ARKAPROVO ROY CLASS 9C
ANSWER KEY TO THE ENGLISH LITERATURE PAPER
MCQs: Choose the correct option [10 × 1 = 10]
1. C) It shows how basic survival needs can challenge unjust power structures.
2. B) Dramatic irony through exaggerated adult behaviour.
3. C) To expose the absurdity and hypocrisy of institutional power.
4. A) The proletariat resisting bourgeois oppression.
5. B) The system has psychologically conditioned him into submission.
6. C) Satire.
7. B) As disrespectful and dangerous.
8. D) Fear versus conscience.
9. C) It emphasizes the institutional coldness and lack of empathy.
10. C) An intention to overthrow authority.
Reference to Context [20 Marks]
1. “Please, sir, I want some more.” [1+3+4]
a)
This line reveals Oliver's deep internal conflict between fear and necessity. Despite his terror,
hunger drives him to act, illustrating the psychological burden placed on a child by an
oppressive system. It's pivotal because it initiates the central conflict of the novel — Oliver
challenging authority for the first time.
b)
Dickens uses this line to highlight the inhumanity of Victorian society's treatment of the
poor. A simple, polite request for food is met with outrage, showing how the system
prioritized discipline over compassion. The line criticizes the moral hypocrisy of charity
institutions that fail to fulfill even basic needs.
c)
This line is a turning point where speech becomes an act of rebellion. Later, Oliver's silence
— especially when falsely accused — reflects his powerlessness. Dickens uses both speech
and silence to expose who holds power and who is denied a voice. This contrast reinforces
themes of social injustice.
2. “No one was able to discover who the baby’s father was, or what his mother’s name
was..." [1+2+3]
ARKAPROVO ROY CLASS 9C
a)
No one was able to discover the parents' identities because Oliver’s mother died shortly
after childbirth and left no documentation or witnesses to her identity.
b)
The naming system in the workhouse, where children were given random surnames, reflects
the dehumanization of orphans. It shows how the system treated individuals as faceless
burdens rather than people with dignity or history.
c)
Oliver looked thin and pale due to chronic malnourishment and neglect in the workhouse.
The other boys likely looked the same or worse — starved, weak, and sickly — as they too
were subjected to the same lack of care, illustrating the systemic failure of the institution.
3. “Mr Sowerberry was a tall, thin man who wore black clothes and made coffins.” [1+2+3]
a)
The description of Mr. Sowerberry as “tall, thin” and dressed in black aligns him with death
and mourning. This immediately sets a somber, grim tone and foreshadows his grim
occupation. The attire and physique visually represent the morbidity of his profession.
b)
His role as a coffin maker symbolizes society’s commodification of death, especially among
the poor. For orphans like Oliver, it represents the bleak prospects of life where even death
becomes a business transaction — reinforcing the idea of exploitation.
c)
The direct association of his appearance and profession suggests a cold, morbid
environment. It prepares the reader for a setting lacking in warmth or compassion, signaling
that Oliver’s time under Mr. Sowerberry will be marked by neglect, emotional detachment,
or even cruelty.