Gabriel’s Gift MCQs

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Author: Nasir Iqbal | Assistant Professor of English Literature


Updated on: November 9, 2025
Estimated Reading Time: 17 min

Gabriel’s Gift MCQs

1. What unusual atmospheric phenomenon occurred while Gabriel walked to school?

A. Light snow fell
B. Fog and hail descended
C. The sun vanished
D. Leaves turned brown

A. Light snow fell.
Gabriel observed that a layer of snow was sitting on their hats, even though it was meant to be autumn.

2. What sight made Gabriel feel certain the world was “losing its mind”?

A. Clapping thunder
B. Winking daffodils
C. Bright floodlight sun
D. Falling crumpets

B. Winking daffodils.
A row of daffodils was lifting and dropping their heads, and one of them actually winked at Gabriel.

3. How long ago had Gabriel’s father left home?

A. Two weeks ago
B. Several days ago
C. Three months ago
D. A few years ago

C. Three months ago.
Gabriel’s father had left the family home at his mother’s instigation three months prior to the narrative opening.

4. What job title was Hannah hired for by Gabriel’s mother?

A. Au pair
B. Waitress
C. Housekeeper
D. Social worker

A. Au pair.
Hannah was the foreign au pair, a refugee from a former Communist country hired by Gabriel’s mother.
5. What did Gabriel determine to draw immediately after returning home?

A. The stormy weather
B. The winking daffodil
C. His father’s boots
D. Hannah’s face

B. The winking daffodil.
Gabriel wanted to draw the winking daffodil to remind himself to eventually tell his father about the strange sight.

6. What profession did Gabriel’s father, Rex, pursue?

A. Fashion photographer
B. Pub landlord
C. Musician
D. Education reformer

C. Musician.
Rex often had spare time during the day because he was a musician, though he struggled to find work.

7. What was the one structured routine Dad had, apart from walking Gabriel home?

A. Visiting cafés
B. Going to the pub
C. Playing bass
D. Writing poetry

B. Going to the pub.
Going to school had been Dad’s only structure, apart from his daily visits to the local pub.

8. What literary period did Gabriel compare the friend’s immortalised gìrls and boys to?

A. The Sixties scene
B. The Victorian era
C. Dickens’s characters
D. The avant garde

C. Dickens’s characters.
The subjects immortalised by Dad’s friend seemed as distant to Gabriel as the characters created by Dickens.

9. What did Gabriel’s mother claim was her favourite part of Rex?

A. His bald patch
B. His back
C. His humour
D. His guitar playing

B. His back.
Mum stated after Rex left, “My favourite part of that man is his back,” slamming the door after him.
10. What had been the “soundtrack to Gabriel’s childhood”?

A. Opera on the radio
B. Guitar practice
C. Mum’s sewing machine
D. Parents arguing

C. Mum’s sewing machine.
The rumble and whirr of his mother’s sewing machine provided the constant background noise to Gabriel’s childhood.

11. What did Mum suggest would happen to their souls when Rex was gone?

A. They would be suffocated
B. They would soar
C. They would be lost
D. They would be better off

B. They would soar.
Mum replied to Rex’s claims, saying, “When you’re gone, Rex… Our souls will soar”.

12. What did Gabriel’s mother start working at after Rex left?

A. A designer
B. A waitress
C. A shop owner
D. A lawyer

B. A waitress.
Gabriel’s mother had successfully used an aggressive technique to secure a job as a waitress.

13. What did Gabriel cross the road to avoid seeing his mother do?

A. Talk to strange men
B. Snapping fingers at her
C. Working at the new bar
D. Wearing high heels

C. Working at the new bar.
Gabriel disliked seeing young people snapping their fingers at her, so he crossed the road near the bar.

14. What kind of accent did Hannah develop due to her continuous television viewing?

A. Eastern European
B. Americanized English
C. Brisbane accent
D. Proper English

C. Brisbane accent.
Hannah watched Australian soap operas continuously to improve her English, resulting in a Brisbane accent.
15. What item did Gabriel once find Hannah squeezing down her throat?

A. Tomato puree tube
B. A tube of paint
C. Chocolate sauce
D. Boiled sweets

A. Tomato puree tube.
Hannah, who saw food as a challenge, was once found by Gabriel consuming a tube of tomato puree.

16. What was Gabriel’s main artistic subject when using disposable cameras?

A. Shop fronts
B. Family portraits
C. Fashion models
D. Food mountains

A. Shop fronts.
Gabriel liked to photograph odd things using cheap cameras, including lamp-posts and shop fronts.

17. Why did Gabriel sometimes evade Hannah outside of school?

A. He was too old
B. He feared persecution
C. He disliked her clothes
D. He preferred friends

B. He feared persecution.
Gabriel wanted to hide having an au pair because the middle class was a persecuted minority at his school.

18. What was the title of the short film Gabriel was creating a storyboard for?

A. Oliver!
B. Dodger’s Day
C. Dealer’s Day
D. Avant Gardist

C. Dealer’s Day.
Gabriel’s film idea was a story titled ‘Dealer’s Day,’ focusing on a young drug courier.

19. What role did his father’s interest play in Gabriel’s artistic purpose?

A. A necessary distraction
B. A small driving motor
C. A difficult obstacle
D. A source of money

B. A small driving motor.
Gabriel recognised that his artistic sense of purpose was wavering because his father’s interest had acted as “a little driving motor”.
20. What musical job had Dad secured in Oslo previously?

A. Playing reggae songs
B. Writing an opera
C. Playing sixties songs
D. Teaching guitar

C. Playing sixties songs.
Dad had managed to get a job playing sixties songs in a bar in Oslo, sitting on a stool surrounded by blondes.

21. What nickname was given to the flat taken over by adolescents?

A. The tuck shop
B. The shebeen
C. The drum
D. The garage

C. The drum.
The flat used by the older and more advanced adolescents was commonly known as ‘the drum’.

22. What activity did Gabriel enjoy when using the mirror in his mother’s room?

A. Watching television
B. Smoking a cigarette
C. Enacting rumbustious scenes
D. Practising dialogue

C. Enacting rumbustious scenes.
Gabriel enacted rumbustious scenes in the mirror, feeling like both a film director and a screenwriter.

23. What tragic event happened to Gabriel’s twin, Archie?

A. Drowning at sea
B. Died from meningitis
C. Taken away by Dad
D. Lost in the fog

B. Died from meningitis.
Archie died from meningitis when he and Gabriel were two and a half years old, though Gabriel miraculously survived.

24. Why did the photographs of the twins disturb Gabriel?

A. They were never commented on
B. His parents mixed them up
C. They were framed poorly
D. They were always moving

B. His parents mixed them up.
Dad admitted they sometimes mixed the boys up, leading Gabriel to wonder if he was Archie.
25. What item appeared in the room after Gabriel finished drawing it from the art book?

A. A yellow chair
B. Broken old boots
C. A gold disc
D. A small drum

B. Broken old boots.
Gabriel noticed an unusual smell, and upon turning, saw the gnarled, broken, old work boots he had copied.

26. What explanation did Dad give for the rips in his jeans?

A. Rock ‘n’ roll style
B. Ventilation
C. He was poor
D. He fell down

B. Ventilation.
Dad referred to the rips in his jeans as providing “ventilation” for his body.

27. What kind of art did Dad encourage Gabriel to view in squats and abandoned garages?

A. Latest, strangest stuff
B. Old jars and pots
C. Abstract portraits
D. Realistic landscapes

A. Latest, strangest stuff.
Rex usually took Gabriel to see the latest, strangest work by young artists in lofts and garages.

28. What happened to Dad’s limp when he heard Lester Jones was on the phone?

A. It worsened
B. It miraculously mended
C. He used his crutch
D. He forgot his name

B. It miraculously mended.
Dad’s ‘war wound’ (limp) miraculously mended as he flapped up the hall excited about the call.

29. What was Rex known as after his stage accident?

A. Free-standing Fred
B. Restless Rex
C. Funky Fingers
D. Mr. Bunch

A. Free-standing Fred.
After his accident, Rex, who could never stand unaided again, was known as Restless Rex.
30. What quality did Lester say Gabriel possessed that should be cultivated?

A. Talent
B. Bohemian life
C. Arrogance
D. Impatience

A. Talent.
Lester looked at Gabriel and told him directly, “You’re talented. I’m telling you – and now you know for ever”.

31. What warning did Lester give Gabriel regarding creativity and success?

A. To avoid all parents
B. To fear the police
C. To beware of envy
D. To sell everything

C. To beware of envy.
Lester warned Gabriel about envy, calling it one of the strongest human forces, seeking to contain his gifts.

32. What was Rex’s immediate suggestion for what to do with Lester’s gift?

A. Framing it quickly
B. Selling it for money
C. Taking it home
D. Hiding it away

B. Selling it for money.
Dad immediately suggested, “We should see what the picture is worth,” as he was in financial trouble.

33. Who did Gabriel consult internally that led him to temporarily keep the picture?

A. Lester Jones
B. His mother
C. Archie
D. Zak’s father

C. Archie.
Gabriel listened to the clear, calm voice of his brother, Archie, who supplied the solution to keep the picture.

34. How did Gabriel manage to open the padlocked drawer under his mother’s bed?

A. Using the year of his birth
B. Using a hammer
C. Forcing it open
D. Asking his mother

A. Using the year of his birth.
Gabriel tried the year of his and Archie’s birth, believing his mother was sentimental, and the lock opened.
35. What did Gabriel copy twice after retrieving the original picture?

A. The yellow chair
B. The signed picture
C. The work boots
D. The film dialogue

B. The signed picture.
Gabriel copied Lester’s picture twice overnight so that there would be enough art to go round for everyone.

36. What was the name of Speedy’s hamburger restaurant?

A. The Drum
B. Splitz
C. The Ivy
D. The Marquee

B. Splitz.
Rex and Gabriel walked to a hamburger restaurant owned by Speedy, called Splitz.

37. What new title had Rex given the framed picture displayed at Speedy’s restaurant?

A. Weird Weather
B. Tick the Plate, Nigel
C. Original Art Work
D. Lester’s Gift

B. Tick the Plate, Nigel.
The picture hanging on the wall at Splitz was now titled, ‘Tick the Plate, Nigel’.

38. What realisation did Gabriel have concerning the picture hanging in Splitz?

A. It was the original
B. He had improved it
C. Speedy forged it
D. It was poorly framed

B. He had improved it.
Gabriel knew the picture was a forgery because he had secretly ‘improved’ it with various experimental flourishes while copying.

39. What job did Dad secure after selling the forged picture to Speedy?

A. Bicycle courier
B. Writing memoirs
C. Guitar teaching
D. Bar tending

C. Guitar teaching.
Speedy put Rex in touch with Jake Ambler, securing Rex a job teaching guitar to Jake’s son.
40. What item did Gabriel secure from Jake Ambler for his film ambitions?

A. A 16mm camera
B. A large wad of cash
C. A lighting crew
D. An acting coach

A. A 16mm camera.
Jake, an old camera assistant, offered Gabriel the use of a 16mm film camera from his garage.

41. How did Rex finally get Carlo, Jake Ambler’s son, to pay attention?

A. Challenged him to a fight
B. Played Mahler loudly
C. Smashed a speaker
D. Offered him money

C. Smashed a speaker.
Rex established dominance by kicking and breaking the front of an expensive speaker before playing loud music.

42. What new job prospect did Mum announce she had been offered by Speedy?

A. Restaurant manager
B. Full-time designer
C. Head waitress
D. Show-business lawyer

C. Head waitress.
Mum ran into Speedy, an old friend, and was offered a job that could lead to managing one of his restaurants.

43. What profession did Mum propose Gabriel should pursue, influenced by George?

A. Painter
B. Musician
C. Show-business lawyer
D. Director

C. Show-business lawyer.
Mum, influenced by George, suggested Gabriel pursue a career as a show-business lawyer to ensure financial stability.

44. What item did Mum borrow for the dinner party, pleasing Gabriel?

A. Platform shoes
B. White patent-leather boots
C. Ossie Clark dress
D. Indian ring

B. White patent-leather boots.
Mum borrowed white patent-leather boots from a friend to wear to the dinner party at Jake Ambler’s house.
45. What was Speedy’s biggest request for Gabriel’s portrait of him?

A. To include his ring
B. To make him famous
C. To make him look better
D. To include his dog

C. To make him look better.
Speedy requested Gabriel paint him to look like himself, only “better,” without immortalizing any blemishes.

46. What arrangement was made for Hannah after the parents reconciled?

A. She returned home
B. She stayed with George
C. She worked for Speedy
D. She became a cleaner

C. She worked for Speedy.
Gabriel’s mother secured Hannah a job as a housekeeper for Speedy at his apartment.

47. What film technique did Gabriel use for his finished portrait of Speedy?

A. Black and white only
B. A wide-screen film frame
C. Close-up of the ear
D. Oil on canvas

B. A wide-screen film frame.
Gabriel created the portrait in the shape of a wide-screen film frame, reflecting Speedy’s glamour aspirations.

48. Where did Rex and Christine hold their wedding celebration party?

A. Kew Gardens
B. Jake Ambler’s house
C. Speedy’s restaurant
D. The local pub

C. Speedy’s restaurant.
Speedy threw a party in a room at Splitz for Rex and Christine following their registry office wedding.

49. Who did Gabriel recruit to help with sound on his short film project?

A. Speedy
B. Carlo
C. Ramona
D. Hannah

B. Carlo.
Carlo, Rex’s pupil, was helping with the sound recording for Gabriel’s short film project during the summer.
50. What command did Gabriel give before the film camera started rolling on the first scene?

A. Quiet on set
B. Action
C. Turn over
D. B and C

D. B and C.
Gabriel checked everyone was ready and commanded, “Turn over! Turn over! And – action!”.

Brief Overview

Gabriel’s Gift is a novel by Hanif Kureishi, first published in 2001. It is a humorous coming-of-age story centered on a creative boy coping with his parents’ separation and the discovery of his magical abilities.

The novel is about Gabriel, a fifteen-year-old boy living in London. His father, Rex, a musician, has recently left his mother, Christine, who now works as a waitress. Gabriel feels lonely, but he speaks to the ghost of his dead twin, Archie, who acts as his “personal spirit.”

Gabriel discovers he has a unique, magical talent: he can draw objects, like a chair or boots, and make them appear in the real world.

Rex, struggling financially, reconnects with his musician friend, Lester Jones, who gives Gabriel a unique drawing. Rex, who has considerable debts, sells this valuable art piece to Speedy, a restaurant owner.

Gabriel is angry that his father betrayed him for cash. Gabriel secretly makes a forgery of the picture for Speedy. Rex finds a job teaching guitar, which helps him achieve some stability.

Christine and Rex eventually reconcile and get married. Gabriel decides to focus his creativity on art, not magic. He receives a film camera and prepares to shoot his own movie about London, embracing his future as a filmmaker.

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