MCQs
on A Question of Power
Q.1 A Question of
Power is a ________ novel.
1. Purely fictional
2. Semi-autobiographical
3. Historical romance
4. Science fiction
Answer: 2
Explanation: The novel is based partly on Bessie Head’s own life
experiences and psychological struggles.
Q.2 Bessie Head
wrote A Question of Power while living in:
1. South Africa
2. Botswana
3. England
4. USA
Answer: 2
Explanation: Bessie Head wrote the novel during her years of exile
in Botswana.
Q.3 The novel is
heavily influenced by Bessie Head’s own experiences of:
1. Wealth and
privilege
2. Racial identity
crisis, exile, and mental breakdown
3. Political success
in South Africa
4. Traditional
marriage in Botswana
Answer: 2
Explanation: The novel reflects her personal struggles with
identity, exile, and mental illness.
Q.4 The story is
set primarily in:
1. Johannesburg,
South Africa
2. Motabeng village,
Botswana
3. Cape Town
4. Gaborone
Answer: 2
Explanation: Most events in the novel take place in the village of
Motabeng in Botswana.
Q.5 A Question of
Power was published in:
1. 1968
2. 1971
3. 1973
4. 1977
Answer: 3
Explanation: The novel was first published in 1973.
Q.6 Elizabeth
moves to Botswana with her:
1. Husband
2. Young son
3. Foster mother
4. Sister
Answer: 2
Explanation: Elizabeth arrives in Botswana with her young son.
Q.7 Elizabeth
works in a:
1. Clothing factory
2. Cooperative
vegetable garden
3. Diamond mine
4. School as a
permanent teacher
Answer: 2
Explanation: The cooperative garden becomes an important source of
healing and purpose for Elizabeth.
Q.8 Elizabeth’s
first major mental breakdown occurs after:
1. A fight with
Kenosi
2. Shopping for a
radio with her son
3. Meeting Eugene
4. Reading a letter
from South Africa
Answer: 2
Explanation: The incident involving the radio triggers Elizabeth’s
severe mental crisis.
Q.9 Who helps
take care of Elizabeth’s son during her hospitalization?
1. Dan and Medusa
2. Eugene and his
wife
3. Sello
4. Mrs. Jones
Answer: 2
Explanation: Eugene and his wife support Elizabeth by caring for
her son.
Q.10 The novel
ends with Elizabeth declaring:
1. “Power is
everything.”
2. “There is only one
God and his name is Man.”
3. “I must return to
South Africa.”
4. “Dan is my
saviour.”
Answer: 2
Explanation: This statement expresses the novel’s humanistic
philosophy.
Q.11 Dan’s
“harem” consists of how many women?
1. 21
2. 71
3. 100
4. 7
Answer: 2
Explanation: Dan’s imagined harem of seventy-one women symbolizes
sexual domination and corruption.
Q.12 The final
resolution of Elizabeth’s suffering comes through:
1. Returning to South
Africa
2. Complete isolation
3. Community work in
the garden + spiritual insight
4. Marriage to Tom
Answer: 3
Explanation: Healing comes through meaningful work and
self-realization.
Q.13 The
protagonist of the novel is:
1. Kenosi
2. Elizabeth
3. Medusa
4. Thoko
Answer: 2
Explanation: Elizabeth is the central character around whom the
story revolves.
Q.14 Which
character represents tyrannical, hyper-masculine, and evil power?
1. Sello
2. Dan
3. Eugene
4. Tom
Answer: 2
Explanation: Dan symbolizes cruelty, domination, and destructive
masculinity.
Q.15 Medusa is a
symbol of:
1. Kindness and
motherhood
2. Destructive female
power and domination
3. Political
leadership
4. Religious purity
Answer: 2
Explanation: Medusa represents hatred, jealousy, and destructive
femininity.
Q.16 Elizabeth’s
closest friend and ideal work partner in the garden is:
1. Tom
2. Kenosi
3. Mrs. Jones
4. Thoko
Answer: 2
Explanation: Kenosi provides friendship, understanding, and
emotional support.
Q.17 Sello
appears in two forms — one real and one:
1. As a child
2. As a
supernatural/hallucinatory figure
3. As a woman
4. As Elizabeth’s
father
Answer: 2
Explanation: Sello appears both as a real person and as a
spiritual or hallucinatory presence.
Q.18 Elizabeth’s
son is affectionately called:
1. Shorty / The small
boy
2. Little Prophet
3. Dan’s son
4. The gardener
Answer: 1
Explanation: Elizabeth lovingly refers to her son as “Shorty” or
“the small boy.”
Q.19 The central
theme of A Question of Power is:
1. The glory of war
2. The nature and
abuse of power
3. The beauty of
Botswana wildlife
4. Traditional
marriage customs
Answer: 2
Explanation: The novel examines how power can corrupt and destroy
human relationships.
Q.20 Which theme
is explored through the contrast between night (hallucinations) and day (garden
work)?
1. Internal world vs
External world
2. Rich vs Poor
3. Men vs Women
4. Past vs Future
Answer: 1
Explanation: The contrast highlights Elizabeth’s inner turmoil and
outer reality.
Q.21 The novel
strongly advocates for:
1. Racial superiority
2. Radical humanism
and the “brotherhood of man”
3. Return to
apartheid
4. Complete isolation
Answer: 2
Explanation: The novel promotes equality, compassion, and shared
humanity.
Q.22 Mental
breakdown in the novel is portrayed as:
1. Only a medical
illness
2. A painful path to
self-discovery and spiritual growth
3. A sign of weakness
4. Caused only by
supernatural forces
Answer: 2
Explanation: Elizabeth’s suffering ultimately leads to deeper
understanding and growth.
Q.23 A major
theme is the critique of:
1. Farming practices
2. Patriarchal and
tyrannical power (including sexual domination)
3. Vegetable
gardening
4. Friendship between
women
Answer: 2
Explanation: The novel criticizes abusive male authority and
exploitation.
Q.24 The
vegetable garden symbolizes:
1. Destruction
2. Healing, growth,
community, and belonging
3. Political
rebellion
4. Loneliness
Answer: 2
Explanation: The garden represents emotional recovery and social
connection.
Q.25 The
“Cesspit” shown by Sello symbolizes:
1. Hell
2. Purification and
disposal of evil
3. Wealth
4. Colonial history
Answer: 2
Explanation: The cesspit symbolizes cleansing and removal of
corruption.
Q.26 Crowns worn
by Sello and Dan symbolize:
1. Marriage
2. The seductive and
dangerous nature of power
3. Traditional
kingship
4. Fashion
Answer: 2
Explanation: Crowns symbolize authority and the temptation of
power.
Q.27 The
recurring motif of “blurring of normal and abnormal” refers to:
1. The mixing of
reality and hallucination
2. Weather changes in
Botswana
3. Language barriers
4. Cooking styles
Answer: 1
Explanation: Elizabeth’s experiences blur the line between sanity
and madness.
Q.28 “Love is two
people mutually feeding each other, not one living on the soul of the other
like a ghoul.” This quote defines:
1. Dan’s philosophy
2. The ideal form of
love according to Sello
3. Medusa’s belief
4. Elizabeth’s
initial view
Answer: 2
Explanation: Sello explains that true love is based on mutual
support and respect.
Q.29 “There is
only one God and his name is Man. And Elizabeth is his prophet.” This line
represents:
1. Elizabeth’s moment
of complete despair
2. Elizabeth’s final
humanistic realization
3. Sello’s warning
4. Dan’s declaration
Answer: 2
Explanation: The line expresses the novel’s belief in human
dignity and unity.
Q.30 “If the
things of the soul are really a question of power, then anyone in possession of
power of the spirit could be Lucifer.” This quote highlights the novel’s
concern with:
1. The dual nature
and danger of power
2. The beauty of
spiritual life
3. The weakness of
human beings
4. The power of
farming
Answer: 1
Explanation: The quote warns about the corrupting influence of
spiritual or psychological power.
Q.31 A Question
of Power is considered one of the earliest African novels to openly explore:
1. Detective fiction
2. Female mental
illness and psychological breakdown
3. Traditional oral
storytelling
4. Adventure and
hunting
Answer: 2
Explanation: The novel courageously addresses women’s
psychological suffering.
Q.32 Bessie
Head’s personal experience that most closely mirrors Elizabeth’s in the novel
is:
1. Her life as a
wealthy landowner
2. Her mixed-race
identity, exile from South Africa, and mental breakdowns
3. Her career as a
politician in Botswana
4. Her education in
Europe
Answer: 2
Explanation: Elizabeth’s experiences strongly resemble Bessie
Head’s own life.
Q.33 The novel
was written during a time when Bessie Head was struggling with:
1. Fame and success
2. Isolation,
poverty, and mental health issues in Botswana
3. A happy marriage
4. Returning to South
Africa
Answer: 2
Explanation: Head faced severe emotional and financial
difficulties while writing the novel.
Q.34 Which
real-life project in Serowe, Botswana, inspired the cooperative garden in the
novel?
1. A government
diamond mine
2. Agricultural
development projects run by refugees and volunteers
3. A luxury hotel
4. A military
training camp
Answer: 2
Explanation: The garden project was inspired by agricultural
development work in Botswana.
Q.35 The novel is
often classified under which literary genres?
1. Romance and Comedy
2. Postcolonial,
Feminist, and Psychological fiction
3. Science Fiction
and Fantasy
4. Crime Thriller
Answer: 2
Explanation: The novel combines postcolonial, feminist, and
psychological themes.
Q.36 Elizabeth is
dismissed from her teaching job because the school demands:
1. A higher salary
2. A medical
certificate declaring her “sane”
3. A Botswana
passport
4. Political loyalty
Answer: 2
Explanation: The school authorities insist on proof of her mental
stability.
Q.37 After her
second major breakdown, Elizabeth is taken to:
1. A prison
2. A psychiatric
hospital
3. South Africa
4. Eugene’s house
permanently
Answer: 2
Explanation: Elizabeth is hospitalized for psychiatric treatment.
Q.38 What event
immediately precedes Elizabeth’s peaceful resolution?
1. Dan’s permanent
disappearance and Sello’s final explanation
2. Her return to
South Africa
3. Marriage to Tom
4. Kenosi leaving the
garden
Answer: 1
Explanation: The disappearance of disturbing hallucinations helps
Elizabeth regain peace.
Q.39 Elizabeth
posts a public note accusing Sello of:
1. Being a thief
2. Being a child
molester
3. Stealing from the
garden
4. Supporting
apartheid
Answer: 2
Explanation: During her disturbed state, Elizabeth wrongly accuses
Sello publicly.
Q.40 The “small
boy” (Elizabeth’s son) contributes to the ending by:
1. Running away
2. Writing a poem
3. Becoming friends
with Dan
4. Leaving for South
Africa
Answer: 2
Explanation: The child’s poem contributes to the hopeful
conclusion of the novel.
Q.41 Eugene
represents:
1. Tyrannical power
2. Practical help,
kindness, and community leadership
3. Hallucinatory evil
4. Racial hatred
Answer: 2
Explanation: Eugene symbolizes generosity and supportive
leadership.
Q.42 Mrs. Jones
is:
1. A hallucinatory
figure
2. An elderly English
volunteer who is wrongly accused by Elizabeth
3. Elizabeth’s
biological mother
4. Kenosi’s sister
Answer: 2
Explanation: Mrs. Jones is a kind volunteer who suffers from
Elizabeth’s suspicions.
Q.43 Which
character says, “I don’t care whether people like me or not. I am used to
isolation”?
1. Kenosi
2. Elizabeth
3. Dan
4. Sello
Answer: 2
Explanation: Elizabeth says this, reflecting her loneliness and
alienation.
Q.44 Tom and
Elizabeth disagree mainly on:
1. Gardening
techniques
2. Political
ideologies (especially the Black Panthers)
3. Religion
4. Food preferences
Answer: 2
Explanation: Their disagreements reflect differing political
viewpoints.
Q.45 The motif of
“rainy season” in the novel symbolizes:
1. Only destruction
2. Both life-giving
fertility
3. Political change
4. Financial profit
Answer: 2
Explanation: Rain symbolizes both renewal and emotional intensity.
Q.46 The Osiris
myth alluded to in the novel represents:
1. Eternal war
2. Fragmentation and
reintegration of the self
3. Wealth
accumulation
4. Marriage customs
Answer: 2
Explanation: The myth reflects Elizabeth’s psychological
fragmentation and healing.
Q.47 A major
feminist concern in the novel is:
1. Celebration of
polygamy
2. Critique of male
sexual domination and objectification of women
3. Rejection of all
female friendships
4. Support for
traditional gender roles
Answer: 2
Explanation: The novel strongly criticizes patriarchal oppression.
Q.48 The
“brotherhood of man” concept in the novel promotes:
1. Male superiority
2. Universal humanism
beyond race, gender, and nationality
3. African
nationalism only
4. Religious
fundamentalism
Answer: 2
Explanation: The idea emphasizes equality and shared humanity.
Q.49 “It was in
Botswana where, mentally, the normal and the abnormal blended completely…” This
line refers to:
1. The peaceful
village life
2. Elizabeth’s
psychological state
3. Botswana’s weather
4. The garden’s
success
Answer: 2
Explanation: The line describes Elizabeth’s disturbed mental
condition.
Q.50 “Be the same
as others in heart; just be a person.” This statement by Sello emphasizes the
theme of:
1. Power and
domination
2. Equality and
humanism
3. Revenge
4. Material success
Answer: 2
Explanation: Sello encourages simple humanity and equality among
people.
Q.51 In which
city was A Question of Power first published?
1. Cape Town
2. London
3. Johannesburg
4. Gaborone
Answer: 2
Explanation: The novel was first published in London, England, in
1973.
Q.52
Encyclopaedia Britannica describes A Question of Power as a:
1. Political satire
2. Frankly
autobiographical account of disorientation and paranoia
3. Historical romance
4. Detective thriller
Answer: 2
Explanation: Britannica highlights the autobiographical and
psychological nature of the novel.
Q.53 The
narrative point of view of the novel is mainly:
1. First-person
narration
2. Omniscient
narration
3. Third-person
limited following Elizabeth
4. Second-person
narration
Answer: 3
Explanation: The novel closely follows Elizabeth’s inner
experiences through third-person limited narration.
Q.54 Which
literary technique is heavily used in A Question of Power to create a
disorienting effect?
1. Realism only
2. Satire
3. Surrealism and
magical realism
4. Pastoral comedy
Answer: 3
Explanation: Head uses surreal and magical realist elements to
portray Elizabeth’s mental turmoil.
Q.55 Elizabeth’s
biological father is described as a:
1. Politician
2. Stable boy
3. Missionary
4. Teacher
Answer: 2
Explanation: Elizabeth’s father was a Black stable boy in
apartheid South Africa.
Q.56 Elizabeth’s
mother dies by:
1. Illness
2. Execution
3. Suicide
4. Starvation
Answer: 3
Explanation: Elizabeth’s mother dies by suicide while
institutionalized.
Q.57 The
psychiatric hospital where Elizabeth’s mother was confined was called:
1. Green House
2. White Hall
3. Red House
4. Blue Cottage
Answer: 3
Explanation: The hospital was named the Red House because of its
red roof.
Q.58 Elizabeth’s
foster parents belong to which community?
1. British settlers
2. Boer community
3. Indian traders
4. French
missionaries
Answer: 2
Explanation: A Boer couple initially takes care of Elizabeth.
Q.59 At what age
is Elizabeth sent to the mission school?
1. 10
2. 13
3. 16
4. 18
Answer: 2
Explanation: Elizabeth is sent to the mission school at the age of
thirteen.
Q.60 The mission
school principal reveals to Elizabeth the truth about:
1. Her son
2. Her husband
3. Her biological
parents
4. Her citizenship
Answer: 3
Explanation: Elizabeth learns about her parents and her mother’s
institutionalization.
Q.61 Elizabeth
describes her husband as a:
1. Farmer
2. Saint
3. Gangster
4. Politician
Answer: 3
Explanation: Elizabeth refers to her husband as a “gangster.”
Q.62 The school
board asks Elizabeth to provide proof of:
1. Citizenship
2. Financial
stability
3. Mental sanity
4. Marriage
certificate
Answer: 3
Explanation: The school demands a certificate declaring her
mentally sane.
Q.63 Which crop
especially becomes associated with Elizabeth in the garden project?
1. Maize
2. Pumpkin
3. Cape Gooseberry
4. Cotton
Answer: 3
Explanation: Elizabeth becomes closely associated with Cape
Gooseberry cultivation.
Q.64 Kenosi is
especially admired for being:
1. Wealthy
2. A skilled singer
3. Hardworking and
dependable
4. Politically
influential
Answer: 3
Explanation: Kenosi is valued for her dedication and reliability
in the garden project.
Q.65 Tom is a
volunteer from:
1. England
2. Canada
3. America
4. Australia
Answer: 3
Explanation: Tom is an American Peace Corps volunteer.
Q.66 Tom studied ________ in college.
1. Literature
2. Agriculture
3. Engineering
4. Medicine
Answer: 2
Explanation: Tom earned a degree in agriculture.
Q.67 Camilla is
nicknamed:
1. Silent Bird
2. Iron Lady
3. Rattle Tongue
4. White Queen
Answer: 3
Explanation: Camilla is called “Rattle Tongue” because she talks
excessively.
Q.68 Which
character is known for harvesting huge pumpkins?
1. Mrs. Jones
2. Camilla
3. Thoko
4. Birgette
Answer: 3
Explanation: Thoko is famous for her large and successful pumpkin
harvests.
Q.69 Mr. Grahame
belongs to which religious group?
1. Catholics
2. Quakers
3. Protestants
4. Buddhists
Answer: 2
Explanation: Mr. Grahame is described as a Quaker.
Q.70 The
“nice-time girls” in Dan’s visions mainly symbolize:
1. Innocence
2. Rural traditions
3. Sexual
exploitation and humiliation
4. National freedom
Answer: 3
Explanation: Dan’s harem symbolizes objectification and abusive
power.
Q.71 Dan is often
associated with which figure?
1. Buddha
2. Christ
3. Lucifer/Satan
4. Osiris
Answer: 3
Explanation: Dan symbolizes absolute evil and Satan-like
corruption.
Q.72 Which figure
in Elizabeth’s hallucinations hurls thunderbolts at her?
1. Kenosi
2. Medusa
3. Mrs. Jones
4. Birgette
Answer: 2
Explanation: Medusa attacks Elizabeth with thunderbolts in her
visions.
Q.73 Sello
believes people should be free to:
1. Dominate others
2. Rule Africa
3. Grow and develop
4. Avoid
relationships
Answer: 3
Explanation: Sello promotes personal freedom and growth.
Q.74 The
villagers are suspicious of the cooperative shop because:
1. It sells foreign
goods
2. It earns too
little money
3. It is controlled
by politicians
4. It excludes women
Answer: 2
Explanation: The villagers worry because the shop generates very
little profit.
Q.75 Elizabeth
compares the Black Panthers’ militaristic image to:
1. Democracy
2. Colonialism
3. Nazism
4. Buddhism
Answer: 3
Explanation: Elizabeth criticizes their militant style by
comparing it to Nazism.
Q.76 Which
quality best describes Eugene?
1. Cruel and selfish
2. Practical and
philanthropic
3. Lazy and careless
4. Jealous and
manipulative
Answer: 2
Explanation: Eugene supports community projects and helps
Elizabeth practically.
Q.77 The phrase
“brotherhood of man” in the novel emphasizes:
1. Tribal loyalty
2. Universal human
unity
3. Male authority
4. Religious
hierarchy
Answer: 2
Explanation: The phrase reflects the novel’s humanistic
philosophy.
Q.78 Elizabeth’s
hallucinations mainly occur during:
1. Morning gardening
2. Nighttime
3. School hours
4. Rainstorms only
Answer: 2
Explanation: Her visions and psychological torment intensify at
night.
Q.79 Which motif
symbolizes both renewal and emotional chaos in the novel?
1. Wind
2. Rainy season
3. Firewood
4. Mountains
Answer: 2
Explanation: Rain represents both fertility and overwhelming
emotion.
Q.80 The final
peace Elizabeth achieves suggests the triumph of:
1. Political power
2. Wealth and success
3. Humanism, love,
and community
4. Religious
authority
Answer: 3
Explanation: Elizabeth ultimately finds healing through humanity,
love, and communal life.
MCQs
on A Question of Power
Q.1 A Question of
Power is a ________ novel.
1. Purely fictional
2. Semi-autobiographical
3. Historical romance
4. Science fiction
Answer: 2
Explanation: The novel is based partly on Bessie Head’s own life
experiences and psychological struggles.
Q.2 Bessie Head
wrote A Question of Power while living in:
1. South Africa
2. Botswana
3. England
4. USA
Answer: 2
Explanation: Bessie Head wrote the novel during her years of exile
in Botswana.
Q.3 The novel is
heavily influenced by Bessie Head’s own experiences of:
1. Wealth and
privilege
2. Racial identity
crisis, exile, and mental breakdown
3. Political success
in South Africa
4. Traditional
marriage in Botswana
Answer: 2
Explanation: The novel reflects her personal struggles with
identity, exile, and mental illness.
Q.4 The story is
set primarily in:
1. Johannesburg,
South Africa
2. Motabeng village,
Botswana
3. Cape Town
4. Gaborone
Answer: 2
Explanation: Most events in the novel take place in the village of
Motabeng in Botswana.
Q.5 A Question of
Power was published in:
1. 1968
2. 1971
3. 1973
4. 1977
Answer: 3
Explanation: The novel was first published in 1973.
Q.6 Elizabeth
moves to Botswana with her:
1. Husband
2. Young son
3. Foster mother
4. Sister
Answer: 2
Explanation: Elizabeth arrives in Botswana with her young son.
Q.7 Elizabeth
works in a:
1. Clothing factory
2. Cooperative
vegetable garden
3. Diamond mine
4. School as a
permanent teacher
Answer: 2
Explanation: The cooperative garden becomes an important source of
healing and purpose for Elizabeth.
Q.8 Elizabeth’s
first major mental breakdown occurs after:
1. A fight with
Kenosi
2. Shopping for a
radio with her son
3. Meeting Eugene
4. Reading a letter
from South Africa
Answer: 2
Explanation: The incident involving the radio triggers Elizabeth’s
severe mental crisis.
Q.9 Who helps
take care of Elizabeth’s son during her hospitalization?
1. Dan and Medusa
2. Eugene and his
wife
3. Sello
4. Mrs. Jones
Answer: 2
Explanation: Eugene and his wife support Elizabeth by caring for
her son.
Q.10 The novel
ends with Elizabeth declaring:
1. “Power is
everything.”
2. “There is only one
God and his name is Man.”
3. “I must return to
South Africa.”
4. “Dan is my
saviour.”
Answer: 2
Explanation: This statement expresses the novel’s humanistic
philosophy.
Q.11 Dan’s
“harem” consists of how many women?
1. 21
2. 71
3. 100
4. 7
Answer: 2
Explanation: Dan’s imagined harem of seventy-one women symbolizes
sexual domination and corruption.
Q.12 The final
resolution of Elizabeth’s suffering comes through:
1. Returning to South
Africa
2. Complete isolation
3. Community work in
the garden + spiritual insight
4. Marriage to Tom
Answer: 3
Explanation: Healing comes through meaningful work and
self-realization.
Q.13 The
protagonist of the novel is:
1. Kenosi
2. Elizabeth
3. Medusa
4. Thoko
Answer: 2
Explanation: Elizabeth is the central character around whom the
story revolves.
Q.14 Which
character represents tyrannical, hyper-masculine, and evil power?
1. Sello
2. Dan
3. Eugene
4. Tom
Answer: 2
Explanation: Dan symbolizes cruelty, domination, and destructive
masculinity.
Q.15 Medusa is a
symbol of:
1. Kindness and
motherhood
2. Destructive female
power and domination
3. Political
leadership
4. Religious purity
Answer: 2
Explanation: Medusa represents hatred, jealousy, and destructive
femininity.
Q.16 Elizabeth’s
closest friend and ideal work partner in the garden is:
1. Tom
2. Kenosi
3. Mrs. Jones
4. Thoko
Answer: 2
Explanation: Kenosi provides friendship, understanding, and
emotional support.
Q.17 Sello
appears in two forms — one real and one:
1. As a child
2. As a
supernatural/hallucinatory figure
3. As a woman
4. As Elizabeth’s
father
Answer: 2
Explanation: Sello appears both as a real person and as a
spiritual or hallucinatory presence.
Q.18 Elizabeth’s
son is affectionately called:
1. Shorty / The small
boy
2. Little Prophet
3. Dan’s son
4. The gardener
Answer: 1
Explanation: Elizabeth lovingly refers to her son as “Shorty” or
“the small boy.”
Q.19 The central
theme of A Question of Power is:
1. The glory of war
2. The nature and
abuse of power
3. The beauty of
Botswana wildlife
4. Traditional
marriage customs
Answer: 2
Explanation: The novel examines how power can corrupt and destroy
human relationships.
Q.20 Which theme
is explored through the contrast between night (hallucinations) and day (garden
work)?
1. Internal world vs
External world
2. Rich vs Poor
3. Men vs Women
4. Past vs Future
Answer: 1
Explanation: The contrast highlights Elizabeth’s inner turmoil and
outer reality.
Q.21 The novel
strongly advocates for:
1. Racial superiority
2. Radical humanism
and the “brotherhood of man”
3. Return to
apartheid
4. Complete isolation
Answer: 2
Explanation: The novel promotes equality, compassion, and shared
humanity.
Q.22 Mental
breakdown in the novel is portrayed as:
1. Only a medical
illness
2. A painful path to
self-discovery and spiritual growth
3. A sign of weakness
4. Caused only by
supernatural forces
Answer: 2
Explanation: Elizabeth’s suffering ultimately leads to deeper
understanding and growth.
Q.23 A major
theme is the critique of:
1. Farming practices
2. Patriarchal and
tyrannical power (including sexual domination)
3. Vegetable
gardening
4. Friendship between
women
Answer: 2
Explanation: The novel criticizes abusive male authority and
exploitation.
Q.24 The
vegetable garden symbolizes:
1. Destruction
2. Healing, growth,
community, and belonging
3. Political
rebellion
4. Loneliness
Answer: 2
Explanation: The garden represents emotional recovery and social
connection.
Q.25 The
“Cesspit” shown by Sello symbolizes:
1. Hell
2. Purification and
disposal of evil
3. Wealth
4. Colonial history
Answer: 2
Explanation: The cesspit symbolizes cleansing and removal of
corruption.
Q.26 Crowns worn
by Sello and Dan symbolize:
1. Marriage
2. The seductive and
dangerous nature of power
3. Traditional
kingship
4. Fashion
Answer: 2
Explanation: Crowns symbolize authority and the temptation of
power.
Q.27 The
recurring motif of “blurring of normal and abnormal” refers to:
1. The mixing of
reality and hallucination
2. Weather changes in
Botswana
3. Language barriers
4. Cooking styles
Answer: 1
Explanation: Elizabeth’s experiences blur the line between sanity
and madness.
Q.28 “Love is two
people mutually feeding each other, not one living on the soul of the other
like a ghoul.” This quote defines:
1. Dan’s philosophy
2. The ideal form of
love according to Sello
3. Medusa’s belief
4. Elizabeth’s
initial view
Answer: 2
Explanation: Sello explains that true love is based on mutual
support and respect.
Q.29 “There is
only one God and his name is Man. And Elizabeth is his prophet.” This line
represents:
1. Elizabeth’s moment
of complete despair
2. Elizabeth’s final
humanistic realization
3. Sello’s warning
4. Dan’s declaration
Answer: 2
Explanation: The line expresses the novel’s belief in human
dignity and unity.
Q.30 “If the
things of the soul are really a question of power, then anyone in possession of
power of the spirit could be Lucifer.” This quote highlights the novel’s
concern with:
1. The dual nature
and danger of power
2. The beauty of
spiritual life
3. The weakness of
human beings
4. The power of
farming
Answer: 1
Explanation: The quote warns about the corrupting influence of
spiritual or psychological power.
Q.31 A Question
of Power is considered one of the earliest African novels to openly explore:
1. Detective fiction
2. Female mental
illness and psychological breakdown
3. Traditional oral
storytelling
4. Adventure and
hunting
Answer: 2
Explanation: The novel courageously addresses women’s
psychological suffering.
Q.32 Bessie
Head’s personal experience that most closely mirrors Elizabeth’s in the novel
is:
1. Her life as a
wealthy landowner
2. Her mixed-race
identity, exile from South Africa, and mental breakdowns
3. Her career as a
politician in Botswana
4. Her education in
Europe
Answer: 2
Explanation: Elizabeth’s experiences strongly resemble Bessie
Head’s own life.
Q.33 The novel
was written during a time when Bessie Head was struggling with:
1. Fame and success
2. Isolation,
poverty, and mental health issues in Botswana
3. A happy marriage
4. Returning to South
Africa
Answer: 2
Explanation: Head faced severe emotional and financial
difficulties while writing the novel.
Q.34 Which
real-life project in Serowe, Botswana, inspired the cooperative garden in the
novel?
1. A government
diamond mine
2. Agricultural
development projects run by refugees and volunteers
3. A luxury hotel
4. A military
training camp
Answer: 2
Explanation: The garden project was inspired by agricultural
development work in Botswana.
Q.35 The novel is
often classified under which literary genres?
1. Romance and Comedy
2. Postcolonial,
Feminist, and Psychological fiction
3. Science Fiction
and Fantasy
4. Crime Thriller
Answer: 2
Explanation: The novel combines postcolonial, feminist, and
psychological themes.
Q.36 Elizabeth is
dismissed from her teaching job because the school demands:
1. A higher salary
2. A medical
certificate declaring her “sane”
3. A Botswana
passport
4. Political loyalty
Answer: 2
Explanation: The school authorities insist on proof of her mental
stability.
Q.37 After her
second major breakdown, Elizabeth is taken to:
1. A prison
2. A psychiatric
hospital
3. South Africa
4. Eugene’s house
permanently
Answer: 2
Explanation: Elizabeth is hospitalized for psychiatric treatment.
Q.38 What event
immediately precedes Elizabeth’s peaceful resolution?
1. Dan’s permanent
disappearance and Sello’s final explanation
2. Her return to
South Africa
3. Marriage to Tom
4. Kenosi leaving the
garden
Answer: 1
Explanation: The disappearance of disturbing hallucinations helps
Elizabeth regain peace.
Q.39 Elizabeth
posts a public note accusing Sello of:
1. Being a thief
2. Being a child
molester
3. Stealing from the
garden
4. Supporting
apartheid
Answer: 2
Explanation: During her disturbed state, Elizabeth wrongly accuses
Sello publicly.
Q.40 The “small
boy” (Elizabeth’s son) contributes to the ending by:
1. Running away
2. Writing a poem
3. Becoming friends
with Dan
4. Leaving for South
Africa
Answer: 2
Explanation: The child’s poem contributes to the hopeful
conclusion of the novel.
Q.41 Eugene
represents:
1. Tyrannical power
2. Practical help,
kindness, and community leadership
3. Hallucinatory evil
4. Racial hatred
Answer: 2
Explanation: Eugene symbolizes generosity and supportive
leadership.
Q.42 Mrs. Jones
is:
1. A hallucinatory
figure
2. An elderly English
volunteer who is wrongly accused by Elizabeth
3. Elizabeth’s
biological mother
4. Kenosi’s sister
Answer: 2
Explanation: Mrs. Jones is a kind volunteer who suffers from
Elizabeth’s suspicions.
Q.43 Which
character says, “I don’t care whether people like me or not. I am used to
isolation”?
1. Kenosi
2. Elizabeth
3. Dan
4. Sello
Answer: 2
Explanation: Elizabeth says this, reflecting her loneliness and
alienation.
Q.44 Tom and
Elizabeth disagree mainly on:
1. Gardening
techniques
2. Political
ideologies (especially the Black Panthers)
3. Religion
4. Food preferences
Answer: 2
Explanation: Their disagreements reflect differing political
viewpoints.
Q.45 The motif of
“rainy season” in the novel symbolizes:
1. Only destruction
2. Both life-giving
fertility
3. Political change
4. Financial profit
Answer: 2
Explanation: Rain symbolizes both renewal and emotional intensity.
Q.46 The Osiris
myth alluded to in the novel represents:
1. Eternal war
2. Fragmentation and
reintegration of the self
3. Wealth
accumulation
4. Marriage customs
Answer: 2
Explanation: The myth reflects Elizabeth’s psychological
fragmentation and healing.
Q.47 A major
feminist concern in the novel is:
1. Celebration of
polygamy
2. Critique of male
sexual domination and objectification of women
3. Rejection of all
female friendships
4. Support for
traditional gender roles
Answer: 2
Explanation: The novel strongly criticizes patriarchal oppression.
Q.48 The
“brotherhood of man” concept in the novel promotes:
1. Male superiority
2. Universal humanism
beyond race, gender, and nationality
3. African
nationalism only
4. Religious
fundamentalism
Answer: 2
Explanation: The idea emphasizes equality and shared humanity.
Q.49 “It was in
Botswana where, mentally, the normal and the abnormal blended completely…” This
line refers to:
1. The peaceful
village life
2. Elizabeth’s
psychological state
3. Botswana’s weather
4. The garden’s
success
Answer: 2
Explanation: The line describes Elizabeth’s disturbed mental
condition.
Q.50 “Be the same
as others in heart; just be a person.” This statement by Sello emphasizes the
theme of:
1. Power and
domination
2. Equality and
humanism
3. Revenge
4. Material success
Answer: 2
Explanation: Sello encourages simple humanity and equality among
people.
Q.51 In which
city was A Question of Power first published?
1. Cape Town
2. London
3. Johannesburg
4. Gaborone
Answer: 2
Explanation: The novel was first published in London, England, in
1973.
Q.52
Encyclopaedia Britannica describes A Question of Power as a:
1. Political satire
2. Frankly
autobiographical account of disorientation and paranoia
3. Historical romance
4. Detective thriller
Answer: 2
Explanation: Britannica highlights the autobiographical and
psychological nature of the novel.
Q.53 The
narrative point of view of the novel is mainly:
1. First-person
narration
2. Omniscient
narration
3. Third-person
limited following Elizabeth
4. Second-person
narration
Answer: 3
Explanation: The novel closely follows Elizabeth’s inner
experiences through third-person limited narration.
Q.54 Which
literary technique is heavily used in A Question of Power to create a
disorienting effect?
1. Realism only
2. Satire
3. Surrealism and
magical realism
4. Pastoral comedy
Answer: 3
Explanation: Head uses surreal and magical realist elements to
portray Elizabeth’s mental turmoil.
Q.55 Elizabeth’s
biological father is described as a:
1. Politician
2. Stable boy
3. Missionary
4. Teacher
Answer: 2
Explanation: Elizabeth’s father was a Black stable boy in
apartheid South Africa.
Q.56 Elizabeth’s
mother dies by:
1. Illness
2. Execution
3. Suicide
4. Starvation
Answer: 3
Explanation: Elizabeth’s mother dies by suicide while
institutionalized.
Q.57 The
psychiatric hospital where Elizabeth’s mother was confined was called:
1. Green House
2. White Hall
3. Red House
4. Blue Cottage
Answer: 3
Explanation: The hospital was named the Red House because of its
red roof.
Q.58 Elizabeth’s
foster parents belong to which community?
1. British settlers
2. Boer community
3. Indian traders
4. French
missionaries
Answer: 2
Explanation: A Boer couple initially takes care of Elizabeth.
Q.59 At what age
is Elizabeth sent to the mission school?
1. 10
2. 13
3. 16
4. 18
Answer: 2
Explanation: Elizabeth is sent to the mission school at the age of
thirteen.
Q.60 The mission
school principal reveals to Elizabeth the truth about:
1. Her son
2. Her husband
3. Her biological
parents
4. Her citizenship
Answer: 3
Explanation: Elizabeth learns about her parents and her mother’s
institutionalization.
Q.61 Elizabeth
describes her husband as a:
1. Farmer
2. Saint
3. Gangster
4. Politician
Answer: 3
Explanation: Elizabeth refers to her husband as a “gangster.”
Q.62 The school
board asks Elizabeth to provide proof of:
1. Citizenship
2. Financial
stability
3. Mental sanity
4. Marriage
certificate
Answer: 3
Explanation: The school demands a certificate declaring her
mentally sane.
Q.63 Which crop
especially becomes associated with Elizabeth in the garden project?
1. Maize
2. Pumpkin
3. Cape Gooseberry
4. Cotton
Answer: 3
Explanation: Elizabeth becomes closely associated with Cape
Gooseberry cultivation.
Q.64 Kenosi is
especially admired for being:
1. Wealthy
2. A skilled singer
3. Hardworking and
dependable
4. Politically
influential
Answer: 3
Explanation: Kenosi is valued for her dedication and reliability
in the garden project.
Q.65 Tom is a
volunteer from:
1. England
2. Canada
3. America
4. Australia
Answer: 3
Explanation: Tom is an American Peace Corps volunteer.
Q.66 Tom studied ________ in college.
1. Literature
2. Agriculture
3. Engineering
4. Medicine
Answer: 2
Explanation: Tom earned a degree in agriculture.
Q.67 Camilla is
nicknamed:
1. Silent Bird
2. Iron Lady
3. Rattle Tongue
4. White Queen
Answer: 3
Explanation: Camilla is called “Rattle Tongue” because she talks
excessively.
Q.68 Which
character is known for harvesting huge pumpkins?
1. Mrs. Jones
2. Camilla
3. Thoko
4. Birgette
Answer: 3
Explanation: Thoko is famous for her large and successful pumpkin
harvests.
Q.69 Mr. Grahame
belongs to which religious group?
1. Catholics
2. Quakers
3. Protestants
4. Buddhists
Answer: 2
Explanation: Mr. Grahame is described as a Quaker.
Q.70 The
“nice-time girls” in Dan’s visions mainly symbolize:
1. Innocence
2. Rural traditions
3. Sexual
exploitation and humiliation
4. National freedom
Answer: 3
Explanation: Dan’s harem symbolizes objectification and abusive
power.
Q.71 Dan is often
associated with which figure?
1. Buddha
2. Christ
3. Lucifer/Satan
4. Osiris
Answer: 3
Explanation: Dan symbolizes absolute evil and Satan-like
corruption.
Q.72 Which figure
in Elizabeth’s hallucinations hurls thunderbolts at her?
1. Kenosi
2. Medusa
3. Mrs. Jones
4. Birgette
Answer: 2
Explanation: Medusa attacks Elizabeth with thunderbolts in her
visions.
Q.73 Sello
believes people should be free to:
1. Dominate others
2. Rule Africa
3. Grow and develop
4. Avoid
relationships
Answer: 3
Explanation: Sello promotes personal freedom and growth.
Q.74 The
villagers are suspicious of the cooperative shop because:
1. It sells foreign
goods
2. It earns too
little money
3. It is controlled
by politicians
4. It excludes women
Answer: 2
Explanation: The villagers worry because the shop generates very
little profit.
Q.75 Elizabeth
compares the Black Panthers’ militaristic image to:
1. Democracy
2. Colonialism
3. Nazism
4. Buddhism
Answer: 3
Explanation: Elizabeth criticizes their militant style by
comparing it to Nazism.
Q.76 Which
quality best describes Eugene?
1. Cruel and selfish
2. Practical and
philanthropic
3. Lazy and careless
4. Jealous and
manipulative
Answer: 2
Explanation: Eugene supports community projects and helps
Elizabeth practically.
Q.77 The phrase
“brotherhood of man” in the novel emphasizes:
1. Tribal loyalty
2. Universal human
unity
3. Male authority
4. Religious
hierarchy
Answer: 2
Explanation: The phrase reflects the novel’s humanistic
philosophy.
Q.78 Elizabeth’s
hallucinations mainly occur during:
1. Morning gardening
2. Nighttime
3. School hours
4. Rainstorms only
Answer: 2
Explanation: Her visions and psychological torment intensify at
night.
Q.79 Which motif
symbolizes both renewal and emotional chaos in the novel?
1. Wind
2. Rainy season
3. Firewood
4. Mountains
Answer: 2
Explanation: Rain represents both fertility and overwhelming
emotion.
Q.80 The final
peace Elizabeth achieves suggests the triumph of:
1. Political power
2. Wealth and success
3. Humanism, love,
and community
4. Religious
authority
Answer: 3
Explanation: Elizabeth ultimately finds healing through humanity,
love, and communal life.