MCQs- "Untouchable" novel by Mulk Raj Anand

MCQs- Untouchable

1. The novel follows a single day in the life of:

A. Bakha

B. Rakha

C. Lakha

D. Ram Charan

Answer: Bakha

 

2. Untouchable was published in:

A. 1930

B. 1935

C. 1940

D. 1943

Answer: 1935

 

3. What was the age of Bakha?

A. 18 years

B. 16 years

C. 21 years

D. 17 years

Answer: A. 18 years

 

4. Who wrote the preface to Untouchable?

A. Mahatma Gandhi

B. E.M. Forster

C. W.B. Yeats

D. Walt Whitman

Answer: B. E.M. Forster

 

5. Who is the protagonist of Untouchable?

A. Bakha

B. Sohini

C. Havildar Charat Singh

D. Colonel Hutchinson

Answer: A. Bakha

 

6. What was the name of Bakha's sister?

A. Gulabo

B. Waziro

C. Mohini

D. Sohini

Answer: D. Sohini

 

7. Who sexually molests Sohini?

A. Pandit Kali Nath

B. Ram Charan

C. Charat Singh

D. Colonel Huchinson

Answer: A. Pandit Kali Nath

 

8. Who was Bakha?

A. Havildar

B. Player

C. Pandit

D. Toilet-cleaner

Answer: D. Toilet-cleaner

 

9.What are "Tommies"?

A. Indian soldiers

B. British hockey players

C. British women

D. British private soldiers

Answer: D. British private soldiers

 

10.Who is Bakha’s father?

A. Ram Charan

B. Colonel Hutchinson

C. Lakha

D. Havildar Charat Singh

Answer: C. Lakha

 

11. What is Bakha's caste?

A. Brahmin

B. Kshatriya

C. Vaishya

D. Untouchable

Answer: D. Untouchable

 

12. What is the main theme of the novel "Untouchable"?

A. Love and romance

B. Caste discrimination

C. Political revolution

D. Religious fanaticism

Answer: B. Caste discrimination

 

13. What is Bakha's father's profession?

A. Jamadar of sweepers

B. Farmer

C. Priest

D. Cobbler

Answer: A. Jamadar of sweepers

 

14. Where is the setting of Untouchable?

A. Amritsar

B. Sharanpur

C. Agra

D. Bulandshahr

Answer: Bulandshahr (Fictionalized as "Bulashah")

 

15. Who gave hockey sticks to Bakha?

A. Lakha

B. Hutchinson

C. Havildar Charat Singh

D. Rakha

Answer: Havildar Charat Singh

 

16. What does "Kala admi zamin par hagne wala" mean?

A. "Black man, you who relieve yourself on the ground."

B. "Black man, you who live in squalor."

C. "Black man, you who squat in the road."

D. "Black man, you who lives amongst the dirt and animals."

Answer: A. "Black man, you who relieve yourself on the ground."

 

17. Who is the famous hockey player in the novel?

A. Havildar Charat Singh

B. Bakha

C. Lakha

D. Pandit Kali Nath

Answer: A. Havildar Charat Singh

 

18. Why does Bakha love European clothing?

A. It is more affordable than Indian clothing.

B. He is too tall for most Indian clothing.

C. He thinks wearing it makes him a sahib too.

D. He thinks it helps to disguise his untouchability.

Answer: C. He thinks wearing it makes him a sahib too.

 

19. Who fell in love with Sohini?

A. Chota

B. Ram Charan

C. Havildar Charat Singh

D. Lachman

Answer: D. Lachman

 

20. Who successfully gets Bakha to wake up completely?

A. Ramanand

B. Lakha

C. Charat Singh

D. Sohini

Answer: C. Charat Singh

 

21. What was the name of Bakha's younger brother?

A. Lakha

B. Rakha

C. Ram Charan

D. Bholu

Answer: B. Rakha

 

22. Who was inspired by Mulk Raj Anand's Untouchable?

A. J.L. Nehru

B. T.S. Eliot

C. Mahatma Gandhi

D. Sardar Patel

Answer: C. Mahatma Gandhi

 

23. Why does Gulabo hate Sohini?

A. Sohini is always rude to her.

B. Sohini broke her son's heart.

C. She's jealous of Sohini's beauty.

D. Sohini is higher than her in the class hierarchy.

Answer: C. She's jealous of Sohini's beauty.

 

24. What illness does Lakha fake to get out of his sweeper duties?

A. A sore knee

B. A terrible cold

C. Difficulty breathing

D. A pain in his side

Answer: D. A pain in his side

 

25. Who helps Sohini fill her water bucket?

A. A priest of the town temple

B. A sahib

C. A Hindu water-carrier

D. A sepoy

Answer: A. A priest of the town temple

 

26. The different clothing of the Indian men best illustrates which theme?

A. Cyclical oppression

B. Class struggle

C. You are what you wear

D. Religion

Answer: C. You are what you wear

 

27. What literary element is illustrated in: "The burning flame seemed to ally itself with him..."?

A. Repetition

B. Alliteration

C. Structure

D. Parallelism

Answer: A. Repetition

 

28. Who is Waziro?

A. The leather maker's wife

B. Chota's mother

C. The weaver's wife

D. Gulabo's sister

Answer: C. The weaver's wife

 

29. Why is Bakha enamored with the Tommies?

A. He is impressed by their military prowess

B. He loves their clothes

C. He has received money and food from them

D. He was treated well when he worked for them

Answer: D. He was treated well when he worked for them

 

30. The structure of Untouchable most closely aligns with which classical model?

A. The Hero’s Journey

B. The Three-Act Structure

C. The Aristotelian Unity (Time, Place, Action)

D. The Bildungsroman

Answer: C. The Aristotelian Unity (Time, Place, Action)

 

31. Why is Bakha considered "untouchable"?

A. Because he committed a crime

B. Due to his caste (born into the Bhangi caste)

C. Because he refused to follow traditions

D. Because he is a foreigner

Answer: B. Due to his caste (born into the Bhangi caste)

 

32. What incident causes Bakha to be humiliated in the market?

A. He steals food

B. He touches a high-caste man

C. He begs for money

D. He insults a Brahmin

Answer: B. He touches a high-caste man

 

33. How does Bakha dream of escaping his low status?

A. By becoming a priest

B. By adopting Western clothing and manners

C. By moving to another country

D. By marrying a higher-caste woman

Answer: B. By adopting Western clothing and manners

 

34. What is the setting of Untouchable?

A. A single day in Bakha’s life

B. A year in Bakha’s childhood

C. A week during a festival

D. A month of political unrest

Answer: A. A single day in Bakha’s life

 

35. What does the priest accuse Bakha of at the temple?

A. Stealing shoes

B. Polluting the temple

C. Eating sacred food

D. Sleeping on the steps

Answer: B. Polluting the temple

 

36. How is Untouchable structurally unique compared to traditional novels?

A. It uses numbered chapters with titles

B. It's divided into vignette-like sections covering one day

C. It follows multiple characters over decades

D. It's written entirely in verse

Answer: B. It's divided into vignette-like sections covering one day

 

37. Which character sexually harasses Bakha’s sister, Sohini?

A. Havildar Charat Singh

B. Priest Kalinath

C. Colonel Hutchinson

D. The money-lender

Answer: B. Priest Kalinath

 

38. What does the novel criticize most sharply?

A. British colonialism

B. The caste system

C. Religious diversity

D. Industrialization

Answer: B. The caste system

 

39. What does Bakha’s father, Lakha, represent?

A. Resistance to British rule

B. Acceptance of the caste system’s oppression

C. Religious devotion

D. Westernization

Answer: B. Acceptance of the caste system’s oppression

 

39. Why does Sohini go to the temple?

A. To pray for her family

B. The priest Kali Nath summoned her to clean

C. To protest caste discrimination

D. To deliver food offerings

Answer: B. The priest Kali Nath summoned her to clean

 

40. What literary style is Untouchable written in?

A. Surrealism

B. Stream-of-consciousness

C. Epic poetry

D. Satire

Answer: B. Stream-of-consciousness

 

41. What historical period does the novel reflect?

A. The Bengal Renaissance

B. The Indian Independence Movement

C. The Green Revolution

D. The Emergency

Answer: B. The Indian Independence Movement

 

42. Which character gives Bakha a hockey stick, showing rare kindness?

A. Priest Kalinath

B. Havildar Charat Singh

C. Colonel Hutchinson

D. The money-lender

Answer: B. Havildar Charat Singh

 

43. The recurring image of latrines symbolizes:

A. Spiritual purification

B. The inescapable stigma of caste

C. British modernization

D. Agricultural progress

Answer: B. The inescapable stigma of caste

 

44. The novel explicitly critiques:

A. British economic policies

B. The caste system's dehumanization

C. Muslim-Hindu conflicts

D. Industrialization

Answer: B. The caste system's dehumanization

 

45. Bakha's friends Chota and Ram Charan:

A. Share his caste status exactly

B. Are slightly higher in caste hierarchy

C. Are British soldiers

D. Reject him after the temple incident

Answer: B. Are slightly higher in caste hierarchy

 

46. Gulabo's hatred of Sohini stems from:

A. Religious differences

B. Jealousy of her beauty

C. A property dispute

D. Sohini's British sympathies

Answer: B. Jealousy of her beauty

 

47. Charat Singh's behavior towards Bakha is best described as:

A. Petulant

B. Malicious

C. Kind

D. Condescending

Answer: D. Condescending

 

48. What does Lakha call his daughter when she returns home?

A. A whore

B. A bitch of a sweeper woman

C. A daughter of a pig

D. An ungrateful child

Answer: C. A daughter of a pig

 

49. Which word best describes Lakha calling his children "offspring of animals"?

A. Hypocritical

B. Comedic

C. Ironic

D. Paradoxical

Answer: C. Ironic

 

50. Gulabo's explosive anger at Sohini is an example of:

A. Understatement

B. Tone

C. Paradox

D. Hyperbole

Answer: D. Hyperbole

 

51. In the face of Gulabo's anger, Sohini:

A. Cowers in fear

B. Cries and asks for help

C. Snaps back at the woman

D. Asks her to leave her alone

Answer: D. Asks her to leave her alone

 

52. How does Lachman greet Pundit Kali Nath?

A. Saying "Jay deva" to him

B. Ignoring him

C. Asking for a blessing

D. Bowing to him

Answer: A. Saying "Jay deva" to him

 

53. Which is NOT an adjective used to describe Sohini?

A. Beautiful

B. Peaceful

C. Patient

D. Resilient

Answer: D. Resilient

 

54. What do Lakha and Gulabo have in common?

A. Their use of violent language

B. Their laziness

C. Their hypocrisy

D. Their caste level

Answer: A. Their use of violent language

 

55. The dependence of outcastes on high castes for water illustrates:

A. Cyclical oppression and Charity

B. Cyclical oppression and Religion

C. Charity and Religion

D. Charity and the Untouchable's burden

Answer: A. Cyclical oppression and Charity

 

56. Where does Lakha tell Bakha to clean today?

A. The outskirts of Bulashah

B. The latrines

C. The temple courtyard

D. A Brahmin's house

Answer: C. The temple courtyard

 

57. Why does Lakha bully his children?

A. He blames them for his wife's death

B. They treat him poorly

C. To keep them in line

D. To preserve his authority

Answer: D. To preserve his authority

 

58. Chota's father was a:

A. Toilet-cleaner

B. Leather worker

C. Washerman

D. Gardener

Answer: B. Leather worker (Chamar caste)

 

59. Who is the British officer Bakha encounters at the end of the novel?

A. Colonel Hutchinson

B. Major Williams

C. Captain Scott

D. Lieutenant Brown

Answer: A. Colonel Hutchinson

 

60.Who is the first person to show kindness to Bakha in the novel?

A. A high-caste woman

B. A British missionary

C. A group of fellow untouchables

D. A group of British soldiers

Answer: B. A British missionary

 

61. What does Bakha dream of doing instead of cleaning latrines?

A. Becoming a babu (clerk)

B. Being a hotel owner

C. Being a sweeper

D. Marrying a beautiful woman

Answer: A. Becoming a babu (clerk) (He aspires to wear European clothes and work as a clerk)

 

63. What do Bakha and Ram Charan eat at the wedding?

A. Sweet raisins

B. Prunes

C. Cookies

D. Sugar plums

Answer: A. Sweet raisins (Given as wedding treats)

 

64. How does Bakha respond to the priest assaulting Sohini?

A. Reports it to authorities

B. Nothing (due to caste fear)

C. Publicly shames him

D. Hits him

Answer: B. Nothing (due to caste fear) (He internalizes the injustice)

 

65.Which organization does Colonel Hutchinson represent?

A. The Salvation Army

B. Catholic Church

C. Anglican Mission

D. British Army

Answer: A. The Salvation Army (He's a Christian missionary)

 

66. Who gets married early in the novel?

A. Ram Charan's sister

B. Rakha

C. The priest

D. Sohini

Answer: A. Ram Charan's sister (The wedding Bakha attends)

 

67. How does Bakha feel seeing beggars ignored?

A. Saddened

B. Powerful

C. Content

D. Angered

Answer: D. Angered (Recognizes shared oppression)

 

68. What does Bakha buy at the market?

A. Broom

B. Fruits

C. Sweets (jalebis)

D. Vegetables

Answer: C. Sweets (jalebis)

 

69. What does Charat Singh ask Bakha to fetch?

A. Hockey stick

B. Hookah

C. Charcoal

D. Chapati

Answer: C. Charcoal (For his hookah)

 

70. How does Chota react to Sohini's assault?

A. Urges Bakha to fight

B. Wants to tell Lakha

C. Suggests police

D. Stays silent

Answer: A. Urges Bakha to fight (But Bakha refuses)

 

71. How does Ram Charan react to Sohini's assault?

A. Avoids discussing caste

B. Reports to police

C. Tells his sister

D. Confronts the priest

Answer: A. Avoids discussing caste (Shows caste complicity)

 

72. Where do Untouchables live?

A. Town outskirts

B. Temple alleys

C. Riverbanks

D. Forest edges

Answer: A. Town outskirts (Segregated from caste Hindus)

 

73. What work do lowest castes perform?

A. Sanitation

B. Farming

C. Weaving

D. Pottery

Answer: A. Sanitation

 

74. Who gives the speech on caste system in the village?

A. Gandhi

B. Nehru

C. A British officer

D. A local leader

Answer: A. Gandhi

 

75. Which historical figure’s ideas influence Bakha by the novel’s end?

A. Bhagat Singh

B. Jawaharlal Nehru

C. Mahatma Gandhi

D. B.R. Ambedkar

Answer: C. Mahatma Gandhi

 

76. What technological solution does the poet suggest?

A. Flush toilets

B. Tractors

C. Printing presses

D. Railways

Answer: A. Flush toilets

 

77. Who is the first person Bakha wants to tell about Gandhi's speech?

A. His sister

B. His father

C. His mother

D. His brother

Answer: B. His father (Lakha)

 

78. How does the novel end?

A. Bakha leaves his family to start a new life

B. Bakha hears Gandhi’s speech and feels hope for change

C. Bakha commits suicide

D. Bakha violently rebels against caste oppression

Answer: B. Bakha hears Gandhi’s speech and feels hope for change