judgment, hell, heaven
D. Joy, sorrow, glory, peace

C. Death, judgment, hell, heaven.
The preacher stated he would spend the three-day retreat discussing death, judgment, hell, and heaven.

23. According to the sermon, what sin caused Lucifer’s fall from heaven?

A. Envy
B. Lust
C. Pride
D. Greed

C. Pride.
Theologians believe that Lucifer fell from grace due to the sin of pride, embodied by the sinful thought, “I will not serve.”

24. According to the sermon, why did God create Adam and Eve?

A. To worship Him
B. To populate the earth
C. To fill the seats left vacant by fallen angels
D. To be His companions

C. To fill the seats left vacant by fallen angels.
God created Adam and Eve to refill the seats in heaven that Lucifer and his rebellious angels had emptied.
25. What is the greatest spiritual torment in hell, according to the second sermon?

A. Pain of fire
B. Pain of conscience
C. Pain of loss
D. Pain of extension

C. Pain of loss.
Saint Thomas stated that the worst agony in hell is the pain of loss, separation forever from the perfect God.

26. What horrible sensory torment increases the agony of the fire in hell, which gives forth no light?

A. Terrible sounds
B. Darkness
C. Coldness
D. Thirst

B. Darkness.
The fire of hell burns eternally in exterior darkness, which the sermon called a “never-ending storm of darkness”.

27. What creature did Stephen imagine inhabiting his own hell during the retreat?

A. Fiery demons
B. Goatish creatures
C. Giant rats
D. Snakes

B. Goatish creatures.
Stephen imagined his own hell as a field of filth inhabited by gray, horny-browed, goatish creatures.

28. What kind of priest heard Stephen’s first detailed confession?

A. A Jesuit
B. A Dominican
C. A Capuchin
D. A Franciscan

C. A Capuchin.
Stephen saw a long grey beard and the simple brown habit, confirming the priest was a Capuchin.

29. To whom did the priest recommend Stephen pray for help against sins of impurity?

A. Saint Francis Xavier
B. God the Father
C. Our mother Mary
D. Saint Joseph

C. Our mother Mary.
The priest begged Stephen to pray to Our Mother Mary, the refuge of sinners, for help resisting that vice.
30. What did Stephen note was set on the kitchen dresser the morning after his confession, symbolizing his peaceful new life?

A. Holy books
B. White flowers
C. Sausages and white pudding
D. A statue of Mary

C. Sausages and white pudding.
Stephen saw sausages, white pudding, and eggs on the dresser, ready for breakfast after the communion service.

31. Which day of the week did Stephen dedicate to the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Altar?

A. Sunday
B. Tuesday
C. Thursday
D. Saturday

C. Thursday.
Stephen’s detailed devotional schedule assigned Thursday to the worship of the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Altar.

32. What three theological virtues did Stephen pray to strengthen via his daily rosaries?

A. Purity, humility, obedience
B. Faith, hope, charity
C. Truth, beauty, goodness
D. Wisdom, knowledge, understanding

B. Faith, hope, charity.
He prayed that his soul would grow strong daily in the theological virtues of faith, hope, and love (charity).

33. What did Stephen attempt to mortify by allowing air to sting a part of his undried body?

A. Taste
B. Sight
C. Touch
D. Smell

C. Touch.
He sought to mortify his sense of touch by leaving his neck and face unwashed after washing his body.

34. When Stephen refused the vocation, he realized that what was winning the day in his soul?

A. The disorder in his father’s house
B. The Catholic Church
C. His pride
D. The Jesuit Order

A. The disorder of his father’s house.
Stephen decided the misrule and confusion of his father’s house was set to overcome the rigid religious order.
35. What did the Director of Studies tell Stephen about the power of a priest?

A. He is humble
B. He has the power of the keys
C. He is patient
D. He is a shepherd

B. He has the power of the keys.
The priest stressed that no king or angel had the power of the keys, the power to bind and loose from sin.

36. What kind of bird did Stephen compare the girl on the strand to during his epiphany?

A. Eagle
B. Dove
C. Seabird
D. Swallow

C. Seabird.
She appeared to him like someone whom magic had changed into the likeness of a strange, beautiful seabird.

37. What local Irish word did Stephen correct the Dean of Studies for calling a funnel?

A. Soutane
B. Tundish
C. Les jupes
D. Funnel

B. Tundish.
Stephen corrected the Dean, stating that the item he called a funnel was known as a tundish in Dublin.

38. What classical philosopher’s words did Stephen use to define beauty?

A. Plato
B. Aristotle
C. Epictetus
D. Aquinas

D. Aquinas.
Stephen quoted Aquinas, saying that the beautiful consists of those things apprehended which please the senses.

39. What does Stephen believe is the first step in the direction of beauty?

A. To find the truth
B. To understand the intellect
C. To understand the imagination
D. To embrace sin

C. To understand the imagination.
The first step toward beauty is understanding the frame and scope of the imagination, grasping esthetic apprehension.
40. What, according to Stephen, is the kinetic emotion excited by improper art?

A. Pity or Terror
B. Desire or loathing
C. Wholeness or harmony
D. Clarity or stasis

B. Desire or loathing.
Improper arts evoke kinetic feelings, urging possession (desire) or abandonment (loathing), rather than aesthetic stasis.

41. What are the three qualities of beauty required by Aquinas, as translated by Stephen?

A. Truth, virtue, emotion
B. Lyrical, epic, dramatic
C. Wholeness, harmony, radiance
D. Faith, hope, charity

C. Wholeness, harmony, radiance.
Stephen translates Aquinas’s Latin requirements for beauty as Wholeness, Harmony, and Radiance (Integras, Consonantia, Claritas).

42. What is the final, ultimate form of art in Stephen’s theory?

A. Lyrical
B. Epical
C. Dramatic
D. Poetic

C. Dramatic.
Art divides into lyrical, epic, and finally, dramatic, where the artist is invisible, refined out of existence.

43. What phrase about Ireland did Stephen bitterly use to express his alienation?

A. A priest-ridden race
B. The old sow that eats her farrow
C. The beautiful Mabel Hunter
D. An unfortunate land

B. The old sow that eats her farrow.
Stephen expressed his bitterness toward Ireland, calling it “the old sow that eats her farrow”.

44. What were the three “arms” Stephen resolves to use for his own defense and flight?

A. Poetry, thought, logic
B. Faith, hope, cunning
C. Silence, exile, cunning
D. Study, work, prayer

C. Silence, exile, cunning.
Stephen determines not to serve institutions, using “silence, exile, and cunning” for his defense against them.
45. Which friend’s face was compared to a “hooded reptile” with a long, slender, flattened skull?

A. Cranly
B. MacCann
C. Davin
D. Lynch

D. Lynch.
Stephen observed Lynch’s skull and eyes, noting that they resembled those of a hooded reptile due to their shape.

46. Who did Stephen imagine sitting at the old piano and listening to his songs at the carnival ball?

A. Eileen
B. The próstitute
C. Emma
D. His sister

C. Emma.
Stephen reminisced about sitting at the piano and singing to the girl, Emma, at the carnival ball.

47. What does Stephen fear more than the God of the Roman Catholics striking him dead?

A. His mother’s suffering
B. Cranly’s judgment
C. Chemical action of false homage
D. Dogs and horses

C. Chemical action of false homage.
Stephen fears the “chemical action” set in motion by his soul’s giving false homage to a religious symbol.

48. Who was Cranly thinking of when Stephen asked him who he loved more than a friend?

A. Himself
B. God
C. Stephen
D. A woman

A. Himself.
Stephen determined that Cranly was speaking of his own loneliness, which he was terrified of.

49. What kind of birds did Stephen observe wheeling and crying, seeking an augury on the library steps?

A. Crows
B. Swallows
C. Gulls
D. Pigeons

B. Swallows.
Stephen thought the dark, darting birds flying around the house were swallows returning from the south.
50. What words does Stephen repeat in his mind that represent the eternal, recurring suffering of his family and race?

A. The rhythm of the villanelle
B. Broken lines of Virgil
C. The Jesuit motto
D. The words of Aquinas

B. Broken lines of Virgil.
Stephen hears the note of weariness and pain echoing Newman’s observation of Virgil’s broken, sorrowful lines.

Brief Overview

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man is a semi-autobiographical coming-of-age novel by James Joyce, published in 1916. Stream-of-consciousness is one of the most famous techniques used in this novel that helps depict inner thoughts and the development of the characters.

Stephen Dedalus is a young boy whose early lessons come from his father and Dante. While at Clongowes school, he is unfairly punished by a priest. His family faces financial difficulties and frequently moves. Stephen grows older and becomes deeply troubled by his own sins, especially after attending a religious retreat.

At the retreat, a priest frightens Stephen with vivid descriptions of hell and eternal pain. Stephen sees fearful, goat-like figures representing his vice. He confesses all his sins to a Capuchin priest, feeling happy and purified afterward.

After this profound religious experience, Stephen considers becoming a priest, but the school director offers him an alternative opportunity. He decides this orderly life is too cold for his spirit. Walking by the sea, Stephen sees a beautiful girl who seems like a strange seabird. This moment fills him with a sense of artistic destiny. He resolves to leave Ireland, planning to use silence, exile, and cunning to become an artist.

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