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.

Hard Times MCQs

1. What is the “one thing needful” Mr. Gradgrind demands in education?

A. Imagination
B. Facts
C. Creativity
D. Emotional intelligence

B. Facts.

Mr. Gradgrind demands only facts in education. He believes facts are necessary and sufficient for life.

2. How is Mr. Gradgrind’s appearance described?

A. A round face and soft voice
B. A square forefinger, square forehead, and hard-set mouth
C. Long, flowing hair and gentle eyes
D. A frail body and quiet demeanor

B. A square forefinger, square forehead, and hard-set mouth.

Gradgrind’s square appearance reflects his rigid philosophy. It shows his devotion to factual measurement.

3. What analogy describes the children ready to receive facts?

A. Empty canvases waiting for paint
B. Little vessels ready for facts to be poured into them
C. Wild animals needing taming
D. Delicate flowers needing gentle care

B. Little vessels ready for facts to be poured into them.

Children are viewed as empty vessels ready to be filled. This mechanical analogy represents the lack of imagination in the system.

4. How does Mr. Gradgrind mentally introduce himself?

A. A man of art and sentiment
B. A man of realities, facts, and calculations
C. A man of great generosity
D. A man of boundless curiosity

B. A man of realities, facts, and calculations.

Gradgrind defines himself by “realities, facts, and calculations.” This summarizes his utilitarian and practical belief system.

5. What is Mr. Gradgrind compared to when ready to fill children with facts?

A. A gentle spring shower
B. A cannon loaded with facts, ready to blow them out of childhood
C. A beacon of hope
D. A quiet scholar

B. A cannon loaded with facts, ready to blow them out of childhood.

His education style is forceful and destructive. It threatens to destroy the children’s imaginative minds.

6. What name does Mr. Gradgrind insist “Girl number twenty” use instead of Sissy?

A. Sarah
B. Cecilia
C. Clara
D. Susan

B. Cecilia.

Gradgrind insists on “Cecilia” to formalize Sissy. This attempts to remove any sentimental associations with her nickname.

7. What is Sissy Jupe’s father’s objectionable occupation?

A. A factory worker
B. A horse-riding performer
C. A schoolmaster
D. A doctor

B. A horse-riding performer.

Sissy’s father is a horse-riding performer in the circus. His job represents the world of Fancy, opposite of Fact.

8. Who does Mr. Gradgrind call upon to define a horse when Sissy cannot?

A. Thomas Gradgrind Jr.
B. Louisa Gradgrind
C. Bitzer
D. Mr. M’Choakumchild

C. Bitzer.

Bitzer, the model student, defines the horse perfectly. His factual knowledge contrasts sharply with Sissy’s lack of fact.

9. What is Bitzer’s precise definition of a horse?

A. A common beast of burden.
B. Quadruped, Graminivorous, forty teeth…
C. An animal used for transportation.
D. A large mammal with a mane and tail.

B. Quadruped, Graminivorous, forty teeth….

Bitzer’s technical definition is cold and exact. It highlights the mechanical, lifeless nature of fact-based learning.

10. How is Bitzer’s appearance described in contrast to Sissy Jupe’s?

A. Dark-eyed and dark-haired, with radiant color.
B. Light-eyed and light-haired, appearing to bleed white if cut.
C. Robust and healthy.
D. Cheerful and full of life.

B. Light-eyed and light-haired, appearing to bleed white if cut.

Bitzer’s colorless appearance reflects his lack of imagination. He is symbolically drained of life by the factual system.

11. According to the gentleman, what is “Taste” another name for?

A. Imagination
B. Fancy
C. Fact
D. Sentiment

C. Fact.

The gentleman insists that “Taste” must be called “Fact.” This illustrates the systematic destruction of all aesthetic concepts.

12. What word does the gentleman insist must be discarded and replaced by “Fact”?

A. Reality
B. Truth
C. Fancy
D. Knowledge

C. Fancy.

The word “Fancy” is banned and replaced by “Fact.” This is the central tenet of Gradgrind’s educational philosophy.

13. Mr. M’Choakumchild and other schoolmasters are described as being turned out like so many what?

A. Soldiers
B. Pianoforte legs
C. Books
D. Machines

B. Pianoforte legs.

Schoolmasters are compared to pianoforte legs. This suggests they are uniform, machine-made, and devoid of individual character.

14. What subjects are listed as being at the ends of Mr. M’Choakumchild’s fingers?

A. Poetry and literature
B. Orthography, etymology, syntax, prosody, and many others.
C. Fine arts and philosophy
D. Emotional development and moral reasoning

B. Orthography, etymology, syntax, prosody, and many others.

This list highlights the excessive, meaningless technical education provided. It shows the school focuses on dry data over wisdom.

15. What is the schoolroom described as, reflecting Mr. Gradgrind’s philosophy?

A. A vibrant learning environment
B. A plain, bare, monotonous vault
C. A place of creative exploration
D. A warm and welcoming space

B. A plain, bare, monotonous vault.

The schoolroom is described as a bare, monotonous vault. This mirrors the dull, stifling effect of the educational system.

16. How many young Gradgrinds are there?

A. Three
B. Four
C. Five
D. Six

C. Five.

There are five Gradgrind children. They are all raised according to the rigid, emotionless philosophy of their father.

17. What is the name of Mr. Gradgrind’s matter-of-fact home?

A. Fact House
B. Coketown Villa
C. Stone Lodge
D. Grand Grinding Hall

C. Stone Lodge.

Gradgrind’s home is called Stone Lodge. The name reflects the cold, hard, fact-based nature of the family’s environment.

18. What sound invaded Mr. Gradgrind’s ears on the outskirts of town?

A. The quiet hum of machinery
B. Music from Sleary’s Horse-riding
C. The lamentations of the poor
D. The rustling of leaves

B. Music from Sleary’s Horse-riding.

The music is from Sleary’s circus, the world of Fancy. It is an unwelcome intrusion into Gradgrind’s world of Fact.

19. What shocking sight stopped Mr. Gradgrind at the circus booth?

A. His children, Louisa and Thomas, peeping at the circus
B. Mr. Bounderby engaged in idleness
C. Sissy Jupe running away
D. A group of workers on strike

A. His children, Louisa and Thomas, peeping at the circus.

Gradgrind finds his own children secretly looking at the circus. This reveals the failure of his system to suppress Fancy.

20. What emotion does Louisa express when questioned by her father?

A. Excitement and joy
B. Jaded sullenness, with a starved imagination
C. Deep remorse and fear
D. Eagerness to please her father

B. Jaded sullenness, with a starved imagination.

Louisa expresses jaded sullenness. Her emotional damage is a direct result of her education.

21. What name does Mr. Gradgrind repeatedly invoke in his indignation?

A. Mr. M’Choakumchild
B. Mr. Bounderby
C. Mr. Sleary
D. Mr. Harthouse

B. Mr. Bounderby.

Mr. Gradgrind invokes Mr. Bounderby’s name. Bounderby is his philosophical ally and the primary enforcer of the Fact system.

22. How is Mr. Bounderby described in relation to Mr. Gradgrind?

A. His philosophical adversary
B. As near being his bosom friend as a man devoid of sentiment can be
C. His distant relative
D. His business rival

B. As near being his bosom friend as a man devoid of sentiment can be.

Bounderby is Gradgrind’s closest friend. Their relationship is based on shared philosophical alignment, not true emotion.

23. What is Mr. Bounderby’s boast about his mother?

A. She was a saintly woman.
B. She was highly educated.
C. She “bolted” and left him.
D. She was a factory worker.

C. She “bolted” and left him.

Bounderby falsely claims his mother “bolted” and left him. This forms the basis of his self-made myth of poverty.

24. How did Josiah Bounderby learn his letters and tell time?

A. From district schools and model schools.
B. From shop signs and a church clock, under a drunken cripple.
C. From private tutors.
D. From his mother.

B. From shop signs and a church clock, under a drunken cripple.

Bounderby fabricates this impoverished origin story. It is the basis for his boastfulness and public persona.

25. What does Mr. Bounderby claim the “Hands” of Coketown want?

A. Plain bread and water
B. Turtle soup and venison with a gold spoon
C. Simple, wholesome food
D. Whatever the cheapest market offers

B. Turtle soup and venison with a gold spoon.

Bounderby claims the workers want absurd luxuries. This is his false justification for denying them basic rights and empathy.

26. What does Louisa do after Mr. Bounderby kisses her?

A. She happily accepts it.
B. She rubs her cheek until it was burning red.
C. She tells him off angrily.
D. She laughs in amusement.

B. She rubs her cheek until it was burning red.

Louisa rubs her cheek until it burns. This reflects her deep physical revulsion toward Bounderby.

27. What are the key features of Coketown’s appearance?

A. Bright, colorful buildings and clean rivers.
B. Unnatural red brick, smoke serpents, and a purple, ill-smelling river.
C. Green parks and wide, open spaces.
D. Historical architecture and quaint streets.

B. Unnatural red brick, smoke serpents, and a purple, ill-smelling river.

Coketown’s harsh description highlights the environmental misery. It shows the negative effects of unchecked industrialism.

28. How are the inhabitants of Coketown described?

A. Diverse and individualistic.
B. Equally like one another, doing the same work every day.
C. Constantly striving for uniqueness.
D. Separated by vast social differences.

B. Equally like one another, doing the same work every day.

The inhabitants’ uniformity reflects the dehumanizing effect. It shows how industrial work removes individuality.

29. What fundamental principle governs everything in Coketown?

A. Imagination
B. Fact
C. Morality
D. Sentiment

B. Fact.

The principle of Fact governs Coketown. This reflects the utilitarian and industrial philosophy of the town’s ruling class.

30. What did tabular statements show about the Coketown people?

A. They were always working.
B. They got drunk and, when not, they took opium.
C. They were highly moral and industrious.
D. They were easily satisfied with their lives.

B. They got drunk and, when not, they took opium.

Tabular statements show that workers resort to drink and opium. This is their escape from the grinding monotony of Fact.

31. How were the Coketown people perceived by Gradgrind and Bounderby?

A. As grateful and content.
B. As a bad lot, restless, unthankful, and unmanageable.
C. As highly reasonable and self-sufficient.
D. As ambitious and striving for improvement.

B. As a bad lot, restless, unthankful, and unmanageable.

Gradgrind and Bounderby view the poor as restless and unmanageable. This shows the masters’ complete lack of empathy for the workers’ suffering.

32. What does Sissy carry in a bottle for her father?

A. Water
B. Wine
C. The nine oils
D. Medicine

C. The nine oils.

Sissy carries “the nine oils” for her father. This traditional remedy contrasts sharply with the cold medical facts of the Gradgrind world.

33. What is the name of the public-house where Sissy’s father lives?

A. The Three Jolly Bargemen
B. The Pegasus’s Arms
C. The Green Dragon
D. The Golden Lion

B. The Pegasus’s Arms.

Sissy’s father lives at the Pegasus’s Arms public-house. The winged horse emblem contrasts with Bounderby’s industrial world.

34. What does Mr. Childers reveal about Sissy’s father?

A. He has found a new job.
B. He has been “goosed” and has deserted his daughter.
C. He is ill and unable to perform.
D. He has gone to London for a new act.

B. He has been “goosed” and has deserted his daughter.

Childers reveals Jupe deserted Sissy. He left to spare her the sight of his final failure as a performer.

35. What cut Signor Jupe deeper than his failures?

A. The public’s disapproval.
B. Knowing his daughter knew of his failures.
C. The loss of his dog.
D. The financial hardship.

B. Knowing his daughter knew of his failures.

Jupe deserted Sissy because he could not bear her knowing he was a complete failure. His pride was too wounded.

36. What proposal does Mr. Gradgrind make to Sissy?

A. To offer her a place in the circus.
B. To educate her, on condition she breaks ties with circus friends.
C. To send her to a workhouse.
D. To find her father.

B. To educate her, on condition she breaks ties with circus friends.

Gradgrind offers to educate Sissy on one condition. She must break all ties with her circus family and friends.

37. What is Mrs. Sparsit’s social standing?

A. She is of humble origins.
B. She is highly connected, with a great aunt Lady Scadgers.
C. She is a self-made woman.
D. She is a former factory worker.

B. She is highly connected, with a great aunt Lady Scadgers.

Mrs. Sparsit is an aristocratic widow with high connections. Her past contrasts sharply with Bounderby’s claimed humble origins.

38. What does Mrs. Sparsit’s “Coriolanian nose” suggest?

A. Timidity and shyness
B. Seriousness, sternness, and judgment
C. Gaiety and humor
D. Weakness and indecision

B. Seriousness, sternness, and judgment.

Her Coriolanian nose suggests sternness, judgment, and high social pride. It reflects her constant disapproval of Bounderby’s character.

39. What does Mr. Gradgrind tell Louisa when he overheard her say “I wonder”?

A. “That’s a good question.”
B. “Louisa, never wonder!”
C. “Wonder is the beginning of knowledge.”
D. “Tell me what you wonder about.”

B. “Louisa, never wonder!”.

Gradgrind overhears Louisa and commands, “never wonder!” This phrase represents the total suppression of imagination and curiosity.

40. What is Sissy’s “absurd answer” about the first principle of Political Economy?

A. “Supply and demand.”
B. “To do unto others as I would that they should do unto me.”
C. “Every man for himself.”
D. “Facts alone are wanted in life.”

B. “To do unto others as I would that they should do unto me.”.

Sissy answers with the Golden Rule. This moral answer directly opposes the utilitarian principles of Gradgrind’s school.

41. What was Sissy’s “mistake” regarding National Prosperity?

A. She didn’t know the exact figures.
B. She couldn’t know if it was prosperous without knowing who had the money.
C. She believed it was not prosperous.
D. She failed to define the term.

B. She couldn’t know if it was prosperous without knowing who had the money.

Sissy challenges the cold statistics. She insists that prosperity must consider the welfare of the poor workers.

42. What does Sissy say was “nothing” regarding the percentage of people killed on voyages?

A. The percentage itself
B. The number of people saved
C. The suffering of the survivors
D. “Nothing… to the relations and friends of the people who were killed.”

D. “Nothing… to the relations and friends of the people who were killed.”.

Sissy argues that statistics ignore human suffering. This shows that her moral feelings trump logical calculations.

43. What does Tom wish he could do with all the “Facts” and “Figures”?

A. Compile them into a book.
B. Put gunpowder under them and blow them all up.
C. Use them to gain power.
D. Present them to Parliament.

B. Put gunpowder under them and blow them all up.

Tom wishes he could blow up the Facts with gunpowder. This shocking thought reveals his deep, dangerous rebellion against the Fact system.

44. What new role has Time hustled Mr. Gradgrind into?

A. A factory manager
B. Member of Parliament for Coketown
C. A school inspector
D. A renowned philosopher

B. Member of Parliament for Coketown.

Gradgrind becomes an MP for Coketown. This new role allows him to promote his Utilitarian philosophy on a wider, national scale.

45. What is Louisa the subject of, according to her father?

A. A new educational program.
B. A marriage proposal from Mr. Bounderby.
C. A scientific experiment.
D. A philosophical debate.

B. A marriage proposal from Mr. Bounderby.

Louisa becomes the subject of a marriage proposal from Bounderby. This decision seals her fate as a sacrifice to the god of Fact.

46. How does Mr. Gradgrind advise Louisa to consider the marriage?

A. From an emotional perspective.
B. Simply as one of tangible Fact.
C. With an open heart.
D. Based on love and affection.

B. Simply as one of tangible Fact.

Gradgrind advises Louisa to view the marriage only as a factual, mathematical arrangement. He denies the validity of emotional or romantic considerations.

47. When Louisa says “Fire bursts out, father!” what is she hinting at?

A. The danger of industrial fires.
B. The suppression of human passions that will eventually erupt.
C. The beauty of the industrial landscape.
D. A literal fire.

B. The suppression of human passions that will eventually erupt.

Louisa hints that suppressed human passions will eventually erupt like fire. This foreshadows her moral and emotional collapse later in the novel.

48. What was Mr. Bounderby’s “first disquietude” on hearing of his happiness?

A. How to tell Mr. Gradgrind.
B. The necessity of telling Mrs. Sparsit.
C. How to plan the wedding.
D. Financial considerations.

B. The necessity of telling Mrs. Sparsit.

Bounderby was worried about telling Mrs. Sparsit. She was secretly hoping to marry Bounderby herself and resented Louisa.

49. What is Mrs. Sparsit’s immediate reaction to the marriage announcement?

A. She swoons.
B. She wishes him happiness with great compassion for him.
C. She congratulates him enthusiastically.
D. She resigns immediately.

B. She wishes him happiness with great compassion for him.

Mrs. Sparsit pretends compassion for Bounderby while secretly plotting Louisa’s downfall. This establishes her as a subtle and judgmental villain.

50. Where did Mr. and Mrs. Bounderby go for their nuptial trip?

A. To a romantic seaside resort.
B. To Lyons, so Bounderby could observe the “Hands.”
C. To London.
D. To a quiet country estate.

B. To Lyons, so Bounderby could observe the “Hands.”.

The Bounderbys travel to Lyons to observe the Hands. This shows that Bounderby views marriage as merely another industrial inspection tour.