Mosquitoes MCQs

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Author: Nasir Iqbal | Assistant Professor of English Literature


Updated on: November 16, 2025
Estimated Reading Time: 17 min

Mosquitoes MCQs

1. Where does the narrative suggest the Vieux Carré broods at the start?

A. Smoke-filled room
B. Tarnished languor
C. Passionate sky
D. New Orleans

B. Tarnished languor.
The old French Quarter of New Orleans is described as brooding in a faint, subtly worn, and quiet state.

2. What personal quality did Mr. Talliaferro view privately as a characteristic virtue?

A. Careful cockney
B. Smug complacency
C. Private virtue
D. The sex instinct

D. The sex instinct.
Mr. Talliaferro often repeated that his sexual drive was strong, finding self-satisfaction in this characteristic.

3. What visible physical feature of Gordon did Mr. Talliaferro watch with distaste?

A. Curling vigor
B. Stainéd trousers
C. Hard body
D. Chisel and maul

A. Curling vigor.
Mr. Talliaferro watched the sculptor’s dark, strongly curling hair with envy and marked dislike.

4. What central piece of art drew the eye sharply upon entering Gordon’s room?

A. Stained walls
B. Headless marble
C. Skylight
D. Rough wood bench

B. Headless marble.
The marble sculpture was a virginal, swift, and passionately eternal torso that immediately captured attention.
5. What specific item did Gordon ask Mr. Talliaferro to retrieve for him?

A. A new hat
B. Some new tools
C. A bottle of milk
D. His thin coat

C. A bottle of milk.
Gordon asked Talliaferro to go to the grocer on the corner and quickly fetch an empty bottle and fresh milk.

6. When hurrying away to the grocer, what was Mr. Talliaferro desperately trying to find?

A. A piece of paper
B. A clean cloth
C. His cane
D. A match

A. A piece of paper.
He struck a match, desperate to find anything to wrap the unwashed, clammy milk bottle in.

7. What did the grocer offer Mr. Talliaferro to do with the purchased item?

A. Wipe it off
B. Put it down
C. Make her a parcel
D. Use a coin

C. Make her a parcel.
The grocer readily agreed to wrap the milk in paper, asking affably if Talliaferro wanted him to “Make her in a parcel”.

8. What physical description is given for Mrs. Maurier’s hand holding her possessions?

A. Ringed and manicured
B. Blooming fatly
C. Glittering hand
D. Waving vaguely

B. Blooming fatly.
Her hand, weighed down by rings and bracelets, is specifically noted as blooming fatly as she spoke.

9. What Chicago comment did Mrs. Maurier make while introducing Patricia Robyn?

A. Men are rude
B. Men are chivalrous
C. Men are unfeeling
D. Men are strange

B. Men are chivalrous.
She presented Mr. Talliaferro’s compliment as an example of Southern chivalry, imagining a man in Chicago saying that.
10. What did Patricia Robyn call Mr. Talliaferro after discovering he carried only milk?

A. A gentleman
B. A milkman
C. A Maecenas
D. A friend

B. A milkman.
After learning the package contained only milk, the niece mockingly suggested Talliaferro was merely a “Milkman”.

11. What excuse did Mr. Talliaferro give Mrs. Maurier for visiting Gordon?

A. Fetching supper milk
B. Meeting other friends
C. Working late
D. Running errands

A. Fetching supper milk.
He claimed he was fetching milk for Gordon’s supper, explaining the odd time and nature of the errand.

12. What was Gordon doing when Mrs. Maurier and Talliaferro finally reached his room?

A. Munching a sandwich
B. Working on marble
C. Reading a book
D. Sitting in a chair

A. Munching a sandwich.
When they entered the room, Gordon was seated in his chair, clutching a book and consuming a thick sandwich.

13. What feature of Patricia’s body did Gordon examine with growing interest in the studio?

A. Her small ears
B. Her flat breast
C. Her slim arms
D. Her firm, brief nose

B. Her flat breast.
Gordon examined her flat chest and belly, noting her overall boyish, yet vaguely troubling, physique.

14. What word did Mrs. Maurier know and instantly latch onto from Mr. Talliaferro’s description of the sculpture?

A. Equivocal
B. Untrammeled
C. Integrity
D. Eternal

B. Untrammeled.
She enthusiastically repeated the word, associating the art piece with the “untrammeled spirit” and eagles’ freedom.
15. What was Mr. Talliaferro worried about regarding his appearance upon his return to New Orleans?

A. His tweed cap
B. His thinning hair
C. His flannel suit
D. His bad accent

B. His thinning hair.
The only thing causing alarm for Mr. Talliaferro after his European trip was the fact that his hair was becoming sparse.

16. What philosophical position does the Semitic man hold regarding convictions?

A. They are always necessary
B. They are often alarming
C. They lead to happiness
D. They foster religion

B. They are often alarming.
The Semitic man states that convictions should always be alarming unless they are viewed from behind, safely.

17. The Nausikaa yacht is described as having what two colors in its superstructure?

A. White and gold
B. Mahogany and brass
C. Blue and white
D. Red and silver

B. Mahogany and brass.
The yacht is a “nice thing,” featuring a white, mature hull contrasted with its wooden and metal superstructure.

18. Who came aboard the yacht last, carrying a new carpenter’s saw?

A. Gordon
B. The nephew Josh
C. Major Ayers
D. The steward

B. The nephew Josh.
Josh, coatless and hatless, climbed aboard last, explaining he needed to buy a new saw.

19. What does the niece tell her aunt is the primary trait of Jenny, the new guest?

A. A complete washout
B. Very timid
C. Quite wealthy
D. A good dancer

A. A complete washout.
The niece later privately tells her aunt that Jenny is a “complete washout” now that she knows her better.
20. What physical ailment did Fairchild and Major Ayers claim they were helping the Major find?

A. His reading glasses
B. His lost teeth
C. His broken leg
D. His new hat

B. His lost teeth.
Fairchild jokes that they were late for lunch because Major Ayers lost his dentures under the bunk while laughing.

21. What did Gordon say was the best possible rejoinder to any emergency life might offer?

A. A good fight
B. A bottle of whisky
C. A philosophical sigh
D. A quick escape

B. A bottle of whisky.
The Semitic man says that drinking alcohol is a good response, calling it the best “rejoinder to every emergency”.

22. What was Josh doing when his sister found him engrossed in the engine room?

A. Changing the oil
B. Examining a dial
C. Offering to help
D. Talking to the captain

B. Examining a dial.
The captain was examining a dial, and when Josh repeated his bore and stroke question, the captain told him the measurement.

23. What did the captain say was the engine’s origin and approximate cost?

A. American, ten thousand
B. German, twelve thousand
C. British, five thousand
D. Italian, thirty thousand

B. German, twelve thousand.
The captain boasts that the engine is the “Best marine engine made,” specifying it is German and cost twelve thousand dollars.

24. What action by Major Ayers initiated the drama of the swimming wager?

A. Jumping overboard briskly
B. Throwing his hat
C. Shouting loudly
D. Stealing a glass

A. Jumping overboard briskly.
As the men passed the rail, Major Ayers detached himself and flung himself awkwardly yet briskly into the water.
25. What animal did Fairchild resemble more than ever when splashing in the water?

A. A sedate walrus
B. A wild dolphin
C. A large manatee
D. A playful dog

A. A sedate walrus.
In the water, Fairchild is described as looking even more like a walrus, but surprisingly energetic and playful.

26. What physical sign indicates that David West is suffering from the heat of the swamp journey?

A. His staggering gait
B. His open mouth
C. His dry, rough teeth
D. His numb arms

B. His open mouth.
While carrying Patricia, his mouth was open and when he tried to close it, it only made a dry, hissing sound.

27. What was the exact distance to Mandeville shown on the signboard they found?

A. Fourteen miles
B. Ten miles
C. Twenty miles
D. Three miles

A. Fourteen miles.
The crude finger on the signboard pointed in the wrong direction and indicated the town was fourteen miles away.

28. What does Fairchild suggest that Major Ayers’ pipe scheme confuses art with?

A. Aesthetics
B. Studio life
C. Philosophy
D. Business

B. Studio life.
Fairchild says Mark Frost is confusing the seriousness of art with the often performative and social activity of studio life.

29. What type of jewelry would a novelist likely give Miss Jameson, according to Mrs. Wiseman?

A. Blue jewelry
B. Red rubies
C. Gold chains
D. Silver rings

A. Blue jewelry.
Mrs. Wiseman suggests that aesthetically, any writer drawing Dorothy would assign her a liking for cool, blue stones.
30. What musician did Miss Jameson reveal she preferred, contradicting her aesthetic profile?

A. Grieg
B. Berlioz
C. Chopin
D. Sibelius

C. Chopin.
Despite expectations, Miss Jameson reveals she always liked Chopin, leading Mrs. Wiseman to call him “Snow rotting under a dead moon”.

31. What did Fairchild say was the only good use for a large number of words?

A. To write prose
B. To create a tree
C. To win arguments
D. To define concepts

B. To create a tree.
Fairchild argued that if you have enough words, like acorns, you are eventually bound to produce something worthwhile, like a tree.

32. The Semitic man claims that the universal benefit of religion is what?

A. To ease suffering
B. To spread peace
C. To get children out
D. To promote ideals

C. To get children out.
He argues that the only general good religion achieves is ensuring children are out of the house on Sunday morning.

33. Where did Pete keep his straw hat hidden for safety during lunch?

A. On the floor
B. Under a bench
C. In a cubbyhole
D. Under his seat

C. In a cubbyhole.
Fairchild suggested he put his hat in a collapsible serving table which functioned as a perfect, safe storage spot.

34. What happened immediately after Mrs. Wiseman slammed the serving table shut?

A. Pete’s hat slid
B. The bell rang
C. Food was served
D. Mrs. Maurier shrieked

A. Pete’s hat slid.
When Mrs. Wiseman hit the collapsible table, Pete’s hat immediately fell out of the nook onto the floor.
35. What activity did Mrs. Maurier eventually try to force on her guests to restore decency?

A. A quiet siesta
B. A bridge game
C. A reading club
D. A dancing party

B. A bridge game.
After the chaotic lunch, Mrs. Maurier desperately hoped to break them up and get everyone settled into a bridge game.

36. Who was the woman who tried to seduce Pete by discussing her car and social plans?

A. Mrs. Wiseman
B. Miss Jameson
C. Jenny
D. Patricia Robyn

B. Miss Jameson.
Miss Jameson, after the chaos, focused intensely on Pete, trying to arrange a date by tempting him with her car.

37. What sound signified that the yacht had broken free and resumed motion at the end of the trip?

A. Engine’s roar
B. Throbbing and pulsing
C. The captain’s cheer
D. Water surging

B. Throbbing and pulsing.
After the tug left and the boat was freed, the Nausikaa is described as trembling and pulsing, girding itself with motion.

38. What does Fairchild suggest that the “red eye” of Mark Frost’s cigarette represents?

A. A nervous tic
B. A sexual fetish
C. A pulsing light
D. A lost reputation

C. A pulsing light.
He notes the cigarette glowed and faded above the deck like a pulse as Mark Frost lay hidden in the shadow.

39. What did Patricia Robyn accidentally drop and kick away while descending the stairs?

A. A man’s necktie
B. Her small hat
C. Her raincoat
D. Her borrowed pants

D. Her borrowed pants.
A shapeless fabric descended from beneath her coat, which she kicked out of the garment—a pair of men’s pants.
40. What was Gordon’s final action with the empty whisky bottle in his room?

A. Refilled it
B. Hiding it
C. Hurled it, crashing
D. Offered it

C. Hurled it, crashing.
In a moment of intense frustration about purity and grief, Gordon threw the empty bottle into the huge fireplace.

41. What item did Jenny take and examine with silent wonder, post-quarrel with Pete?

A. His pipe
B. His hat
C. His cigarette pack
D. His handkerchief

B. His hat.
As she prepared to dance, Jenny removed Pete’s hat, examining its broken crown with placid, soft astonishment.

42. What sound, indicating his weariness, did Major Ayers make that revealed his location?

A. Profound snoring
B. A tired cough
C. Loud mumbling
D. Grousing

A. Profound snoring.
Fairchild found Major Ayers asleep in his room, judging by the audible, profound, and defenseless sound of his sleep.

43. What does David West compare the yellow and pink of dawn breaking over the wharf to?

A. A rising music
B. A sound you couldn’t hear
C. A warm embrace
D. A shining coin

B. A sound you couldn’t hear.
David described dawn coming up out of the city smoke as being “like a sound you couldn’t hear”.

44. What type of vehicle did the launch owner, who helped Patricia and David, operate?

A. Riverboat
B. Fussy engine
C. Fast tug
D. Motorboat

B. Fussy engine.
The man who ran the launch was operating his small boat with a fretful, busy, and somewhat chaotic engine.
45. What does Fairchild compare the words of artists to, which can either fail or succeed?

A. Fallen leaves
B. Acorns
C. Soft clay
D. Fast current

B. Acorns.
Fairchild compares words to acorns, noting that while not all words make a tree, having enough will eventually produce results.

46. Patricia realized they had missed Mandeville after finding the signboard pointing where?

A. Southward
B. Back whence they came
C. To the ocean
D. To the river

B. Back whence they came.
The signboard showed that they had walked in the wrong direction, indicating Mandeville was in the direction they traveled from.

47. What did the Semitic man say the only people allowed an opinion on poetry should be?

A. Critics
B. Writers
C. Poets
D. Scholars

C. Poets.
He humorously suggests that only those who actually write poetry should possess the authority to have an opinion on it.

48. What was the name of the man who told Jenny the crude saying she traded with Patricia?

A. Foster
B. Faulkner
C. Walker
D. Pete

B. Faulkner.
Jenny initially struggles to recall the name, settling eventually on Faulkner, who spoke the saying at the Market.

49. What physical action did Mrs. Maurier perform after Gordon finished learning her face with his hands?

A. She screamed loudly
B. She shuddered as if cold
C. She began weeping
D. She felt utter fear

D. She felt utter fear.
When Gordon turned her face into the moonlight and touched her, Mrs. Maurier whispered silently with “utter fear”.
50. What profession was the large, frenzied man, working below Fairchild’s room, engaged in?

A. Typing/writing furiously
B. Singing loudly
C. Painting pictures
D. Designing clothes

A. Typing/writing furiously.
The man beneath Fairchild was a large, heavy-handed writer, pounding relentlessly and mercilessly on a typewriter.

Brief Overview

Mosquitoes, William Faulkner‘s second novel, was published in 1927. The novel is a social satire that targets the self-absorbed artistic and literary community of New Orleans during the 1920s.

The story centers on a group of people who take a boat trip on the yacht Nausikaa. The rich owner is Mrs. Maurier, who enjoys hosting artists. The guests include Mr. Talliaferro, who calls himself a “Maecenas” (a patron of the arts), the proud sculptor Gordon, and the loud novelist Fairchild. They spend their time debating the meaning of life and art.

Mrs. Maurier’s niece, Patricia, is young and unsentimental. She travels with her twin brother, Josh. Josh is entirely obsessed with carving a special pipe.

The yacht gets stuck near the shore for several days, symbolizing the aimlessness and lack of direction of the group. Talliaferro tries repeatedly, but unsuccessfully, to kiss Jenny, a passive blonde girl. Patricia and the steward, David, run off ashore together briefly. David later leaves the boat for a “better job,” showing his practicality.

Gordon returns, covered in mud, and becomes obsessed with Patricia. He wants to make a statue of her face. Fairchild and others attempt, and fail, to pull the boat free. Finally, the yacht moves again on its own. The group returns to New Orleans, unchanged by the experience.

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