Nadine Gordimer

Nadine Gordimer study question

Once Upon a Time

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Facts about Nadine Gordimer

➾ Police raided her family home because her mother opened a day care for black children.

➾ She started writing due to social isolation caused by her mother’s unfounded fear that she had a weak heart.

➾ Her father was a refugee from tsarist Russia, but was not notably sympathetic to the black struggle in South Africa.

➾ She first mixed with people of color while participating in the Sophiatown renaissance cultural movement.

➾ She was married to Reinhold Cassirer, an art dealer who established the South African Sotheby’s.

➾ Her major anti-apartheid involvement began after her best friend was arrested during the Sharpeville massacre uprising.

➾ She edited Nelson Mandela’s renowned 1962 speech, “I Am Prepared to Die”.

➾ Nelson Mandela immediately visited her upon his release from prison in 1990.

➾ Her novel A World of Strangers was banned in South Africa for twelve years.

➾ She secretly used her private residence as a safe house for African National Congress (ANC) leaders escaping persecution.

➾ One of her later novels, Get a Life, featured a South African ecologist who becomes radioactive and dangerous to others.

Nadine Gordimer MCQs

1. When was Nadine Gordimer born?

A. 13 July 2014
B. 20 November 1923
C. 20 November 1949
D. 13 July 1923

B. 20 November 1923
She was born on this date in South Africa.

2. Where was Nadine Gordimer born?

A. Johannesburg, England
B. Springs, South Africa
C. Cape Town, South Africa
D. Riga, Latvia

B. Springs, South Africa
She was born in Springs, a mining town in the then-province of Transvaal, South Africa.

3. What prestigious international award did Gordimer win in 1991?

A. The Booker Prize
B. The Commonwealth Award
C. The French Legion of Honour
D. The Nobel Prize for Literature

D. The Nobel Prize for Literature
She was awarded the Nobel Prize for her powerful literary work against apartheid.

4. Which literary genre is Gordimer primarily known for?

A. Poetry and Drama
B. Short-story writer and novelist
C. Historical non-fiction
D. Political journalism

B. Short-story writer and novelist
She achieved international acclaim for her mastery in both forms.

5. What was the central issue dominating Gordimer’s political thought and writing?

A. Global capitalism
B. Environmental change
C. Apartheid in South Africa
D. Gender equality

C. Apartheid in South Africa
Her life’s work was deeply engaged with the political and social realities of apartheid.

6. What was the nationality and origin of Gordimer’s father?

A. South African from England
B. Jewish refugee from Tsarist Russia (Latvia)
C. German immigrant
D. British colonialist

B. Jewish refugee from Tsarist Russia (Latvia)
Her father, Isidore Gordimer, fled persecution in Tsarist-controlled Latvia.

7. What did Gordimer’s mother open that led to the family home being raided by police?

A. A political meeting hall
B. A secret publishing press
C. A day care for black children
D. An illegal clinic

C. A day care for black children
This act of defiance against segregation norms brought unwanted attention from authorities.

8. Why did Gordimer’s mother keep her home for extended periods, causing social isolation?

A. Fear of political persecution
B. An unfounded fear of a weak heart
C. Poor neighborhood conditions
D. Religious customs

B. An unfounded fear of a weak heart
This overprotective measure inadvertently fostered Gordimer’s development as a reader and writer.

9. At what age did Nadine Gordimer publish her first stories?

A. 9
B. 12
C. 15
D. 18

C. 15
Her first works were published when she was a teenager.

10. What was the title of Gordimer’s first published work, a short story for children?

A. The Lying Days
B. Come Again Tomorrow
C. The Quest for Seen Gold
D. A Watcher of the Dead

C. The Quest for Seen Gold
This story appeared in the Children’s Sunday Express in 1937.

11. Where did Gordimer attend university for one year before dropping out?

A. Oxford University
B. University of Johannesburg
C. University of the Witwatersrand
D. Stellenbosch University

C. University of the Witwatersrand
She spent a year at ‘Wits’ but did not complete her degree.

12. Where did Gordimer first mix with people of color and participate in a cultural movement?

A. Durban township
B. Sharpeville
C. The Sophiatown renaissance
D. The ANC offices

C. The Sophiatown renaissance
She engaged with the vibrant cultural scene in Sophiatown during her university years.

13. What was the title of Gordimer’s first collection of short stories, published in 1949?

A. The Lying Days
B. Face to Face
C. A Soldier’s Embrace
D. Loot

B. Face to Face
This marked her debut book publication.

14. What was the title of Gordimer’s first published novel (1953)?

A. July’s People
B. Burger’s Daughter
C. The Lying Days
D. The Conservationist

C. The Lying Days
This was her first venture into novel writing.

15. What hallmark trait characterized Gordimer’s writing style?

A. Surreal and verbose language
B. Highly romantic and sentimental
C. Clear, controlled, and unsentimental
D. Ambiguous and philosophical

C. Clear, controlled, and unsentimental
Her prose was known for its precision and lack of overt emotional display.

16. Which event initiated Gordimer’s active participation in the anti-apartheid movement in 1960?

A. Her first novel was banned
B. The arrest of her best friend, Bettie du Toit, during the Sharpeville uprising
C. Nelson Mandela’s trial
D. Moving to Johannesburg

B. The arrest of her best friend, Bettie du Toit, during the Sharpeville uprising
This personal connection to the crackdown following the massacre galvanized her political involvement.

17. Who immediately visited Nadine Gordimer upon his release from prison in 1990?

A. F.W. de Klerk
B. Chief Albert Luthuli
C. Desmond Tutu
D. Nelson Mandela

D. Nelson Mandela
She was among the first people he sought out after his long imprisonment.

18. Gordimer edited the famous 1962 speech, “I Am Prepared to Die,” given by whom?

A. Bram Fischer
B. George Bizos
C. Nelson Mandela
D. Oliver Tambo

C. Nelson Mandela
She assisted in editing this pivotal speech delivered during the Rivonia Trial.

19. What was the name of Gordimer’s second husband, an art dealer who established the South African Sotheby’s?

A. Gerald Gavron
B. Reinhold Cassirer
C. Hugo Cassirer
D. Bram Fischer

B. Reinhold Cassirer
She married Cassirer, a highly respected figure in the art world, in 1954.

20. What was one of Gordimer’s major themes?

A. The complexity of farming
B. Exile and alienation
C. The history of Johannesburg
D. White supremacy

B. Exile and alienation
Her work frequently explored the isolating effects of apartheid on individuals.

21. What did Gordimer demand through her political thought and writing?

A. International sanctions on South Africa
B. That South Africa examine itself
C. A complete economic overhaul
D. Universal primary education

B. That South Africa examine itself
Her writing served as a critical lens forcing South Africans to confront the realities of apartheid.

22. For what novel did Gordimer win the Booker Prize in 1974?

A. July’s People
B. A Sport of Nature
C. The Conservationist
D. The Lying Days

C. The Conservationist
She was a joint winner of this prestigious literary award for this novel.

23. How long was Gordimer’s novel A World of Strangers banned in South Africa?

A. One month
B. One year
C. A decade
D. Twelve years

D. Twelve years
This early novel faced prolonged censorship for its depiction of interracial relationships.

24. Which Gordimer novel was censored post-apartheid (2001) for being described as racist?

A. The Late Bourgeois World
B. Burger’s Daughter
C. July’s People
D. The Pickup

C. July’s People
Its removal from school reading lists sparked controversy in the new South Africa.

25. What organization did Gordimer join when it was still illegal?

A. South African Communist Party (SACP)
B. Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP)
C. African National Congress (ANC)
D. Democratic Alliance (DA)

C. African National Congress (ANC)
She showed her commitment by joining the liberation movement while it was banned.

26. Gordimer used her private residence for what political purpose?

A. A meeting place for journalists
B. A safe house for escaping ANC leaders
C. A clandestine school for black children
D. An art gallery

B. A safe house for escaping ANC leaders
She risked her safety by sheltering anti-apartheid figures in her home.

27. What trial did Gordimer testify at on behalf of anti-apartheid activists in 1986?

A. The Rivonia Trial
B. The Delmas Treason Trial
C. The Sharpeville Inquiry
D. The Soweto Commission

B. The Delmas Treason Trial
She testified in defense of numerous activists accused of treason.

28. In the 1990s and 2000s, Gordimer became active in which public health movement?

A. Malaria eradication
B. HIV/AIDS prevention
C. Tuberculosis treatment
D. Anti-smoking campaigns

B. HIV/AIDS prevention
She became a vocal advocate in the fight against the HIV/AIDS epidemic in South Africa.

29. What high-level literary organization did Gordimer serve as Vice President for?

A. UNESCO
B. PEN International
C. The Royal Society of Literature
D. The Commonwealth Foundation

B. PEN International
She held a prominent position in this global writers’ organization advocating free expression.

30. What was Gordimer’s final novel, published in 2012?

A. The Pickup
B. Get a Life
C. No Time like the Present
D. My Son’s Story

C. No Time like the Present
This novel concluded her long and prolific career as a novelist.

31. Burger’s Daughter, published in June 1979, was banned how long after publication?

A. One year
B. Twelve years
C. One month
D. Five years

C. One month
The apartheid government quickly banned the politically sensitive novel.

32. Gordimer’s opposition to apartheid developed from her wide reading that informed her about what?

A. Her own family history
B. The white middle-class life
C. The world on the other side of apartheid
D. The global political climate

C. The world on the other side of apartheid
Reading exposed her to the realities and perspectives excluded by the segregated society she grew up in.

33. What kind of political influence did Gordimer’s father have on her, despite his lack of sympathy for the black struggle?

A. His experience of displacement influenced her politics
B. He supported the ANC financially
C. He encouraged her censorship battles
D. He introduced her to Mandela

A. His experience of displacement influenced her politics
Her father’s background as a refugee gave her an understanding of exile and persecution that informed her anti-apartheid stance.

34. What was the name of Gordimer’s daughter from her first marriage?

A. Bettie
B. Oriane
C. Hugo
D. Sarah

B. Oriane
She had one daughter, Oriane (b. 1950), with her first husband, Gerald Gavron.

35. Gordimer’s core theme is the tension between personal isolation and what other commitment?

A. Religious devotion
B. Financial security
C. Social justice
D. Academic research

C. Social justice
Her work explores the conflict between individual desires and the moral obligation to fight for a just society.

36. Which collection of essays and reminiscences did Gordimer publish in 1999?

A. Crimes of Conscience
B. Living in Hope and History: Notes from Our Century
C. Loot, and Other Stories
D. Face to Face

B. Living in Hope and History: Notes from Our Century
This book gathered her non-fiction reflections on the 20th century.

37. Besides the Nobel Prize and the Booker Prize, what other high honor did Gordimer receive in 2007?

A. US Presidential Medal of Freedom
B. The French Legion of Honour
C. Order of the British Empire
D. German Peace Prize

B. The French Legion of Honour
She was recognized with France’s highest civilian award.

38. Which country’s universities did Gordimer lecture and teach at during the 1960s and 1970s?

A. England
B. United States
C. Australia
D. Canada

B. United States
She held several visiting academic positions in the US during this period.

39. Which novel addressed environmental issues, featuring a radioactive ecologist?

A. The House Gun
B. The Pickup
C. Get a Life
D. A Sport of Nature

C. Get a Life
Published in 2005, this novel tackled themes of environmentalism and health.

40. How old was Nadine Gordimer when she died in 2014?

A. 79
B. 85
C. 90
D. 92

C. 90
She passed away at the age of 90 after a long and influential life.

41. Which of her works was banned for a decade, starting in 1976?

A. The Late Bourgeois World
B. A World of Strangers
C. July’s People
D. My Son’s Story

A. The Late Bourgeois World
This earlier novel faced a lengthy ban imposed in 1976.

42. Gordimer was a founding member of which writer’s group?

A. PEN International
B. South Africa Literary League
C. Congress of South African Writers
D. The Nobel Committee

C. Congress of South African Writers
She played a key role in establishing this important literary organization.

43. Gordimer was known as an outspoken activist against apartheid and what other practice?

A. White flight
B. Gender discrimination
C. Censorship and state control of information
D. Economic inequality

C. Censorship and state control of information
She actively fought against the government’s suppression of free expression through groups like the Anti-Censorship Action Group.

44. Gordimer believed the African National Congress (ANC) was the best option for leading black citizens toward what goal?

A. Financial independence
B. Self-determination
C. Forming a coalition government
D. Achieving military strength

B. Self-determination
She supported the ANC as the primary vehicle for black liberation and self-governance.

45. What was the name of the poor black neighborhood where Gordimer mixed with people of color during the renaissance period?

A. Soweto
B. Springs
C. Sophiatown
D. Sharpeville

C. Sophiatown
This vibrant, mixed-race area was a hub of culture and resistance before its destruction.

46. What was the defining characteristic of Gordimer’s family background?

A. Working-class Afrikaner
B. Privileged white middle-class
C. Indigenous Xhosa
D. Recent political exiles

B. Privileged white middle-class
She came from a background of relative comfort within the white minority.

47. What does the note about the post-apartheid censorship of July’s People in 2001?

A. It was banned for being too anti-Mandela
B. It was removed for being described as racist
C. It was censored due to explicit content
D. It was removed for being too critical of the ANC

B. It was removed for being described as racist
The novel faced renewed challenges in the post-apartheid era over its portrayal of race relations.

48. What prize did Gordimer jointly win in 1974?

A. Nobel Prize
B. Booker Prize
C. Commonwealth Award
D. Pulitzer Prize

B. Booker Prize
She shared the Booker Prize for her novel The Conservationist.

49. Gordimer’s works concern the “devastating effects” of apartheid on whose lives?

A. Only the black majority
B. South Africans generally
C. Only white liberals
D. Only political prisoners

B. South Africans generally
Her writing explored the corrosive impact of apartheid on all segments of South African society.

50. The credits Gordimer’s international literary reception beginning in 1951 with the publication of which story in the New Yorker?

A. The Quest for Seen Gold
B. Come Again Tomorrow
C. A Watcher of the Dead
D. Face-to-Face

C. A Watcher of the Dead
This publication marked a significant step in gaining recognition outside South Africa.

Once Upon a Time Quiz

Nadine Gordimer MCQs

1. What type of publication did someone ask Nadine Gordimer to contribute a story to?

A. Political essays
B. Literary magazine
C. Children’s anthology
D. Creative writing textbook

C. Children’s anthology
The story begins with the narrator rejecting a request to write a story for a children’s book.

2. How did the author describe her windowpanes when reflecting on fear?

A. Steel reinforced
B. Thin as rime, easily shattered
C. Covered by heavy curtains
D. Bulletproof

B. Thin as rime, easily shattered
This metaphor emphasizes the feeling of vulnerability despite physical barriers.

3. What was the actual cause of the creaking sound that woke the author?

A. A passage prowler
B. The cat climbing a shelf
C. House settling due to gold mines
D. Loose attic floorboard

C. House settling due to gold mines
The sound was geological, caused by the extensive mining tunnels beneath Johannesburg.

4. How far beneath the author’s bed were the stopes and passages of the gold mines?

A. Three hundred feet
B. Thirty feet
C. Three thousand feet
D. Thirty thousand feet

C. Three thousand feet
The story specifies this depth, highlighting the unseen foundations beneath the suburban life.

5. The author compared her heart’s misbeats to the muffled flourishes on which instruments?

A. Hide drums
B. Chopi/Tsonga wooden xylophones
C. Steel drums
D. Worn-out piano

B. Chopi/Tsonga wooden xylophones
This comparison connects the narrator’s internal fear to the sounds of the indigenous people affected by the mines.

6. What was the family’s first precaution mentioned regarding their child’s safety?

A. Self-defense classes
B. Fencing the swimming pool
C. Installing a panic button
D. Buying a watchdog

B. Fencing the swimming pool
This initial, ordinary safety measure contrasts with the later extreme security installations.

7. Who was the “wise old witch” who warned the couple against hiring anyone “off the street”?

A. Trusted housemaid
B. Husband’s mother
C. Neighbourhood Watch leader
D. Police Chief

B. Husband’s mother
The grandmother represents traditional, perhaps prejudiced, fears within the white community.

8. What was the warning message lettered on the plaque supplied by the Neighbourhood Watch?

A. BEWARE: ARMED RESPONSE
B. PROPERTY PROTECTED
C. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED
D. DOG ON DUTY

C. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED
This plaque was part of the community’s attempt to deter crime through visible warnings.

9. Why did the husband claim the silhouette of the would-be intruder on the plaque was not racist?

A. The figure was painted green.
B. The figure was masked, color unknown.
C. It showed a female intruder.
D. It featured two figures, one black, one white.

B. The figure was masked, color unknown.
He rationalizes the potentially racialized image by pointing out the mask obscures the figure’s race.

10. Where were the riots taking place that fueled the wife’s fear?

A. Right outside their gates
B. Outside city, where people of another color were quartered
C. Central business district
D. In neighboring countries

B. Outside city, where people of another color were quartered
The fear stems from unrest in segregated townships, distant but psychologically threatening to the suburban family.

11. To appease his wife, what new security measure did the husband first install?

A. An electric fence
B. Police surveillance
C. Electronically-controlled gates
D. A moat

C. Electronically-controlled gates
This was one of the early upgrades in the escalating cycle of security measures.

12. The little boy used the new electronic gate device as what during play?

A. A microphone
B. A walkie-talkie
C. A listening device
D. A doorbell

B. A walkie-talkie
The child incorporates the security technology into his imaginative games, unaware of its grim purpose.

13. Why did the couple finally install burglar bars and an alarm system?

A. Insurance required it
B. The gardener was arrested
C. Housemaid’s friend was tied up
D. They read an article in the newspaper

C. Housemaid’s friend was tied up
A robbery experienced by someone known to their housemaid brought the perceived threat closer to home.

14. What creature repeatedly set off the newly installed house alarm?

A. A mouse
B. The dog
C. The little boy
D. The pet cat by the fanlight

D. The pet cat by the fanlight
The family pet inadvertently triggered the alarm system, highlighting the intrusions of security into domestic life.

15. What eventually happened to the constant sounds of burglar alarms in the suburb?

A. They were often reported
B. They were replaced by quiet laser grids
C. Everyone became accustomed to the din
D. The police installed jammers

C. Everyone became accustomed to the din
The alarms became so common that they lost their effectiveness as warnings, blending into the background noise.

16. Intruders sometimes drank what specific liquor found in cabinets?

A. Wine
B. Beer
C. Single malt whiskey
D. Sparkling water

C. Single malt whiskey
This detail adds a touch of absurd domestic violation to the descriptions of burglaries.

17. Why were many people who were not trusted employees hanging about the suburb?

A. They were waiting for a bus
B. They were unemployed
C. They were holding a demonstration
D. They were visiting family

B. They were unemployed
The presence of unemployed people seeking work near the affluent suburb fueled the residents’ fear and distrust.

18. What did the wife try to send out to the hungry, unemployed people?

A. Water and fruit
B. Money
C. Bread and tea
D. Clothes

C. Bread and tea
Her charitable impulse was overridden by fear and warnings not to encourage them.

19. What item belonging to the little boy did the husband start bringing into the house nightly for security?

A. His bicycle
B. His remote-controlled car
C. His pet cat
D. His tricycle

D. His tricycle
Even the child’s possessions became objects of security concern.

20. Who paid for the extra bricks to make the wall higher?

A. The local church
B. The husband’s mother
C. The insurance company
D. The itinerant gardener

B. The husband’s mother
The “wise old witch” contributed financially to the escalating security measures.

21. What did the little boy receive from the “wise old witch” (his grandmother) for Christmas, besides a Space Man outfit?

A. A video game
B. A pet hamster
C. A book of fairy tales
D. A new tricycle

C. A book of fairy tales
This gift ironically provides the inspiration for the story’s tragic climax.

22. How did the cat manage to get over the seven-foot wall after it was heightened?

A. It used the ladder
B. The gardener lifted it
C. Effortlessly, bracing forepaws down
D. It stayed inside

C. Effortlessly, bracing forepaws down
The cat’s natural agility easily overcame the increased height of the wall.

23. Which security measure involved “pieces of broken glass”?

A. Lining the pool bottom
B. Embedded in cement along wall tops
C. Placed in flowerpots
D. Sprinkled on the lawn

B. Embedded in cement along wall tops
This crude but common method was another step in fortifying the property boundary.

24. The couple concluded that only one security style was worth considering, which they described as:

A. Spanish Villa style
B. Neo-classical style
C. Pure concentration camp style
D. High-tech laser grid style

C. Pure concentration camp style
This stark description highlights the extreme and dehumanizing nature of the final security measure.

25. What was the central feature of the “ugliest but the most honest” security measure?

A. Deep trenches filled with water
B. Continuous coil of jagged metal blades
C. Electrified vertical wires
D. Trained guard dogs

B. Continuous coil of jagged metal blades
This refers to the razor wire (Dragon’s Teeth) installed along the top of the wall.

26. What was the name of the firm that installed the “Total Security” device?

A. Total Wall Builders
B. Guaranteed Protection Services
C. Razor Wire Specialists
D. DRAGON’S TEETH

D. DRAGON’S TEETH
This menacing brand name underscores the dangerous nature of the security coil.

27. How did the husband reassure his wife about the cat potentially interacting with the new security coil?

A. He promised a leash
B. Cats always look before they leap
C. The cat would be declawed
D. The coil was harmless

B. Cats always look before they leap
His misplaced confidence in the cat’s instincts contrasts ironically with the danger posed to his son.

28. After the final security coil was installed, what did the cat do?

A. It was injured
B. Continued climbing the wall daily
C. Slept inside, kept to the garden
D. It ran away from home

C. Slept inside, kept to the garden
Unlike the boy, the cat instinctively recognized the danger and avoided the wall.

29. What specific fairy tale character did the little boy pretend to be when he tried to climb the razor-bladed coils?

A. Jack, climbing the beanstalk
B. The Prince who braves the thorn thicket
C. Peter Pan
D. Hansel, leaving breadcrumbs

B. The Prince who braves the thorn thicket
Inspired by the story of Sleeping Beauty read from his Christmas gift book, he tragically misinterprets the razor wire.

30. Who first ran to the boy after he became entangled in the security coil?

A. The man and his wife
B. The police
C. Housemaid and gardener
D. The neighbors

C. Housemaid and gardener
The household staff were the first to discover the horrific scene and attempt to help.

Brief Overview

Once Upon a Time is a dark, modern fairy tale by Nadine Gordimer. The story is framed by a writer who says she cannot write a children’s story because her mind is filled with fear. This leads into the main cautionary tale.

The story is about a wealthy white family living in South Africa. The family, consisting of a husband, wife, and son, becomes completely obsessed with security due to rising crime outside their home. They continuously install more extreme safety measures around their house.

Their fear causes them to put up increasingly higher walls and aggressive warning signs. Their final, most extreme act is installing a massive, deadly coil of razor wire along the top of their highest wall.

Their paranoia tragically backfires. Their young son, pretending to be a prince from a fairy tale, tries to climb the wall to see what is outside. He gets caught in the razor wire and is fatally wounded.

The security measures meant to keep danger out end up killing their own child. The story critiques the destructive nature of fear and the racial tensions of society.