Tom Jones MCQs

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Author: Nasir Iqbal | Assistant Professor of English Literature


Updated on: November 9, 2025
Estimated Reading Time: 16 min

Tom Jones MCQs

1. The author compares himself to a keeper of what?

A. Public ordinary
B. Private dinner
C. Scholarly feast
D. Literary treat

A. Public ordinary.
The author aims to please all readers, welcoming anyone who pays for the offered entertainment.

2. What is the novel’s main provision or subject matter?

A. High society
B. English history
C. Human nature
D. Witty critique

C. Human nature.
The author states that Human Nature, in its vast variety, is the single main article provided to the reader.

3. Where does the excellence of mental entertainment lie?

A. Subject matter
B. Author’s skill
C. Learned words
D. Reader’s wit

B. Author’s skill.
Just as cookery enhances food, the author’s skill in dressing up the subject is key to enjoyment.

4. What is the core principle of great literary art?

A. Mixing fiction
B. Perfect structure
C. Nature well-drest
D. Moral instruction

C. Nature well-drest.
True wit involves presenting common nature advantageously, expressing thoughts clearly and freshly.
5. The initial chapters of each book are introduced to achieve what contrast?

A. Day and night
B. Serious and light
C. Virtue and vice
D. Town and country

B. Serious and light.
These essays serve as scenes of serious material, offsetting and contrasting the ensuing historical narrative.

6. In what county does Mr Allworthy live?

A. Devonshire
B. Somersetshire
C. Bristol
D. Hampshire

B. Somersetshire.
Mr Allworthy lived in the western division of the kingdom, commonly referred to as Somersetshire.

7. Which character first reacts with horror to the foundling?

A. Mr Allworthy
B. Miss Bridget
C. Mrs Deborah
D. Black George

C. Mrs Deborah.
Mrs Deborah Wilkins expressed great horror and suggested punishing the unknown mother immediately upon seeing the infant.

8. What was Mrs Deborah’s advice for disposing of the infant?

A. Commit to Bridewell
B. Send to churchwarden
C. Find a wet-nurse
D. Give to the parish

B. Send to churchwarden.
Mrs Deborah suggested placing the child in a basket and leaving it at the churchwarden’s door.

9. What was Miss Bridget’s unexpected reaction to the infant?

A. Showed disgust
B. Commended charity
C. Voted for banishment
D. Remained silent

B. Commended charity.
Despite her severity, Miss Bridget showed unexpected compassion and praised her brother’s kind action.
10. Where did Miss Bridget and Mrs Deborah eavesdrop?

A. Pantry window
B. Hall doorway
C. Brother’s study
D. Behind the wall

C. Brother’s study.
They listened to Mr Allworthy interviewing Jenny Jones through a keyhole in the study door.

11. Who was Jenny Jones’s employer and instructor?

A. Dr Blifil
B. Squire Western
C. Mr Partridge
D. Mr Allworthy

C. Mr Partridge.
Jenny Jones had been a servant to a schoolmaster named Partridge, who taught her Latin.

12. What was Jenny Jones instructed in during her service?

A. Greek history
B. Moral theology
C. Latin language
D. English divinity

C. Latin language.
Jenny Jones acquired sufficient skill in Latin while serving the schoolmaster, improving her understanding.

13. Why did Jenny refuse to name the child’s father to Mr Allworthy?

A. Fear of punishment
B. Religious vows
C. Protecting his fame
D. Lack of memory

B. Religious vows.
Jenny claimed she was bound by solemn ties, engagements of honour, and religious vows to conceal the name.

14. Who was Dr Blifil’s brother?

A. Captain Blifil
B. Tom Jones
C. Mr Square
D. Mr Thwackum

A. Captain Blifil.
The Doctor ruminated on marrying Miss Bridget before deciding to propose his half-pay officer brother.
15. How did Captain Blifil behave towards Miss Bridget in public?

A. Utmost indifference
B. Reserved distance
C. Great affection
D. Open courting

B. Reserved distance.
The captain maintained a great distance in public while privately succeeding with Miss Bridget during their courtship.

16. What financial advantage did Mr Allworthy provide Partridge?

A. Large mansion
B. Weekly stipend
C. Annuity of ten pounds
D. Lifetime job

C. Annuity of ten pounds.
Mr Allworthy provided the pòor schoolmaster, Partridge, with an annual annuity of ten pounds.

17. What term did the author use to describe Partridge’s teaching profession?

A. Learned seminary
B. Difficult burden
C. Necessary learning
D. Best commendations

C. Necessary learning.
The author notes that learning must be allowed as necessary for the schoolmaster’s profession.

18. Which tutor believed honour existed only dependent on religion?

A. Mr Allworthy
B. Mr Square
C. Mr Thwackum
D. Dr Blifil

C. Mr Thwackum.
Thwackum posed the triumphant question: “Can any honour exist independent on religion?”.

19. Which tutor followed the ‘rule of right and the eternal fitness of things’?

A. Mr Western
B. Mr Square
C. Mr Thwackum
D. Captain Blifil

B. Mr Square.
Square congratulates Allworthy because Tom speaks highly of the rule of right and eternal fitness.
20. Why did Allworthy start showing compassion for Master Blifil?

A. Blifil showed virtue
B. Tom showed faults
C. Mother detested him
D. Tutors spoke highly

C. Mother detested him.
Allworthy looked with compassion on Master Blifil because his own mother absolutely detested him.

21. Who is described as the “heroine of this work”?

A. Miss Bridget
B. Mrs Miller
C. Molly Seagrim
D. Sophia Western

D. Sophia Western.
Sophia is introduced as the intended heroine whom the author is greatly in love with.

22. What object did Tom risk injury to save for Sophia?

A. A small locket
B. Her lady’s muff
C. Little singing bird
D. A runaway dog

C. Little singing bird.
Tom broke his arm retrieving a little bird that had escaped from Sophia into a canal.

23. Which character felt the effects of Tom’s action and began to feel “kindness” for him?

A. Miss Bridget
B. Mrs Honour
C. Molly Seagrim
D. Sophia

D. Sophia.
The incident with the bird caused Sophia to begin feeling a little kindness for Tom Jones.

24. Who was Molly Seagrim?

A. Sophia’s maid
B. Black George’s daughter
C. The parish orphan
D. A travelling fiddler

B. Black George’s daughter.
Molly Seagrim, described as handsome, was the daughter of Black George, the gamekeeper.
25. What was the occasion of the “battle in the churchyard”?

A. Tom’s injury
B. Molly’s dress
C. Missing money
D. Sophia’s flight

B. Molly’s dress.
The strange dress (a gown from Sophia) Molly wore caused an uproar and a fight among the Somersetshire mob.

26. What does Mrs Honour claim happened to Sophia’s muff?

A. Jones stole it
B. It caught fire
C. Jones kissed it
D. She threw it out

C. Jones kissed it.
Honour confessed that Jones put his hands in the muff, called it pretty, and kissed it repeatedly.

27. What happened when Sophia recovered the muff from the fire?

A. She sighed
B. Jones confessed love
C. Jones felt a violent effect
D. Squire apologised

C. Jones felt a violent effect.
Though seemingly minor, the incident of Sophia rescuing the muff had a violent effect on pòor Jones.

28. Why did Jones feel compassion, not contempt, for Molly after finding Square?

A. She forgave him
B. He corrupted her
C. She was still pretty
D. He was injured

B. He corrupted her.
Jones was shocked because he felt he had originally corrupted her innocence, leading to her vices.

29. How did the author explain Sophia’s greater penetration than her father’s?

A. Female intuition
B. Superior education
C. She thought of love
D. Her great wisdom

C. She thought of love.
Sophia recognised love symptoms in Jones because the idea of love was always in her head, unlike her father.
30. What was Sophia’s greatest concern regarding disobedience to her father?

A. Her own ruin
B. Father’s misery
C. Lack of fortune
D. Blifil’s anger

B. Father’s misery.
When resisting the marriage, Sophia stated that her own ruin was her least concern, fearing her father’s unhappiness.

31. What sum of money was contained in the paper Allworthy gave Jones?

A. Ten guineas
B. Fifty pounds
C. Five hundred pounds
D. A thousand pounds

C. Five hundred pounds.
Although the neighbourhood claimed Jones was sent away penniless, the paper contained five hundred pounds.

32. What kind of tyrant does the author say he is not like towards his readers?

A. Jure divino
B. Benevolent
C. Critical
D. Royal

A. Jure divino.
The author states he is set over his readers for their good, unlike a jure divino tyrant.

33. What item did Jones find on his travels belonging to Sophia?

A. Gilt pocket-book
B. A silk handkerchief
C. A black spaniel
D. A written letter

A. Gilt pocket-book.
Jones found a little gilt pocket-book, which contained a bank-bill and Sophia Western’s name.

34. How did Jones obtain the pocket-book from the finder?

A. Gave him a guinea
B. Threatened him
C. Called the constable
D. Stole it back

A. Gave him a guinea.
Jones immediately gave the pòor, làme man who found the book a guinea for the valuable item.
35. Who was the gentleman Jones rescued from robbers?

A. Mr Western
B. Man of the Hill
C. Captain Waters
D. Parson Supple

B. Man of the Hill.
Jones, with a broad sword, defended the old gentleman who lived in solitude in a cottage on the hill.

36. Who was revealed to be the true father of Molly Seagrim’s child?

A. Tom Jones
B. Black George
C. Will Barnes
D. Parson Supple

C. Will Barnes.
Betty, Molly’s sister, eventually cured Jones of his anxiety by revealing that Will Barnes was the real father.

37. What was Partridge’s profession when Jones met him travelling?

A. Justice of the peace
B. Travelling fiddler
C. Barber-surgeon
D. Schoolmaster

C. Barber-surgeon.
Partridge, who was formerly a schoolmaster, introduced himself to Jones as a barber and surgeon (Mr Benjamin).

38. What political opinion did Partridge hold, initially alarming Jones?

A. Supported King George
B. Supported the rebellion
C. Supported neutrality
D. Ignored politics

B. Supported the rebellion.
Partridge believed Jones was joining the Jacobite rebellion, fearing the prophecies of blood.

39. What caused Mr Western and his sister to quarrel repeatedly?

A. Sophia’s beauty
B. Their politics
C. Land management
D. Financial matters

B. Their politics.
They often argued over political topics, with Mrs Western viewing her brother’s views as ignorant.
40. What literary works did Mrs Fitzpatrick read during her solitude?

A. Dryden’s Plays
B. Latin classics
C. Modern novels
D. Sermons only

A. Dryden’s Plays.
She listed various readings, including Dryden’s Plays, Plutarch’s Lives, and Locke’s Human Understanding.

41. Where did Mrs Fitzpatrick first encounter Sophia in London?

A. At an inn
B. At the opera
C. Lady Bellaston’s
D. On the road

D. On the road.
The cousins met unexpectedly on the road while Sophia was making her escape from home.

42. What was Mrs Miller’s cousin Anderson’s husband revealed to be?

A. A wealthy merchant
B. A captain
C. A highwayman
D. An exiled lord

C. A highwayman.
Mrs Miller confessed that her cousin’s husband, Anderson, had been driven to robbery by distress.

43. What scheme did Nightingale suggest to Jones to break up with Lady Bellaston?

A. Writing a note
B. Feigning illness
C. Proposing marriage
D. Leaving the country

C. Proposing marriage.
Nightingale suggested that proposing marriage would immediately cause Lady Bellaston to reject Jones.

44. Who provided the crucial information regarding the duel’s false representation?

A. Mr Nightingale
B. Mrs Waters
C. Partridge
D. Lady Bellaston

B. Mrs Waters.
Mrs Waters, the former Mrs Waters who was travelling with Jones, reported that Fitzpatrick was not in danger.
45. What was the astonishing final revelation about Tom Jones’s mother?

A. Miss Bridget Allworthy
B. Jenny Jones
C. Mrs Waters
D. Widow Hunt

A. Miss Bridget Allworthy.
Dowling revealed that Miss Bridget confessed on her deathbed that Jones was her son.

46. Who was Tom Jones’s actual father?

A. Captain Blifil
B. Mr Summer
C. Mr Western
D. Mr Allworthy

B. Mr Summer.
Mrs Waters confirmed that Mr Summer, educated by Allworthy, was the true father of the foundling.

47. What shocking deed was Blifil proven guilty of regarding Tom?

A. Attempted murder
B. Stealing the money
C. Concealing a letter
D. Forging a will

C. Concealing a letter.
Blifil intercepted and concealed Miss Bridget’s dying confession naming Tom as her son.

48. Who was banished by Allworthy at the end of the history?

A. Partridge
B. Black George
C. Mr Dowling
D. Mr Blifil

D. Mr Blifil.
Blifil was banished by Allworthy and settled on an income in one of the northern counties.

49. What does Western initially promise Tom when he learns he is Allworthy’s nephew?

A. He shall marry Sophia
B. He shall have his estate
C. He can visit freely
D. He will forgive him

A. He shall marry Sophia.
Western immediately shifted allegiance and became eager for Jones to marry Sophia.
50. What length of trial period did Sophia request for Jones’s constancy?

A. A few days
B. Six months
C. A twelvemonth
D. No trial

C. A twelvemonth.
Sophia insisted that time alone could prove his sincerity, suggesting a trial of a twelvemonth.

Brief Overview

The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, commonly known as Tom Jones, is a comic novel by the English author and judge Henry Fielding. It was published in 1749. The novel is a sprawling picaresque that details the misadventures, virtues, and eventual good fortune of the titular foundling.

The novel begins when Mr. Allworthy, a wealthy, good gentleman in Somersetshire, discovers a baby boy named Tom Jones in his bed. Mr. Allworthy decides to raise Tom, and many assume Tom is Mr. Allworthy’s illegitimate son. A servant, Jenny Jones, confesses to being the mother and is sent away.

Tom grows up alongside Mr. Allworthy’s nephew, Master Blifil. Tom is kind and generous, even saving a gamekeeper named Black George from punishment. Blifil, however, is secretly malicious and hypocritical.

Tom falls deeply in love with the beautiful and virtuous Sophia Western, the daughter of Squire Western, a rich, loud man obsessed with hunting. Sophia returns Tom’s love, but she must keep it secret from her family.

Mr. Allworthy becomes angry with Tom’s behavior and his romantic interest in Sophia. He sends Tom away with a small amount of money. Tom then travels and has many dramatic adventures. Sophia runs away to London to avoid being forced to marry the villainous Mr. Blifil. Tom follows her.

Tom later discovers the truth: he is actually Mr. Allworthy’s nephew, and Blifil is the true villain in the family. Allworthy forgives Tom and names him his heir. Tom and Sophia finally reconcile, and they marry. Blifil is banished but is allowed a small income for life.

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