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Author:
Nasir Iqbal|Assistant Professor of English Literature
Updated on:November 1, 2025 Estimated Reading Time:19 min
By the Light of My Father’s Smile MCQs
1. What music was Susannah listening to as she drove away after her father’s death?
A. Fado
B. Flamenco
C. Blues
D. Classical
B. Flamenco. Susannah realized the passionate and sad music she heard was flamenco. She turned the radio on, providing an emotional backdrop to her complex feelings.
2. What attitude did Susannah display at her father’s funeral?
A. Sorrowful
B. Stoic
C. Happy
D. Indifferent
B. Stoic. Susannah was a stoic spectator at the gravesite and discreetly yawned. This attitude was a defense against the intense, complicated emotions she felt.
3. What emotion did Susannah feel the night of her father’s death?
A. Guilt
B. Shame
C. Liberation
D. Remorse
C. Liberation. She felt as if something heavy and dark had rolled away from her soul. This intense feeling of personal liberation followed her father’s death.
4. Where does Mundo’s belief suggest spirituality resides in the body?
A. Mind
B. Heart
C. Groin
D. Liver
C. Groin. The Mundo believes spirituality resides in the groin, or sexual organs, which they call the spiritual center. This view contrasts sharply with Western beliefs.
5. What was the father’s first physical sensation after dying?
A. Floating
B. A desire to urinate
C. Singing
D. Coldness
B. A desire to urinate. The first thing that happens after death is a burning desire to urinate, according to the narrative. This immediate physical need was very surprising to the father.
6. Besides guiding a lost soul, what is the dead person’s second task?
A. Writing a story
B. Hosting a reconciliation ceremony
C. Finding a replacement
D. Repaying all debts
B. Hosting a reconciliation ceremony. The dead must host a ceremony so those they hurt may be reconciled. This is their second significant task, following the guidance of a newly lost soul.
7. What did the father think was missing in himself compared to the Mundo men?
A. His own voice
B. His intellect
C. His meness
D. His faith
C. His meness. He eventually realized that the meness of him was missing compared to the Mundo men. This meant he lacked complete male selfhood and spiritual presence.
8. What is the Mundo belief about the duration of eternity after death?
A. Forever
B. Only as long as there is a need
C. One thousand years
D. Until the song stops
B. Only as long as there is a need. Eternity is only as long as there is need, as the Mundo believes. This purposeful view of eternity is central to their philosophy.
9. What does the crescent moon symbolize in the Mundo initiation song?
A. Sadness
B. A dark sky
C. A father’s smile
D. The Earth
C. A father’s smile. Manuelito explained that the crescent moon is a smile in a dark face, symbolizing the father’s smile. This is a profound and comforting symbol.
10. What was the father doing when Manuelito encountered him immediately after Manuelito’s death?
B. Crying. Manuelito encountered the father as a sobbing vapor beside the bus. The father was affected by death, weeping because he forgot how to live.
11. What name was given to the angels found everywhere in Kalimasa?
A. Seraphim
B. Winged mermaids
C. Watti-tuus
D. Cherubs
C. Watti-tuus. The angels, some winged women or mermaids, were called Watti-tuus in Kalimasa. These spirits filled the area, bringing a sense of enchantment.
12. What kind of ring did Susannah buy in the village of Wodra?
A. Silver and turquoise
B. Gold and emerald
C. Black onyx with gold splash
D. Brass and diamond
C. Black onyx with gold splash. She purchased an oval, black onyx ring with splashed gold sides for eighteen dollars. This unique jewelry piece appealed greatly to Susannah.
13. What was Petros’s complaint about Susannah that made them quarrel?
A. Her plaid clothes
B. Her high heels
C. Her dark hair
D. Her messy habits
B. Her high heels. They quarreled because her love for high heels made Petros, her Greek husband, look relatively short. This was a minor, recurring conflict.
14. How did Susannah pay Petros for his old wooden trunk?
A. Money
B. An angel statue
C. A kiss and a dollar
D. A dollar and twenty kisses
D. A dollar and twenty kisses. To keep him from throwing it out, she bought it for a dollar and twenty kisses. This playful exchange showed the unusual nature of their economic dealings.
15. How did the Ancients describe the Aegean and Ionian seas since they lacked a word for blue?
A. Wine-dark
B. Turquoise
C. Maroon, purple, or red
D. Sparkling
C. Maroon, purple, or red. Because they had no word for blue, the Ancients described the Aegean and Ionian seas as maroon, purple, or red, like dark blood.
16. What did Susannah realize she had murdered within herself when she refused her father’s gift?
A. Her desire
B. Her freedom
C. Her unconditional love
D. Her faith
C. Her unconditional love. She realized she had murdered the unconditional love she felt for her father that day. This action created a profound rift in their family relationship.
17. What object was Susannah given in her dream by Pauline that had sand poured over it?
A. A vegetable
B. A glass of wine
C. Food
D. A doll
C. Food. In the dream, both Pauline and Magdalena offered her food; Pauline calmly poured sand over it. This symbolized a denial of nourishment and spiritual connection.
18. What realization did Susannah have when she was forced to read Magdalena’s final, cruel letter?
A. She had to move on
B. She completed the process of becoming an adult
C. She needed therapy
D. She was truly a wimp
B. She completed the process of becoming an adult. In that moment, she felt herself complete the process of becoming an adult. The letter forced a hard realization, pushing her toward independence.
19. How did Susannah try to get Magdalena’s deteriorating body in shape before she died?
A. Yoga
B. Diet and gym
C. Herbs
D. Running
B. Diet and gym. Susannah had tried to help her sister by taking her to Weight Watchers and the gym. This physical focus was an attempt to combat her sister’s internal despair.
20. What quality did Susannah fear she lacked, which often drew her to women like Pauline?
A. Will
B. Courage/Guts
C. Gentleness
D. Wealth
B. Courage/Guts. Pauline suggested Susannah falls in love with courage/guts because she fears she lacks it. This reveals her internal inadequacy, as she seeks strength in others.
21. What did young Maggie often stare boldly at that embarrassed her father in the Sierra Madre?
A. The priests
B. Men’s trousers
C. Indian rituals
D. Pottery making
B. Men’s trousers. Even at an early age, she stared boldly at men and what was concealed by their trousers. This early fascination with sexuality embarrassed her father greatly.
22. Why did Magdalena’s parents want her to marry Winston?
A. He was wealthy
B. To keep her home to care for siblings
C. They loved him
D. To get her out of the house
B. To keep her home to care for her siblings. They saw a use for him: impregnating her and helping them keep her at home to care for the children. This showed their utilitarian motives.
23. As an adult, what did Magdalena look like when she met Manuelito on the plane?
A. Thin and elegant
B. Obése with green hair and nose piercings
C. Stylish and demure
D. Frail and ill
B. Obése with green hair and nose piercings. She was very fat, had a thrice-pierced nose, green hair, and jelly-plump arms. This eccentric appearance masked her internal struggles.
24. What was Magdalena’s professional occupation as an adult?
A. Anthropologist
B. Priest
C. Professor
D. Chef
C. Professor. She was a professor, teaching at a large Eastern university. This showed her strong intellectual accomplishment, contrasting with her emotional struggles.
25. What started Magdalena’s fascination with zippers?
A. Manuelito’s jacket
B. A gift of a small, round change purse
C. Her first pair of pants
D. Sewing classes
B. A gift of a small, round change purse. Her fascination began with her father’s gift of a small, black, round purse with a golden zipper. This object became a symbolic source of her anger.
26. What physical reaction did Magdalena have when her father thrashed her with the silver-disk belt?
A. She cried out
B. She kept silent
C. She fled
D. She fought back
B. She kept silent. She withstood the thrashing in silence, sending her spirit flying out the window. This inner withdrawal was her only form of resistance to the abuse.
27. What did Magdalena demand from her father, rather than an apology, for the damage he caused?
A. Forgiveness
B. Reparation
C. Money
D. Recognition
B. Reparation. She wanted reparation to be made whole again after he broke her sense of self. This went beyond apology, demanding restoration of her spiritual integrity.
28. What two items were found squashed in Magdalena’s hands when she died?
A. Silver belt and coffee
B. Money and lipstick
C. Beer can and chocolate cake
D. Juicer and vegetables
C. Beer can and chocolate cake. She died stuffing her face, with a beer can and a hunk of chocolate cake squashed in her hands. This symbolized her self-destructive overconsumption and pain.
29. What was the Mundo initiation song that Magdalena sang and hummed, which angered her father?
A. About Jesus Christ
B. About the nakedness of the sky and body
C. About the moon’s smile
D. About finding God
B. About the nakedness of the sky and body. The song was about the oneness of the unclothed human body and the nakedness of the sky. This sensual, spiritual song angered her repressive father.
30. What was the significance of the salt Magdalena poured over Susannah’s food in her dream?
A. It was a poison
B. It represented her anger
C. It overseasoned the food, spoiling it
D. It meant she was broke
C. It overseasoned the food, spoiling it. Magdalena pouring salt symbolized how she unpalatably overseasoned Susannah’s chances of reconciliation with their father. She spoiled the spiritual nourishment for her sister.
31. How did Mundo men view the Christian concept of man having dominion over the earth?
A. Sacred truth
B. Accepted concept
C. The one lie that unraveled the world
D. Proof of superiority
C. The one lie that unraveled the world. The Mundo men declared this could not possibly be true; it was the one great lie. They believed man’s lack of humility unraveled the world.
32. Why is the “mad dog” considered wise in Mundo belief?
A. It is skillful at hunting
B. It has lost its mind
C. It knows the future
D. It respects the earth
B. It has lost its mind. The mad dog is considered wise because it has successfully lost its mind. Losing one’s mind is the spiritual goal of consuming herbs and having profound visions.
33. What is the Mundo belief about the “cathedral of the future”?
A. Gold temples
B. Television
C. Nature
D. Skyscrapers
C. Nature. Manuelito states that the cathedral of the future will be nature. This drives people back to streams and trees, emphasizing a return to the natural world.
34. Why did Manuelito, in his spirit form, go to Vietnam after he died?
A. To find gold
B. To guide a child próstitute he harmed
C. To kill more enemies
D. To search for his comrades
B. To guide a child próstitute he harmed. He needed to guide back a child próstitute whose parents he killed and whose spirit died. This was his difficult act of spiritual reparation after his death.
35. How did Manuelito avoid detection when he visited Magdalena’s apartment after death?
A. He flew
B. He turned into wind
C. He made himself invisible
D. He moved very fast
B. He turned into wind. The father turned into wind to breathe an apology. Manuelito appeared to be a wavy pattern in the air, avoiding detection by transforming his physical form entirely.
36. Why was Manuelito considered lucky to die singing?
A. He would be forgiven
B. He avoided eternal damnation
C. He would continue to live and sing on the other side
D. He achieved reconciliation
C. He would continue to live and sing on the other side. Among the Mundo, dying while singing is lucky. This means he will continue to live and sing on the other side. Singing provides spiritual continuity.
37. What astronomical body is viewed as a “smile in a dark face” in Mundo courtship rituals?
A. The full moon
B. The stars
C. The crescent moon
D. The sun
C. The crescent moon. The crescent moon reappears as a smile, signaling a good time for lovemaking. This beautiful astronomical body is seen as a crucial symbol in courtship rituals.
38. What did Manuelito say was the Mundo way to deal with widespread use of television?
A. To ban it
B. To destroy it
C. To put it in a closet and appoint a spy
D. To incorporate it into ceremonies
C. To put it in a closet and appoint a spy. They put the television in a room/closet and chose one person to watch it weekly/monthly and report back. This cautious approach controls technology.
39. Manuelito’s horse, Vado, means a shallow place in the river where one might safely do what?
A. Drink
B. Wash
C. Get across
D. Hide
C. Get across. Vado means a shallow place in the river where one might safely get across. This symbolizes safe spiritual passage and transition in the mythological framework.
40. What did the Mundo say was the purpose of Story?
A. To teach history
B. To connect the two worlds
C. To prove their coherence
D. To frighten children
B. To connect the two worlds. To the Mundo, the purpose of Story is to connect the world of the living and the world of the dead. It is a vital tool for spiritual understanding.
41. When they first met, Langley made the father laugh by saying he looked good in what color?
A. Black
B. Blue
C. Pink
D. Red
C. Pink. When he spilled pink punch on himself, she told him brusquely, “You look good in pink.” This unexpected compliment made him laugh and initiated their connection.
42. What object did Langley inherit from her deceased brother, Jocko, that fit her perfectly?
A. A horse
B. Silver boots
C. A lariat
D. A black hat
B. Silver boots. Jocko left only ashes, but he left Langley his silver boots, which fit her perfectly. This symbolized a mysterious, perfect connection to her dead brother’s spirit.
43. Why did Langley not leave her husband after he beat Magdalena, despite her disgust?
A. She had nowhere to go
B. She feared her children would hate her
C. She loved him too much
D. She was too used to him
D. She was too used to him. She said she was too used to him, and her love was fulfilled, although complicated by their lie. This habitual connection prevented her from leaving the marriage.
44. What did Lily Paul make and sell first to save money for her escape?
A. Pies
B. Cinnamon buns
C. Lemon cakes
D. Ice cream
C. Lemon cakes. She taught herself to make and sell lemon cakes, choosing yellow because it cheered her. This was her first independent step towards liberation.
45. What did Lily Paul say she learned that made her feel free despite her poverty?
A. How to drive fast
B. How to fight men
C. That she could have orgasms
D. That she was loved
C. That she could have orgasms. Once she learned she could have orgasms easily, she realized she was free in that area. This personal discovery brought her emotional liberation.
46. What is the significance of the name “Lily,” according to Irene?
A. Purity
B. The flower of Lilith
C. Tenderness
D. Wealth
B. The flower of Lilith. Irene states that the lily is the flower of Lilith, the first mother who preceded Eve. This name carried heavy, rebellious, and mythological significance.
47. According to Lily Paul, what ceremony is the “mother of ceremonies”?
A. Marriage
B. Sex
C. Death
D. Birth
D. Birth. Lily Paul states that birth was too powerful a ceremony and is the mother of ceremonies. This process of creation and arrival is the most fundamental event.
48. What was Lily Paul’s primary job after she enlisted and graduated from the Navy?
A. Pilot
B. Aerospace engineering
C. Nurse
D. Restaurant owner
B. Aerospace engineering. After graduating college, she enlisted in the Navy and learned aerospace engineering. This technically demanding career provided her with the independence she craved.
49. What type of music was Irene playing when Susannah visited her room?
A. Fado
B. Jazz
C. Gȳpsy violin music
D. Classical
C. Gȳpsy violin music. Irene played records of weeping Gȳpsy violins and soulful laments on an ancient Victrola. This melancholic music reflected her own troubled and deeply emotional life.
50. Why did Irene say she loved Gypsíes (Roma) and Pygmies the most?
A. They were small
B. Their lifestyle was opposite to hers
C. They had clean money
D. They were always singing
B. Their lifestyle was opposite to hers. She felt close to them because their life, moving everywhere as a tríbe, was so opposite to hers. This contrast represented a freedom she lacked.
Brief Overview
By the Light of My Father’s Smile by Alice Walker is a novel narrated by the dead father, Mr. Robinson. He watches over his two adult daughters, Susannah and Magdalena, from the afterlife.
The novel is about two African-Américan sisters, Susannah and Magdalena, living in a fictional village in Mexico. Mr. Robinson reveals his deepest regret: he once brutally beat Magdalena, which broke her spirit and made her angry.
The plot focuses on Susannah’s journey of emotional recovery. She travels to Kalimasa, a community in Mexico, in search of spiritual healing. Though she later separates from her husband, Susannah finds a new love with a woman named Pauline.
Magdalena dies alone, still carrying her anger. The father is guided by a wise dwarf, Irene, and the ghost of Magdalena’s former lover, Manuelito. Mr. Robinson’s final task is to guide Susannah and bless Magdalena.
The novel concludes as Susannah forgives her father for his past violence. Mr. Robinson, having successfully completed his spiritual task, finally achieves peace in the afterlife. The story is a meditation on family trauma, forgiveness, and spiritual healing across generations.
