The White Peacock MCQs

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Author: Nasir Iqbal | Assistant Professor of English Literature

The White Peacock MCQs
Updated on: October 21, 2025
Estimated Reading Time: 17 min

The White Peacock MCQs

1. What is the name of the mill pond where Cyril observes the fish?

A. Highclose Pond
B. Nethermere
C. Strelley Brook
D. Eberwich Mere

B. Nethermere.
Nethermere is the name of the valley and estate. It represents the idyllic but decaying rural world of the story.

2. How does Cyril describe the atmosphere of the valley?

A. Youthful tumult
B. Gathered in the musing of old age
C. Wild and chaotic
D. Quiet and barren

B. Gathered in the musing of old age.
This description sets the tone of the novel. The landscape feels old, thoughtful, and slowly fading.

3. What does George do with the clustered eggs of the insects?

A. Puts them back
B. Flings them into the water
C. Gives them to Cyril
D. Examines them scientifically

B. Flings them into the water.
This small, thoughtless act of destruction introduces George’s character as someone connected to nature but also casually cruel.

4. Who insists that Cyril stay for dinner at the Saxtons’ house?

A. George
B. Emily
C. The father
D. His mother

B. Emily.
Emily’s insistence shows her early and unspoken affection for the narrator, Cyril.
5. How is the father (Mr. Saxton) described upon entering?

A. Thin and stern
B. Big burly farmer
C. Quiet and scholarly
D. Young and anxious

B. Big burly farmer.
Mr. Saxton represents the traditional, hard-working farmer, a figure from a vanishing way of life.

6. What does Emily compare George to in an irritating remark?

A. A lazy dog
B. A fat fool
C. A fatted calf
D. A spoiled child

C. A fatted calf.
This biblical reference shows the tension within the Saxton family and Emily’s frustration with her brother.

7. How does Cyril describe his own sense of responsibility?

A. As firm as a rock
B. As irresponsible as a puff of wind
C. Driven by duty
D. Always mindful of promises

B. As irresponsible as a puff of wind.
Cyril sees himself as a detached observer. He is not tied down by the duties that burden others.

8. What does Lettie ask Cyril about George?

A. If he is married
B. If he plans to leave the farm
C. If he has found a girl yet
D. If he is moving to London

C. If he has found a girl yet.
This question reveals Lettie’s early romantic interest in George, setting up the novel’s central love triangle.

9. How does Mother sarcastically describe George?

A. A true gentleman
B. An unlicked cub
C. A brilliant scholar
D. A suitable match for Lettie

B. An unlicked cub.
Mrs. Beardsall’s comment shows her awareness of the class difference between her cultured daughter and the rough farmer George.
10. How tall is Lettie described as being?

A. Petite
B. Nearly six feet
C. Average height
D. Quite short

B. Nearly six feet.
Lettie’s height makes her a striking and impressive figure, adding to her commanding presence.

11. What creature do Cyril and Lettie find injured and decide to take home?

A. A wounded rabbit
B. A cat (Mrs. Nickie Ben)
C. A sick dog
D. A fledgling bird

B. A cat (Mrs. Nickie Ben).
The discovery of the injured cat leads to a confrontation over how to deal with suffering.

12. What method does George ultimately use to kill Mrs. Nickie Ben?

A. Crushing it
B. Drowning it
C. Shooting it
D. Poisoning it

B. Drowning it.
George’s efficient but brutal mercy killing of the cat disturbs Lettie and Cyril, showing his unsentimental nature.

13. When George enters the parlor after washing, what visual detail draws Lettie’s gaze?

A. His dirty boots
B. His solid and white breasts and arms
C. His torn breeches
D. The towel he is holding

B. His solid and white breasts and arms.
This is a key moment. Lettie is powerfully attracted to George’s physical, masculine presence.

14. How does George say the Schubert romance music made him feel?

A. Enlightened
B. Happy
C. A fool
D. Sentimental

C. A fool.
The cultured music makes George feel clumsy and inadequate. This highlights the gap between his world and Lettie’s.
15. Who arrives to interrupt the group’s supper at Strelley Mill?

A. Cyril’s mother
B. Leslie
C. Alice Gall
D. Mr. Saxton

B. Leslie.
Leslie Tempest’s arrival introduces the third member of the love triangle. He represents wealth and social status.

16. How does George subtly insult Leslie and Lettie by discussing farm matters?

A. By mentioning the manure pile
B. By talking about the red heifer calving
C. By complaining about the field work
D. By detailing cow illnesses

B. By talking about the red heifer calving.
George uses his knowledge of the “impolite” physical realities of farm life to make the cultured Leslie feel uncomfortable.

17. What is the nickname Cyril calls George, and Lettie uses later?

A. Mon Cœur
B. Mon Taureau
C. Mon Ami
D. Mon Petit

B. Mon Taureau.
This French nickname, meaning “My Bull,” emphasizes George’s powerful, animalistic, and masculine nature.

18. What wakes the disheveled, sleeping man in the wood?

A. Cyril shouting
B. A dog barking
C. The scream of a rabbit
D. The twilight gloom

C. The scream of a rabbit.
The sudden, violent sound from nature awakens the poacher, connecting him to the brutal side of the natural world.

19. What does Lettie suggest is necessary before one can “blossom” in life?

A. Reading books
B. Good living
C. Suffering
D. Travel

C. Suffering.
Lettie’s romantic idea about suffering shows her cultured but inexperienced view of life.
20. What picture makes George exclaim, asking if a girl like that, “half afraid,” wouldn’t be “fine”?

A. Watts’ “Hope”
B. Millais’ “Ophelia”
C. Griffinhagen’s “Idyll”
D. Blake’s figures

C. Griffinhagen’s “Idyll”.
George’s reaction to the painting reveals his awakening sexual desire and his ideal of a passionate, submissive woman.

21. What character does Lettie mockingly call George when reacting to his passion?

A. Precious Sir Galahad
B. Bully Bottom
C. Old Adam
D. My Adonis

A. Precious Sir Galahad.
By calling him a pure knight, Lettie is mocking his inexperience with women and passion.

22. What is Cyril’s father’s name?

A. Leslie
B. George
C. Frank Beardsall
D. William

C. Frank Beardsall.
The re-introduction of Cyril’s long-absent father brings the theme of family breakdown and paternal failure into the story.

23. Where do Cyril and Mother travel to upon receiving the final letter?

A. Nottingham
B. Cossethay
C. Highclose
D. Eberwich

D. Eberwich.
Their journey to the father’s deathbed is also a journey into the family’s painful past.

24. The father’s death changes Lettie and Cyril’s lives, creating a “new consciousness” and what else?

A. A sense of freedom
B. A new carefulness
C. Great sorrow
D. Financial hardship

A. A sense of freedom.
The death of their estranged father lifts a psychological burden and allows the children to move forward.
25. What do George and Leslie do enthusiastically after a rabbit breaks cover?

A. Discuss hunting ethics
B. Set the dogs on it
C. Join the chase
D. Go back to work

C. Join the chase.
This scene shows how the prímitive thrill of the hunt unites the two rival men, George and Leslie.

26. What happens immediately after the rake strikes the second rabbit?

A. Cyril feels a hot pain
B. Leslie drops his scythe
C. George laughs
D. Emily faints

A. Cyril feels a hot pain.
The sensitive Cyril feels a sympathetic pain for the dying rabbit, showing his deep connection to suffering life.

27. What is the name of the squire’s saturnine keeper?

A. Halkett
B. Annable
C. George
D. Tempest

B. Annable.
Annable the gamekeeper is a key figure who represents a cynical rejection of society and a belief in a purely animal existence.

28. What does Cyril crown Emily with after she kills the dog?

A. Oak leaves
B. Ivy
C. Mountain-ash berries
D. Wild roses

C. Mountain-ash berries.
This pagan-like crowning celebrates Emily’s connection to a wilder, almost sávage side of nature.

29. What does Cyril say Emily cares for instead of the “flesh of the apple”?

A. The eternal pips
B. The leaves
C. The sweetness
D. The color

A. The eternal pips.
Cyril believes Emily is too focused on the soul and eternity (the pips) to enjoy physical life (the flesh of the apple).
30. Following her inheritance, what literary material does Lettie read?

A. Books on farm life
B. Modern novels
C. Texts dealing with modern women
D. Poetry

C. Texts dealing with modern women.
Lettie’s reading shows her intellectual desire to understand her place in the modern world as a woman.

31. What kind of jewels are set in the engagement ring Leslie gives Lettie?

A. Rubies and gold
B. Pearls and diamonds
C. Sapphires and diamonds
D. Emeralds and silver

B. Pearls and diamonds.
The expensive ring symbolizes Lettie’s choice of wealth and social status with Leslie over passion with George.

32. Lettie tells George that people are “all chess-men,” and that she couldn’t help getting engaged because…?

A. Leslie trapped her
B. Her mother insisted
C. She was bound to do what people expected
D. It was the best financial move

C. She was bound to do what people expected.
Lettie justifies her choice by claiming she has no free will and is simply a pawn in a social game.

33. Who is the keeper who accosts Lettie and Leslie in the dell of snowdrops?

A. Tom
B. Leslie
C. Annable
D. George

C. Annable.
Annable’s interruption of the romantic scene represents the intrusion of a cynical, animalistic reality into their idealized love.

34. Where does George finally announce his intention to marry Meg?

A. At the Mill supper table
B. In the barn
C. In London
D. At the Ram Inn

D. At the Ram Inn.
George makes this life-changing decision in a public house, showing how far he has drifted from his former life at the farm.
35. What artwork does Cyril show Emily and George (which George keeps)?

A. Waterhouse’s Lady of Shalott
B. Beardsley’s “Atalanta” and “Salome”
C. Clausen’s “Hoeing”
D. Watts’ “Mammon”

B. Beardsley’s “Atalanta” and “Salome”.
George’s fascination with Beardsley’s decadent art shows his attempt to understand a sophisticated, and perhaps corrupt, world beyond his own.

36. What news causes George to feel “lost” and accelerate his decision to marry?

A. Lettie’s engagement
B. His mother’s illness
C. The notice to leave Strelley Mill
D. His father moving to Canada

C. The notice to leave Strelley Mill.
Losing the family farm is a major blow to George’s identity, cutting him off from the land and pushing him toward a new life.

37. What does George say he will do if Lettie refuses to marry him?

A. Go to Canada alone
B. Get married to someone else
C. Join the army
D. Leave the valley

C. Join the army.
George sees joining the army as an escape, a way to find a new identity after losing both Lettie and his farm.

38. What did Annable do before becoming a game-keeper?

A. Miner
B. Cattle dealer
C. Curate/parson
D. Soldier

C. Curate/parson.
Annable’s past as a clergyman makes his current cynical philosophy even more dramatic. He has rejected the spirit for the body.

39. What animal does Annable, in his philosophy, advocate being?

A. A wealthy gentleman
B. A good animal
C. A spiritual being
D. A powerful predator

B. A good animal.
This is Annable’s core belief. He thinks civilization has corrupted humanity and people should return to a simple, physical existence.
40. What causes Annable’s death?

A. He is shot by a poacher
B. He dies of illness
C. He is crushed by falling stones
D. He is attacked by dogs

C. He is crushed by falling stones.
Annable is killed by an industrial accident in a quarry. The machine world he despised ultimately destroys him.

41. What does George say Meg is full of, leading him to marry her instead of Lettie?

A. Ambition
B. Soothing and comfort
C. Vulgarity
D. Passion and anger

B. Soothing and comfort.
After being hurt by the complex Lettie, George chooses Meg for her simple, comforting, and motherly nature.

42. What profession does George take up upon marrying Meg, besides farming some land?

A. Mine manager
B. Publican (Mine Host of the Ram)
C. Milkman
D. Cattle broker

B. Publican (Mine Host of the Ram).
Becoming a pub owner marks a major step in George’s social and physical decline, surrounding him with drink and idle talk.

43. What does George say his life is full of, which leads him to enjoy the brutal stories of the Parrot?

A. Raw gin
B. Glamour
C. Brutal experience
D. A thirst for life

C. Brutal experience.
As George’s own life becomes harder, he is drawn to stories of violence and suffering.

44. After George’s London trip, what new philosophy is he devoted to?

A. Anarchism
B. Socialism
C. Conservatism
D. Cynicism

D. Cynicism.
The trip to London corrupts George further, replacing his natural innocence with a bitter and cynical worldview.
45. What does George say marriage ultimately feels like?

A. A partnership
B. A journey
C. A duel
D. A religious rite

C. A duel.
This shows how George’s marriage to Meg has become a bitter struggle, not a source of comfort.

46. What does Lettie decide is the only worthwhile activity in life, having lost interest in other things?

A. Producing (children)
B. Writing
C. Social work
D. Flirting

A. Producing (children).
After settling into her marriage, the once-intellectual Lettie finds her sole purpose and satisfaction in motherhood.

47. What is Emily’s marital status and situation when Cyril visits Papplewick?

A. Engaged to George
B. Recently married to Tom Renshaw, six months pregnant
C. Living alone
D. Traveling

B. Recently married to Tom Renshaw, six months pregnant.
In contrast to the other characters’ tragic fates, Emily finds a quiet, conventional happiness in marriage and motherhood.

48. What condition does George suffer from, brought on by heavy drinking?

A. Depression
B. Delirium tremens
C. Tuberculosis
D. Brain fever

B. Delirium tremens.
This severe medical condition, caused by alcohol withdrawal, is a clear sign of George’s complete physical collapse.

49. What impression does George give Cyril during their final meeting at Papplewick?

A. He is recovering rapidly
B. He is lamentably decayed and stúpid
C. He is sober and thoughtful
D. He is ready to return home

B. He is lamentably decayed and stúpid.
The novel ends with this tragic image of George, completely broken in body and spirit by his choices and circumstances.
50. What does Lettie decide is the only worthwhile activity in life, having lost interest in other things?

A. Producing (children)
B. Writing
C. Social work
D. Flirting

A. Producing (children).
Having achieved her social ambitions, Lettie’s intellectual and artistic interests fade, leaving only the biological role of motherhood.

Brief Overview

The White Peacock is the first novel by D. H. Lawrence. The story is told by a young man named Cyril Beardsall. He observes the lives and relationships of a small group of friends in the English countryside.

The main story focuses on Cyril’s friend, George Saxton. George is a strong, handsome farmer who is deeply connected to nature. He has a close, but complicated, relationship with Cyril’s sister, Lettie Beardsall.

Lettie is attracted to George’s physical energy. However, she is also ambitious and wants a life with more money and social status. She eventually rejects George and agrees to marry Leslie Tempest, a wealthy, educated, but weaker man.

The novel follows the sad outcome of this choice. George is heartbroken and slowly ruins his life. He marries another woman, Meg, whom he does not love, and falls into heavy drinking and despair.

Cyril watches as his friend George loses all his vitality. Lettie also finds her wealthy marriage to be cold and unsatisfying. The “white peacock” of the title is a symbol in the story, representing a cold, vain beauty that is disconnected from real life.

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