Charles Dickens

Study question Charles Dickens

Facts about Charles Dickens

➾ As a boy, Charles Dickens was the only member of his immediate family not sent to a debtor’s prison.

➾ Dickens literally worked himself to death, collapsing during physically shattering public reading tours that sped up his demise.

➾ The heroic self-sacrifice in A Tale of Two Cities was inspired by an acting role Dickens himself played on stage.

➾ At the height of his fame, roughly one out of every ten people in Victorian England was an avid reader of his work.

➾ Dickens rehearsed his novels by acting out his characters in a mirror before writing them down.

➾ The traumatic factory job he despised as a child became the single greatest resource for his famous novels.

➾ The personal turmoil of separating from his wife during an affair directly coincided with his writing of the revolutionary classic, A Tale of Two Cities.

➾ A painful rejection by his first love fueled the emotional drama in some of his most famous characters, like David Copperfield.

➾ He often wrote his serialized novels at a breakneck pace, sometimes finishing an installment just days before it was published.

➾ His stories were so popular that even those who couldn’t read knew them, thanks to as many as 20 London theatres performing adaptations at once.

➾ He died so suddenly that his final novel, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, remains an unsolved mystery to this day.

Charles Dickens MCQs

1. When was Charles Dickens born?

A. February 7, 1820
B. December 9, 1812
C. February 7, 1812
D. June 9, 1870

C. February 7, 1812

Dickens was one of the most famous authors of the Victorian era in England.

2. In what English city was Charles Dickens born?

A. London
B. Chatham
C. Coketown
D. Portsmouth

D. Portsmouth

He was born in Portsmouth, a city on the southern coast of England where his father worked for the Navy Pay Office.

3. What was Charles Dickens’s father, John Dickens, employed as?

A. A schoolmaster
B. A clerk for the Naval Pay office
C. A solicitor
D. A factory manager

B. A clerk for the Naval Pay office

His father’s job was respectable, but his inability to manage money caused the family great hardship.

4. Why was Dickens’s father imprisoned when Charles was young?

A. For theft
B. For debt
C. For political treason
D. For libel

B. For debt

His father’s imprisonment for debt was a humiliating experience that deeply affected Dickens’s life and writing.

5. At what age did Dickens first go to work at a blacking warehouse?

A. Ten
B. Twelve
C. Fifteen
D. Sixteen

B. Twelve

This difficult period of child labor gave him a firsthand understanding of poverty and industrial hardship.

6. Which novel recounts Dickens’s experiences with poverty semi-autobiographically?

A. Great Expectations
B. David Copperfield
C. Oliver Twist
D. A Tale of Two Cities

B. David Copperfield

Many events in this novel, especially David’s time working in a factory, are based on Dickens’s own childhood.

7. What major theme grew out of his experiences in the blacking warehouse?

A. Romantic love
B. Historical accuracy
C. Social justice and reform
D. The beauty of nature

C. Social justice and reform

His early experiences with poverty made him a lifelong advocate for social reform in his novels.

8. Who was a major influence on Dickens’s imagination as a young boy?

A. His father, John Dickens
B. His nursemaid, who told him stories
C. Lord Crew
D. Miguel de Cervantes

B. His nursemaid, who told him stories

The scary and vivid stories his nursemaid, Mary Weller, told him had a lasting impact on his imagination.

9. What characteristic of picaresque novels influenced his idea to serialize his works?

A. Their focus on nobility
B. Their use of high prose
C. Their series of loosely linked adventures
D. Their short length

C. Their series of loosely linked adventures

The structure of these adventure stories was well-suited for publishing in separate, exciting monthly installments.

10. How did Dickens launch his career as a journalist with little formal schooling?

A. He inherited money for tuition.
B. He taught himself shorthand.
C. He secured a letter of recommendation.
D. He was taught by his father.

B. He taught himself shorthand.

His skill in shorthand allowed him to work as a reporter, giving him material for his stories and novels.

11. At what age did Dickens get a job as a court reporter?

A. Twelve
B. Fourteen
C. Sixteen
D. Twenty

C. Sixteen

He started his journalism career at a very young age due to his skill and determination.

12. The newspaper A Mirror of Parliament reported on the decisions of which body?

A. The Monarchy
B. The courts
C. Parliament
D. The Royal Society

C. Parliament

His time as a parliamentary reporter gave him a cynical view of politics and government bureaucracy.

13. To aid in his writing, Dickens was known to act out characters using what tool?

A. A stage
B. The mirror
C. A puppet
D. The pen

B. The mirror

He would make faces and speak his characters’ dialogue in a mirror to bring them to life before writing.

14. After becoming disillusioned with politics, Dickens contributed to which type of publication?

A. A scholarly journal
B. A financial newspaper
C. A radical newspaper, the True Sun
D. A children’s magazine

C. A radical newspaper, the True Sun

His disillusionment with mainstream politics led him to contribute to more radical publications.

15. What was Dickens doing professionally until the end of his life, besides writing novels?

A. Acting on stage
B. Editing magazines and continuing journalistic work
C. Practicing law
D. Teaching at a university

B. Editing magazines and continuing journalistic work

Dickens was a respected magazine editor, publishing his own work and that of other writers.

16. How many substantial novels did Charles Dickens complete?

A. Eight
B. Ten
C. Fifteen
D. Twenty

C. Fifteen

He was an incredibly productive writer, completing fifteen major novels in his lifetime.

17. What was the title of the novel Dickens left unfinished?

A. Barnaby Rudge
B. Our Mutual Friend
C. The Mystery of Edwin Drood
D. Bleak House

C. The Mystery of Edwin Drood

He died before completing this mystery novel, and the solution to the central crime remains unknown.

18. Which serialized work gave Dickens his first true success?

A. Oliver Twist
B. The Pickwick Papers
C. A Christmas Carol
D. Great Expectations

B. The Pickwick Papers

The monthly installments of this comic novel were a publishing sensation and made Dickens famous.

19. How many copies of each monthly issue of The Pickwick Papers were sold?

A. Under ten thousand
B. Exactly twenty thousand
C. Over forty thousand
D. Over one hundred thousand

C. Over forty thousand

The immense popularity of the series made Dickens a household name across Britain.

20. What major publishing practice did Dickens make profitable?

A. Writing historical fiction
B. Serialization of novels
C. Using famous illustrators
D. Publishing in hardback

B. Serialization of novels

By publishing his novels in cheap monthly or weekly parts, he made them accessible to a huge audience.

21. In 1836, Dickens married Catherine Hogarth, daughter of whom?

A. A close relative
B. Lord Crew
C. A fellow co-worker at his newspaper
D. His publisher

C. A fellow co-worker at his newspaper

He married the daughter of George Hogarth, the editor of the paper where he worked as a young journalist.

22. How many children did Dickens and Catherine Hogarth have?

A. Three
B. Six
C. Eight
D. Ten

D. Ten

Despite having a large family, his marriage to Catherine was not a happy one and ended in separation.

23. When did Dickens and Catherine Hogarth separate?

A. 1843
B. 1850
C. 1858
D. 1868

C. 1858

Their separation after a long marriage was a major public scandal at the time, especially given his fame.

24. What two early novels followed The Pickwick Papers?

A. Bleak House and Great Expectations
B. Oliver Twist and Nicholas Nickleby
C. A Tale of Two Cities and Barnaby Rudge
D. Hard Times and Little Dorrit

B. Oliver Twist and Nicholas Nickleby

These novels cemented his fame and showed his growing interest in social criticism and memorable characters.

25. Which 1843 work reflects Dickens’s disenchantment with society’s obsession with money?

A. David Copperfield
B. A Christmas Carol
C. Martin Chuzzlewit
D. The Old Curiosity Shop

B. A Christmas Carol

This famous holiday story is a powerful moral tale about greed, poverty, and personal redemption.

26. In which decade did Dickens’s travels abroad begin?

A. The 1820s
B. The 1840s
C. The 1850s
D. The 1860s

B. The 1840s

His travels to America and Italy in the 1840s provided material for travel books and his novels.

27. Which of Dickens’s weekly periodicals published A Tale of Two Cities and Great Expectations?

A. The Daily News
B. The Morning Chronicle
C. Household Words (later All the Year Round)
D. Bentley’s Miscellany

C. Household Words (later All the Year Round)

As an editor, he serialized some of his most famous novels in his own popular magazines.

28. Which book inspired him to write A Tale of Two Cities?

A. Shakespeare’s histories
B. Thomas Carlyle’s The French Revolution
C. Don Quixote
D. Arabian Nights

B. Thomas Carlyle’s The French Revolution

Dickens drew heavily on Carlyle’s vivid historical account for the events and atmosphere of his novel.

29. Dickens was inspired by his role in which play by Wilkie Collins?

A. The Woman in White
B. The Frozen Deep
C. The Moonstone
D. No Name

B. The Frozen Deep

His performance as a man who sacrifices himself for his rival gave him the core idea for *A Tale of Two Cities*.

30. In 1859, A Tale of Two Cities premiered in which new journal?

A. The True Sun
B. A Mirror of Parliament
C. All the Year Round
D. The Daily News

C. All the Year Round

This was the successor to his earlier magazine, *Household Words*, and a major vehicle for his later work.

31. What activity began to exact a great physical toll on Dickens in the 1860s?

A. Running the blacking warehouse
B. Public readings of his works
C. Editing The Daily News
D. Touring Europe

B. Public readings of his works

His dramatic public performances were immensely popular but were also physically and emotionally exhausting.

32. A series of readings in which country sped Dickens’s decline?

A. France
B. America
C. Italy
D. Scotland

B. America

An extensive and grueling reading tour in America left him in poor health from which he never fully recovered.

33. When did Charles Dickens die?

A. February 7, 1812
B. May 1, 1869
C. June 9, 1870
D. December 25, 1870

C. June 9, 1870

He died of a stroke at the age of 58, leaving his final novel, *The Mystery of Edwin Drood*, unfinished.

34. Where was Charles Dickens buried?

A. Poet’s Corner of Westminster Abbey
B. Portsmouth Cathedral
C. Gad’s Hill
D. London’s Royal Cemetery

A. Poet’s Corner of Westminster Abbey

Despite his wish for a private burial, he was given a national honor and interred in the famous London abbey.

35. In terms of fame, Dickens is considered second only to whom among English writers?

A. William Wordsworth
B. Jane Austen
C. William Shakespeare
D. Thomas Carlyle

C. William Shakespeare

His enduring popularity and vast cast of memorable characters place him second only to Shakespeare in English literature.

36. What were two of Dickens’s earlier jobs that provided him with knowledge?

A. Teacher and doctor
B. Law clerk and court reporter
C. Factory worker and soldier
D. Actor and stage manager

B. Law clerk and court reporter

These jobs gave him intimate knowledge of London’s legal world, which he often criticized in his novels.

37. What did Dickens’s writing provide a sympathetic chronicle of?

A. The plight of the aristocracy
B. The plight of the urban poor in nineteenth-century England
C. The history of Parliament
D. The wealth of factory owners

B. The plight of the urban poor in nineteenth-century England

His novels are famous for their vivid and compassionate portrayal of the struggles of the poor in Victorian cities.

38. The influx of urban workers in Dickens’s novels was associated with what?

A. The Age of Enlightenment
B. The Renaissance
C. The Industrial Revolution
D. The Agricultural Revolution

C. The Industrial Revolution

Dickens’s novels capture the massive social changes and urban poverty created by the Industrial Revolution.

39. Who was the actress Dickens fell in love with, leading to his separation?

A. Lucie Manette
B. Ellen Ternan
C. Catherine Hogarth
D. Maria Beadnell

B. Ellen Ternan

His relationship with the young actress Ellen Ternan was a major factor in the breakdown of his marriage.

40. The love triangle in The Frozen Deep became the basis for which novel?

A. Great Expectations
B. David Copperfield
C. A Tale of Two Cities
D. Oliver Twist

C. A Tale of Two Cities

The plot of self-sacrifice for a rival in love was directly inspired by the play he acted in.

41. Which novel was Dickens’s only historical fiction before A Tale of Two Cities?

A. Nicholas Nickleby
B. Barnaby Rudge
C. Dombey and Son
D. Little Dorrit

B. Barnaby Rudge

*Barnaby Rudge*, set during the Gordon Riots of 1780, was his first major attempt at a historical novel.

42. A Tale of Two Cities showed Dickens in transition before writing which two later novels?

A. Sketches by “Boz” and The Pickwick Papers
B. Great Expectations and Our Mutual Friend
C. Oliver Twist and A Christmas Carol
D. Martin Chuzzlewit and Bleak House

B. Great Expectations and Our Mutual Friend

This novel marks a shift towards the more complex and psychologically deep novels of his late career.

43. In which town did Dickens spend his happiest childhood years?

A. London
B. Portsmouth
C. Chatham
D. Dover

C. Chatham

His time in Chatham, before his family’s financial troubles, was a period of relative stability and happiness.

44. Which character in David Copperfield dramatizes his father’s failings?

A. Bill Sikes
B. Mr. Micawber
C. Fagin
D. Sydney Carton

B. Mr. Micawber

The financially troubled but ever-optimistic Mr. Micawber is a famous and affectionate caricature of his own father.

45. Dickens resented his mother for wanting him to stay at work where?

A. At his law clerk job
B. In the blacking warehouse
C. As a court reporter
D. At the Naval Pay office

B. In the blacking warehouse

He never forgave his mother for wanting him to continue working at the factory after his father was released from prison.

46. Dickens’s rejection by Maria Beadnell is reflected in David Copperfield’s adoration of whom?

A. Lucie Manette
B. Dora Spenlow
C. Catherine Hogarth
D. Little Nell

B. Dora Spenlow

David’s youthful and impractical love for the charming but childish Dora mirrors Dickens’s own frustrating early romance.

47. What did Dickens write in 1836, besides novels?

A. Two historical novels
B. Two plays and a pamphlet
C. Two scholarly articles
D. Three short stories

B. Two plays and a pamphlet

In addition to his fiction, Dickens was also active in the theatre and wrote non-fiction on social issues.

48. What type of novel did Dickens attempt with Barnaby Rudge?

A. Comic satire
B. Picaresque novel
C. Historical novel
D. Romance novel

C. Historical novel

This was his first attempt at the genre, preceding the more famous *A Tale of Two Cities*.

49. What innovation did Oliver Twist contribute to English fiction?

A. A focus on purely factual education
B. An occasion for pathos and social criticism
C. A means of elevating the aristocracy
D. A focus on the joys of city life

B. An occasion for pathos and social criticism

*Oliver Twist* was groundbreaking for using the story of a poor orphan to criticize social institutions like the workhouse.

50. Who was the illustrator for Sketches by “Boz” and Oliver Twist?

A. “Phiz” (Hablot K. Browne)
B. George Cruikshank
C. Thomas Carlyle
D. Wilkie Collins

B. George Cruikshank

Cruikshank’s famous illustrations helped create the iconic images of characters like Fagin and the Artful Dodger.

Barnaby Rudge MCQs

1. In what year did the events described in Chapter 1 take place?

A. 1776
B. 1775
C. 1780
D. 1770

B. 1775.

The novel is set in 1775, five years before the Gordon Riots. This date establishes the atmosphere of political tension.

2. What is the name of the house of public entertainment on the borders of Epping Forest?

A. The Royal Standard
B. The Golden Key
C. The Maypole
D. The Red Lion

C. The Maypole.

The Maypole Inn is the central gathering place. It symbolizes old English country life and hospitality.

3. Who is the landlord of the Maypole Inn?

A. Joe Willet
B. Solomon Daisy
C. John Willet
D. Long Parkes

C. John Willet.

John Willet is the obstinate, dull landlord. He represents the stagnation and lack of intellect of the older generation.

4. Which crony of the Maypole was the parish-clerk?

A. Long Parkes
B. Tom Cobb
C. Solomon Daisy
D. Joe Willet

C. Solomon Daisy.

Solomon Daisy is the parish-clerk. His annual retelling of the murder mystery drives the initial plot’s sense of foreboding.

5. What did Solomon Daisy see when he was out that caused him to flee in terror?

A. The Maypole burning
B. The likeness of a murdered man
C. The assassin
D. A ghost

B. The likeness of a murdered man.

Solomon Daisy saw the likeness of a murdered man. This refers to the murder of Reuben Haredale, which haunts the Maypole.

6. What was the large, old, red-brick mansion where Emma Haredale lived called?

A. Chigwell Hall
B. The Warren
C. Epping House
D. Carlisle House

B. The Warren.

The Warren is the Haredale family’s mansion. It is later destroyed during the riots, symbolizing the destruction of aristocracy.

7. What is the name of the locksmith?

A. Sim Tappertit
B. John Willet
C. Gabriel Varden
D. Reuben Rudge

C. Gabriel Varden.

Gabriel Varden is the honest locksmith. He is a key moral figure whose skill with locks contrasts with social breakdown.

8. What was the name of the locksmith’s daughter?

A. Emma
B. Miggs
C. Dolly
D. Martha

C. Dolly.

Dolly Varden is the locksmith’s flirtatious daughter. She becomes a central love interest and a symbol of youthful beauty.

9. What book did Mrs. Varden rely on when she was at odds with her husband?

A. The Bible
B. The Protestant Manual
C. The Thunderer
D. The Pilgrim’s Progress

B. The Protestant Manual.

Mrs. Varden uses The Protestant Manual to oppose her husband. This foreshadows the anti-Catholic Gordon Riots.

10. What food did Mrs. Varden demand when she claimed to be ill from agitation?

A. Strong mixed tea and toast
B. Beef and ham cut thin
C. A and B
D. Nothing but water

C. A and B.

Mrs. Varden’s demand for strong tea and beef highlights her hypocrisy. She uses feigned illness to manipulate her husband.

11. Who was the gentleman who used flattery and maxims delivered in a “charming voice”?

A. Joe Willet
B. Gabriel Varden
C. Mr. Chester
D. Hugh

C. Mr. Chester.

Mr. Chester uses flattery delivered in a charming voice. He is the master manipulator and antagonist of the novel.

12. What was the gentleman asking Joe Willet about that made Joe uncomfortable?

A. The inn’s wine
B. Emma Haredale
C. John Willet’s age
D. The London road

B. Emma Haredale.

The gentleman was questioning Joe about Emma Haredale. This suggests the gentleman, Mr. Chester, has an interest in her affairs.

13. What did Sir John say was a key factor in his choice of Edward’s mother?

A. Her family’s high status
B. Her kind heart
C. Her great wealth
D. Her piety

C. Her great wealth.

Sir John chose Edward’s mother for her great wealth. This reveals his purely mercenary view of marriage and life.

14. Sir John told Mrs. Varden that Edward was bound by duty and honour to do what?

A. Marry someone else
B. Join the army
C. Return to the Maypole
D. Apologise to her

A. Marry someone else.

Sir John sought to break Edward and Emma apart. He falsely claimed Edward had obligations to marry a wealthier woman.

15. Where did the ‘Prentice Knights secretly hold their meetings?

A. A dim, stuffy counting house
B. A cellar/vault below a tavern
C. The Golden Key attic
D. St. Dunstan’s Church

B. A cellar/vault below a tavern.

The ‘Prentice Knights meet here in secret. This reflects the clandestine, radical nature of their political organization.

16. What did Simon Tappertit use as his symbol of authority as captain?

A. A broken sabre
B. A large key
C. A thigh-bone
D. A black flag

C. A thigh-bone.

Simon Tappertit uses a thigh-bone as a symbol. This highlights his absurd, self-important pretensions as captain.

17. What did the apprentice Mark Gilbert wish the society would help him do regarding his master Curzon’s daughter?

A. Marry her at the Fleet
B. Steal her property
C. Fight her father
D. Educate her

A. Marry her at the Fleet.

Mark Gilbert wished to marry her at the Fleet. This shows the society’s focus on personal grievances, not genuine political reform.

18. What task did Tappertit demand Gabriel Varden perform for the rioters at Newgate?

A. Write a letter
B. Pick the lock of the great door
C. Join the society
D. Forgive Sim

B. Pick the lock of the great door.

Tappertit demanded Varden pick the lock of the great door. Varden’s locksmith skill is critical to the riots.

19. What injuries did Sim Tappertit suffer during the riots?

A. Gunshot wounds and crushed legs
B. Severe burns
C. Loss of an arm
D. A beating from Hugh

A. Gunshot wounds and crushed legs.

Tappertit suffered gunshot wounds and crushed legs. This effectively ends his foolish, criminal career.

20. Sir John Chester told Mrs. Varden that Edward was bound by duty and honour to do what?

A. Marry someone else
B. Join the army
C. Return to the Maypole
D. Apologise to her

A. Marry someone else.

Sir John sought to break Edward and Emma apart. He falsely claimed Edward had obligations to marry a wealthier woman.

21. What did Sir John compare his relationship with Edward’s mother to?

A. A great passion
B. A simple exchange of objects
C. A financial transaction
D. A holy union

C. A financial transaction.

Sir John compared his marriage to a financial transaction. This reveals his cynical, purely mercenary approach to relationships.

22. What did Barnaby imitate fiercely, when describing the murder to Varden?

A. The thrust of a sword (“Steel, steel, steel!”)
B. The shout of a robber
C. A horse’s cry
D. A bell ringing

A. The thrust of a sword (“Steel, steel, steel!”).

Barnaby imitates the thrust of a sword. This shows how the original murder is imprinted on his weakened mind and memory.

23. What kind of animal was Grip?

A. A parrot
B. A magpie
C. A raven
D. A dog

C. A raven.

Grip is Barnaby’s raven. The bird’s grotesque phrases and commentary provide comic relief and dark foreshadowing.

24. What mark did Barnaby clasp when he felt a physical manifestation of fear about the murder?

A. The sign of a cross
B. The mark upon his wrist
C. His mother’s hand
D. His throat

B. The mark upon his wrist.

Barnaby clasped the mark upon his wrist. This physical sign shows his congenital weakness and fear of the murder’s shadow.

25. What had the widow been an example of, according to Mr Haredale?

A. Piety and devotion
B. Patience and fortitude
C. Wealth and honour
D. Silence and respect

B. Patience and fortitude.

The widow, Mrs. Rudge, showed immense patience and fortitude. She bore the secret of the murder and her son’s condition alone.

26. What was the “one particular” that Haredale said gave him great pain concerning the widow?

A. Her poverty
B. Her inability to move on
C. That she associated him and Emma with the author of their joint misfortunes
D. Her lack of forgiveness

C. That she associated him and Emma with the author of their joint misfortunes.

The widow’s avoidance gave Haredale pain. She associated him and Emma with the scene of her terrible tragedy.

27. What did the man in the hackney-coach give Barnaby?

A. Money
B. A blue cockade
C. A letter
D. A horse

B. A blue cockade.

Barnaby received a blue cockade. This item symbolizes his unwitting involvement and enthusiasm for the riots.

28. Barnaby was sentenced to death for being involved in what riotous activity?

A. Destroying chapels
B. Attacking the Maypole
C. Breaking into Newgate
D. Leading the crowd

C. Breaking into Newgate.

Barnaby was sentenced to death for breaking into Newgate. His low intellect made him an easy target for conviction.

29. Barnaby was ultimately spared his fate due to whom?

A. Lord George Gordon
B. The locksmith and Mr Haredale
C. His mother
D. The hangman

B. The locksmith and Mr Haredale.

Barnaby was spared due to the locksmith and Mr. Haredale. This shows that humanity and loyalty overcome chaos.

30. What was the reward offered for the apprehension of those involved in demolishing chapels?

A. £50
B. £100
C. £500
D. £1,000

C. £500.

The large reward of £500 was offered. This reflects the government’s high anxiety over the scale of the destruction.

31. Who did Hugh (the centaur) receive his orders and advice from?

A. Geoffrey Haredale
B. Lord George Gordon
C. Sir John Chester
D. John Willet

C. Sir John Chester.

Hugh received orders and advice from Sir John Chester. The polished villain manipulated the wild Hugh into action.

32. How old was Hugh when his mother was hanged?

A. Six
B. Ten
C. Sixteen
D. Twenty-two

A. Six.

Hugh was six years old when his mother was executed at Tyburn. This reveals Hugh’s tragic, neglected past.

33. What was the profession of the man who joined Hugh and Tappertit in the riots?

A. A footpad
B. An executioner (hangman)
C. A bailiff
D. A farrier

B. An executioner (hangman).

Dennis, the hangman, joined the riots. This grotesque figure highlights the perverse, destructive nature of the mob.

34. What did Dennis admire about Hugh, wishing he could apply his “professional emoluments” to it?

A. His strong arms
B. His throat/neck
C. His fighting spirit
D. His hatred of Papists

B. His throat/neck.

Dennis admired Hugh’s neck. This is a dark joke reflecting Dennis’s profession and Hugh’s eventual fate.

35. Hugh’s final speech, before his own death, expressed faith that which life would be spared?

A. His own
B. Dennis’s
C. Barnaby’s
D. Rudge’s

C. Barnaby’s.

Hugh’s final speech expressed faith that Barnaby’s life would be spared. This shows his final act of compassion.

36. What was the fate of Dennis the hangman?

A. He escaped
B. He was pardoned
C. He was hanged
D. He was transported

C. He was hanged.

Dennis the hangman was eventually hanged. This poetic justice shows the revolution ultimately consumed its own agents.

37. What colour distinguished the cockades worn by the Protestant Association?

A. Black
B. Red
C. Blue
D. White

C. Blue.

The cockades worn by the association were blue. This color became the primary symbol of the Protestant rioters.

38. What did the assembled multitude at St George’s Fields sing?

A. War songs
B. Hymns or psalms
C. Drinking songs
D. Ballads

B. Hymns or psalms.

The assembled multitude sang hymns or psalms. This contrasts their pious action with their subsequent violent acts.

39. What did the rioters take from Lord Mansfield’s house to parade with a horrible merriment?

A. The judge’s robes
B. His dinner-bell
C. His plate and jewels
D. His manuscripts

B. His dinner-bell.

The rioters took his dinner-bell. This farcical act of destruction highlights the pointless chaos of the mob.

40. Who was the secretary to Lord George Gordon?

A. John Grueby
B. Mr. Haredale
C. Mr. Gashford
D. Sir John Chester

C. Mr. Gashford.

Mr. Gashford was Lord George Gordon’s secretary. He was a manipulative, self-serving figure who fueled the riots.

41. What did Rudge’s wife say the crime (murder) had put its curse on?

A. The money
B. Their son, before his birth
C. Her father
D. Her religion

B. Their son, before his birth.

Rudge’s wife claimed the crime cursed their son before his birth. This links the father’s sin directly to the son’s affliction.

42. Who was revealed to be Rudge, the murderer, living in Newgate?

A. The blind man
B. Barnaby’s father
C. Sir John Chester
D. The turnkey

B. Barnaby’s father.

Barnaby’s father was revealed to be the murderer Rudge. He had been posing as the older Haredale’s assassin.

43. Who was the man who assisted Haredale in seizing Rudge the murderer?

A. Joe Willet
B. The post-boy of the village
C. The sexton
D. Barnaby

B. The post-boy of the village.

The post-boy of the village assisted Haredale. This shows a moment of simple bravery from a minor character.

44. Who was the most astonished person when Dolly was kidnapped?

A. Simon Tappertit
B. Emma Haredale
C. Poor little Dolly
D. Hugh

C. Poor little Dolly.

Dolly was astonished by her own kidnapping. This highlights the confusing and sudden nature of the riots.

45. What was the fate of Hugh’s mother?

A. Transported
B. Executed at Tyburn
C. Died in prison
D. Lived with her group

B. Executed at Tyburn.

Hugh’s mother was executed at Tyburn. This reveals Hugh’s tragic, neglected past and his resentment of society.

46. Who was the most important person the locksmith and Haredale gained access to, to save Barnaby?

A. The judge
B. The clergyman
C. The King himself (ante-chamber)
D. Lord George Gordon

C. The King himself (ante-chamber).

The locksmith and Haredale gained access to the King. This direct appeal to the monarchy saved Barnaby’s life.

47. What was Joe Willet’s injury sustained in the wars?

A. He lost his arm
B. He lost his leg
C. He lost his eyesight
D. He lost his hearing

A. He lost his arm.

Joe Willet lost his arm in the wars. His disability contrasts his former youth and makes him an honest, humble hero.

48. What did Joe declare was a “brave and glorious action” that Edward had performed?

A. Escaping London
B. Striking a fellow (Hugh) off his horse
C. Breaking the distillery door
D. Kissing Dolly

B. Striking a fellow (Hugh) off his horse.

Joe declared this was a glorious action. He honored Edward’s bravery despite losing his own arm in battle.

49. Who did Edward Chester marry?

A. Dolly Varden
B. Miss Miggs
C. Emma Haredale
D. Miss Wackles

C. Emma Haredale.

Edward Chester married Emma Haredale. Their marriage symbolizes reconciliation and the triumph of sincere feeling over social barriers.

50. After the riots, what did Gabriel Varden propose the crowd should cheer for as a closing ceremony?

A. King George, Old England, and nothing particular
B. The Locksmith, Dolly, and Joe
C. The military, the clergy, and the crown
D. No Popery

A. King George, Old England, and nothing particular.

Varden proposed this toast as a non-sectarian conclusion to the riots. It represents his simple desire for peace and order.