Soldiers’ Pay MCQs

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Author: Nasir Iqbal | Assistant Professor of English Literature


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

Soldiers’ Pay MCQs

1. Who is initially known as “One Wing”?

A. Private Gilligan
B. Lieutenant Mahon
C. Cadet Lowe
D. Captain Green

C. Cadet Lowe.
Julian Lowe, a Flying Cadet, was known as “One Wing” by the other embryonic aces in his flight.

2. What material was the Pullman conductor telling Sherman was right about?

A. Union soldiers
B. War being hell
C. Bad liquor
D. Drunk soldiers

B. War being hell.
The conductor lamented that Sherman was right about war being hell when faced with the drunk soldiers on his train.

3. Who claims he won four hundred dollars in a poker game?

A. Cadet Lowe
B. Private Gilligan
C. The Sergeant
D. Schluss the salesman

B. Private Gilligan.
Joe Gilligan tells a story about winning four hundred dollars in a poker game while talking about a girl he was dancing with.

4. Who is trying to light a “splayed and sodden cigar”?

A. Cadet Lowe
B. Yaphank’s friend
C. Traveling companion
D. General Pershing

C. Traveling companion.
Yaphank’s traveling companion was sitting on the floor, attempting to ignite a cigar that was splayed and sodden.
5. Where are the two fighting civilians attempting to jump off the train?

A. New York
B. Buffalo
C. Chicago
D. Atlantic Ocean

B. Buffalo.
The conductor said he would put the drunken men off the train as soon as they reached the city of Buffalo.

6. What is the conductor trying to stop the soldiers from doing?

A. Stealing luggage
B. Disturbing passengers
C. Drinking alcohol
D. Kissing his hand

B. Disturbing passengers.
The conductor repeatedly asked the soldiers to straighten up and stop disturbing the other passengers on the train.

7. Who does Joe Gilligan claim commanded the navy?

A. Private Gilligan
B. The conductor
C. Cadet Lowe
D. General Pershing

B. The conductor.
Gilligan mockingly introduced the Pullman conductor to Lowe as the admiral who commanded the navy.

8. Who does Gilligan call “Hank White” upon meeting him?

A. The conductor
B. Schluss the civilian
C. Cadet Lowe
D. His companion

B. Schluss the civilian.
Gilligan cordially greeted the civilian, Schluss, mistaking him for an old friend named Hank White.

9. Where is Cadet Lowe’s family expecting him to return?

A. St. Paul
B. Buffalo
C. San Francisco
D. Omyhaw

C. San Francisco.
Cadet Lowe informed Private Gilligan that his people lived in San Francisco, which is why he was traveling there.
10. What type of officer is Donald Mahon?

A. American Major
B. Royal Air Force
C. Flying Cadet
D. French pilot

B. Royal Air Force.
His insignia and wings identify Donald Mahon as belonging to the British Royal Air Force.

11. What visible injury is immediately noticed on Donald Mahon?

A. Dreadful scar
B. Broken arm
C. Withered leg
D. Missing ear

A. Dreadful scar.
Donald Mahon is introduced as having a dreadful scar running across his brow.

12. What specific part of Mahon’s body is withered?

A. Left arm
B. Right hand
C. Left leg
D. Both feet

B. Right hand.
Lowe noticed that the officer took his glass in his left hand, and his right hand was drawn and withered.

13. What term is used for soldiers who have not been in action?

A. Warriors
B. Kee-wees
C. Aces
D. Sergeants

B. Kee-wees.
A rhyme mentions “kee-wees” (cadets) who “can’t date a single girl long as kee-wees run the world”.

14. What southern state is Donald Mahon from?

A. Alabama
B. Texas
C. Georgia
D. Arkansas

C. Georgia.
The porter informs Gilligan that Mahon is not a lost foreigner but is actually from Georgia.
15. What does Gilligan predict Mahon’s girl will do when she sees him?

A. Give him the air
B. Marry him
C. Feel pity
D. Offer comfort

A. Give him the air.
Gilligan predicts that if Mahon has a girl, she will “give him the air” due to his injury.

16. How does Mrs. Powers describe her own hair?

A. Gold
B. Red
C. Black
D. Blonde

C. Black.
Mrs. Powers is described as having black hair, which contrasts with her pallid distinction.

17. How does Mrs. Powers know Mahon is likely going blind?

A. Gilligan told her
B. She saw him stumble
C. Instinctive flash
D. Lowe mentioned it

C. Instinctive flash.
Upon observing Mahon sleeping under the light, she knew in an “instinctive flash” that he was going blind.

18. What does Mrs. Powers decide to do with her late husband’s insurance money?

A. Start a business
B. Buy a house
C. Help Donald
D. Donate it

C. Help Donald.
Mrs. Powers decided to use her dead husband’s insurance money to help Mahon “die comfortable”.

19. What does Julian Lowe ask Mrs. Powers to promise?

A. Wait for him
B. Write often
C. Marry Gilligan
D. Never leave Mahon

A. Wait for him.
Lowe asked Mrs. Powers to wait for him, promising to work hard and make money when he returned.
20. What is the Rector (Uncle Joe) planting in his garden?

A. Lilies
B. Roses
C. Hyacinths
D. Poplars

C. Hyacinths.
Januarius Jones leaned upon the gate, watching April busy in a hyacinth bed.

21. What is the Rector’s main pastime in addition to religious duties?

A. Collecting coins
B. Reading books
C. Raising flowers
D. Teaching Latin

C. Raising flowers.
The Rector often stated he was good at nothing else save raising flowers, an “obscure emotional housewifery”.

22. Who previously held Januarius Jones’s occupation?

A. Latin professor
B. Theology student
C. Army officer
D. Ship captain

A. Latin professor.
Januarius Jones, baggy in gray tweed, was lately a fellow of Latin in a small college.

23. What virtue does Januarius Jones consider most admirable?

A. Honesty
B. Courage
C. Sincere arrogance
D. Gentleness

C. Sincere arrogance.
When asked for the most admirable virtue, Januarius Jones promptly returned the answer, “Sincere arrogance”.

24. What literary work does Jones find in the Rector’s study?

A. Jane Austen
B. Paradise Lost
C. Shropshire Lad
D. Old Testament

B. Paradise Lost.
Jones obtained a copy of Paradise Lost from a bookcase in the Rector’s stuffily formal room.
25. What animal is Januarius Jones often compared to?

A. Cat
B. Fox
C. Bear
D. Goat

D. Goat.
Jones’s eyes are repeatedly described as being clear and yellow, obscene and old in sin as a goat’s.

26. What fragile object crumbled in the Rector’s hand?

A. The photograph
B. Hyacinth bulb
C. Chemise
D. Trench coat

B. Hyacinth bulb.
Among Donald’s sorry effects returned home was a mummied hyacinth bulb that crumbled to dust in the Rector’s hand.

27. What is Emmy’s emotional background regarding Donald?

A. Engaged to him
B. Past lover
C. Family friend
D. Distant cousin

B. Past lover.
Emmy had been Donald’s lover when they were younger, leading to her leaving home before the war.

28. What does Cecily Saunders do immediately after seeing Donald’s scarred face?

A. Insults him
B. Screams and faints
C. Cries quietly
D. Runs away

B. Screams and faints.
When Cecily saw Donald in the light of the study door, she screamed and her body crumpled, fainting.

29. Who is young Robert Saunders’ “Mammy”?

A. Callie Nelson
B. Mrs. Saunders
C. Cecily
D. A cook

D. A cook.
Young Robert sought comfort from the cook in blue calico, who was singing a comforting, crooning song.
30. Who does Mrs. Powers say she would have done the same for as Donald Mahon?

A. Cecily Saunders
B. Nigger or white
C. Julian Lowe
D. Donald’s father

B. Nigger or white.
In a moment of malice, Mrs. Powers told Cecily she would have helped anyone sick, “nigger or white”.

31. What is the nature of Donald Mahon’s eventual blindness?

A. Sudden shock
B. Temporary confusion
C. Total and permanent
D. Curable condition

C. Total and permanent.
The specialist confirmed that Donald’s sight was “practically gone” and there was no ultimate hope for him.

32. What condition is Donald Mahon suffering from, according to Gilligan?

A. Shell shock
B. Impending death
C. Brain fever
D. Amnesia

B. Impending death.
Gilligan tells Mrs. Powers he knows more than just the blindness; he knows Mahon is going to die soon.

33. What is the Rector doing when Jones surprises him after Mahon’s arrival?

A. Reading Latin
B. Working hard
C. Dreaming sadly
D. Repairing furniture

C. Dreaming sadly.
The Rector spent time dreaming darkly in space, taking his ruined dream of his son into himself.

34. What physical sign does Gilligan say betrays Cecily’s discomfort?

A. Laughing loudly
B. Flopping around
C. Silent staring
D. Constant weeping

B. Flopping around.
Gilligan noticed Cecily’s fear and instability, saying she was “flopping around like a fish”.
35. What is the subject of Mrs. Mahon’s (Margaret’s) second letter from Julian Lowe?

A. Girl’s looks
B. War service
C. Marriage date
D. Flying skills

A. Girl’s looks.
Julian Lowe wrote to Margaret, discussing a girl who wasn’t good looking but who photographed well and might want to be in movies.

36. What item of Mahon’s clothing does Gilligan remove after Dr. Gary’s visit?

A. The soft hat
B. Blue glasses
C. Trench coat
D. Leather boots

B. Blue glasses.
After the doctor informed the Rector that Mahon was blind, Gilligan removed the blue glasses from Mahon’s face.

37. What are the two main competing desires in George Farr’s turmoil?

A. Lust and jealousy
B. Alcohol and sleep
C. Hate and love
D. Pride and shame

A. Lust and jealousy.
George Farr wallowed in the passionate despair of spring and youth and jealousy, mixing it with alcohol.

38. What is Donald Mahon’s social status/financial standing upon returning?

A. Pauper
B. Wealthy heir
C. Minor millionaire
D. Stable provider

A. Pauper.
Mrs. Saunders opposed the marriage, describing Mahon as having nothing and being a pauper.

39. Why does Cecily eventually agree to marry Donald Mahon (the first time)?

A. To escape trouble
B. For his money
C. Out of genuine love
D. To make him happy

A. To escape trouble.
Cecily’s hysterÌcal plea suggested she must marry him because she was in trouble and not a “good woman”.
40. What is Cecily Saunders doing when her father enters her room in Section IX?

A. Packing a suitcase
B. Reading a book
C. Talking to George
D. Crying hysterically

B. Reading a book.
Mr. Saunders found Cecily in her room in a thin orange sweater, reading a book with her legs elevated.

41. What is the name of Mrs. Powers’ dead husband?

A. Joe
B. Julian
C. Richard
D. Donald

C. Richard.
Mrs. Powers frequently recalled her dead husband, Richard Powers (Dick), who was killed in action in France.

42. Who is the first person Mrs. Mahon (Margaret) suggests Donald should have married?

A. Cecily Saunders
B. Emmy
C. Callie Nelson
D. Julian Lowe

B. Emmy.
Margaret realized that Emmy, due to her tender devotion, was the logical person for Donald to have married.

43. What is the ultimate fate of Donald Mahon?

A. Sent away
B. Dies quietly
C. Recovered sight
D. Marries Cecily

B. Dies quietly.
Donald Mahon died quietly after recounting the memory of being shot down, followed by a funeral.

44. What animal’s body does Januarius Jones compare his own physicality to?

A. A swan
B. A fat worm
C. A sleek cat
D. A sad lion

B. A fat worm.
Cecily thought of Jones with despair, wondering if he were not so fat, like a worm.
45. Who finds Joe Gilligan’s confession of love “flattering” but dismisses it?

A. Emmy
B. Margaret Powers
C. Cecily Saunders
D. Mrs. Burney

B. Margaret Powers.
Margaret told Lowe that Gilligan had already made love to her, which was “flattering,” but she was not interested.

46. What symbolic object does the Rector say his son’s rose bush holds?

A. His faith
B. His youth
C. His sorrow
D. His fame

B. His youth.
The Rector explains that in the rose bush is imprisoned a part of his youth, which always renews itself.

47. What does Gilligan call Margaret, suggesting she is wise about conflict?

A. Napoleon
B. Goddess
C. Sybil
D. Colonel

A. Napoleon.
Gilligan praises her strategy, calling her quite feminine and Napoleonic, referring to her sharp intellect.

48. What is the main reason Mrs. Mahon (Margaret) chooses to leave town?

A. To avoid Gilligan
B. To be free
C. To start a business
D. To see Julian

B. To be free.
Margaret feels freer after Mahon’s death, stating she needed to leave to be “just to be free”.

49. What are the two events linked by the novel’s closing thematic quote?

A. Flying and walking
B. Birth and marriage
C. Sex and death
D. God and circumstance

C. Sex and death.
The narrator explicitly calls sex and death the “front door and the back door of the world”.
50. Who promises to “take the risk” of marrying Margaret, despite her joking that her husbands die?

A. Joe Gilligan
B. Julian Lowe
C. Donald Mahon
D. George Farr

A. Joe Gilligan.
Margaret told Joe that all the men who marry her die, but Joe responded immediately that he would “take the risk”.

Brief Overview

Soldiers’ Pay, William Faulkner‘s first novel, was published on February 25, 1926. The novel is a stark examination of the psychological and social aftermath of World War I. It focuses on the “lost generation” of soldiers returning to a civilian world that cannot understand them.

The story begins on a train where Private Joe Gilligan meets young Cadet Julian Lowe. Lowe, nicknamed “One Wing,” is angry that the war ended too soon for him. Gilligan, who is loud and drinks whisky, introduces Lowe to Lieutenant Donald Mahon.

Mahon is a war hero from Georgia who flew for the Royal Air Force. Mahon is badly wounded, has a dreadful scar on his face, and is rapidly losing his sight. Margaret Powers, a dark-haired war widow, joins them. She realizes how sick Mahon is and decides to take him home to his father, the Rector. She understands Donald is likely dying.

In Georgia, Donald’s fiancée, Cecily Saunders, is horrified by his scarred face. She later breaks the engagement and leaves town. Mahon’s father, the Rector, is in denial and refuses to see how ill his son is. Gilligan and Mrs. Powers stay to care for Donald. Emmy, a house worker who loved Donald when they were younger, also helps look after him.

Mrs. Powers marries Donald Mahon to ensure that he will be cared for properly before his death. Donald passed away soon after they married. Gilligan, loyal but sad, remains behind to mourn his friend.

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