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This set of Commonwealth Literature Multiple Choice Questions & Answers (MCQs) focuses on Cry the Beloved Country - Alan Paton Set 1
Q1 | James Jarvis and Stephen Kumalo have both lost their sons. In what way is this signifigant?
- The two sons were executed together as co-defendants
- Kumalo's son murdered Jarvis' son
- They both died in the same traffic accident
- They were both shot by police in a protest against the racial injustices present in South Africa
Q2 | After Stephen Kumalo has returned to Ndotsheni at the end of the novel, who offers him assistance in revitalizing the village?
- a neighboring village
- UNICEF
- Jarvis
- the church
Q3 | Stephen Kumalo's sister Gertrude has been supporting herself via illegal means. Fromwhich of the following criminal enterprises did she earn her livelihood?
- extortion
- counterfeiting money
- selling illegal alcohol
- robbery
Q4 | On the day Absolom is scheduled to be executed, Stephen Kumalo goes into the mountains around Ndotsheni to pray. Who does he meet while there?
- the village chief
- his wife
- James Jarvis
- Arthur Jarvis
Q5 | After returning to Ndotsheni, Stephen Kumalo encounters Arthur Jarvis' son. Later, as a result of his conversation with the boy, the Jarvis farm sends a gift to the village. What is this gift?
- rice for the people
- grain for the cows
- milk for the children
- seed for the planters
Q6 | Msimangu confides his fear that "by the time the white man learns to love, the black man will have _______________." ?
- lost all hope
- mostly died out
- turned to violence
- learned to hate
Q7 | When Stephen Kumalo returns from Johannesburg to Ndotsheni, he brings two people with him. Who are these people?
- his son Absolom and his wife
- his sister Gertrude and his son Absolom's wife
- his sister Gertrude's son and his son Absolom's wife
- his sister Gertrude and her son
Q8 | Napoleon Letsitsi, an agricultural expert hired by James Jarvis to assist the people of Ndotsheni, states that he works for whom?
- the people of Africa
- the people who pay his salary
- the villagers of Ndotsheni
- the nation of South Africa
Q9 | Obsession over what substance has led many people into a frenzy over the state of their stocks in Cry, the Beloved Country?
- Coal
- Gold
- Oil
- Opals
Q10 | Stephen first travels by bus from his native district to what city?
- Fordsburg
- Ixopo
- Johannesburg
- Springs
Q11 | What does Stephen learn about his sister Gertrude when he visits the mission?
- She has become a nanny for a white family.
- She has become a prostitute.
- She has been sent to prison.
- She has died from a mysterious illness.
Q12 | What is the outcome of Absalom's trial?
- He is found guilty and sentenced to life in solitary confinement.
- He is found guilty and sentenced to death.
- He is found not guilty and set free.
- His trial is found to be corrupt and must be rescheduled.
Q13 | What natural phenomenon does Alan Paton use to symbolize the wounded African culture?
- A flock of red birds so thick that it obscures the sun from view
- Deep cracks appearing in the parched red earth
- The birth of a baby with pronounced red birth marks covering its torso
- The erosion of the red soil, which colors the rivers blood red
Q14 | What prevents John Harrison from understanding or imitating the ideals of Arthur Jarvis?
- John believes that Arthur's son killed his brother.
- John disagrees with Arthur's religious views.
- John regards Arthur as too much of a dreamer.
- John's family is entrenched in a bitter feud with Arthur's family.
Q15 | Where does Stephen meet Dubula?
- At the bus boycott
- At the city mission
- In front of a local church
- In the alleyways of Shanty Town
Q16 | Which character is not depicted as a man of charity and goodness?
- Dubula
- Father Vincent
- John Kumalo
- Mr. Carmichael
Q17 | Whose death sends Stephen into a period of such deep despair that he is unable to pray?
- Absalom Kumalo
- Arthur Jarvis
- James Jarvis
- Reverend Msimangu
Q18 | Why does Stephen feel betrayed by his son Absalom?
- Absalom has changed his name.
- Absalom has committed murder.
- Absalom kidnapped a young girl.
- Absalom married someone from another tribe.
Q19 | In The Vivisector, we see the protagonist Hurtle Duffield exploiting what for his art?
- His friends
- Money
- His parents
- Women
Q20 | On a trip to England, Alfreda Courtney is horrified to find the vivisection of what?
- A child
- A dog
- A cat
- A horse
Q21 | What deformity does Rhoda Courtney have?
- Hunchback
- Blind
- Crippled
- Scars
Q22 | What is the name of the girl who lives next to the Courtneys who happens to be quite the match for Hurtle on the subject of manipulation?
- Nance Lightfoot
- Hero Pavloussi
- KathyVolkov
- Olivia Davenport
Q23 | At the end of the novel, The Vivisector, what happens to Hurtle Duffield?
- He accepts a knighthood and regained wealth
- He teaches his protégé everything he knows
- He reconciles with his family
- He dies with a paintbrush in his hand
Q24 | The sole passion of Hurtle Duffield was
- art
- women
- reading
- travelling
Q25 | Who was born a hunchbacked female in The Vivisector?
- Katherine Volkov
- Rhoda Courtney
- Alfreda Courtney
- Hero Pavloussi