Wise Children
Quiz questions on Chapter One
1. What kind of narrative voice is used in Wise Children?
first person
second person
third person omniscient
fourth person
2. Which of the adjectives below best describe Dora Chance’s narrative style?
Humourless and bitter
Informal, intimate, conversational and playful
Detached, formal and reliable
Semi-detached
3. How old is Dora Chance when the novel begins?
75
57
100
25
4. Where do Nora and Dora live?
49 Shakespeare Avenue
49 Hazard Lane
49 Bard Road
49 Chancey Place
5. What two signs are there that something exciting is going to happen to Nora
and Dora as the novel begins?
They lose their gloves
The river Thames floods
They receive an unusual phone call
The wind and the grandfather clock which uncharacteristically tells the right
time
6. Who or what is Wheelchair?
A talking wheelchair
An office chair with wheels
Lady Atalanta Hazard
My Lady Margarine
7. How, coincidentally, did both Ranulph and Estella and Melchior and his
third wife begin their relationships?
Both of the female characters were playing Desdemona and the male
characters were playing Othello
Both of the female characters were playing Cordelia and the male characters
were playing Lear
All of the characters were in a show singing, ‘I can’t give you anything but
love, baby’
Both pairs of characters met whilst walking in a park
© 2007 www.teachit.co.uk
7808.doc
Page 1 of 6
Wise Children
8. Which of the following characters have red hair?
Dora, Nora, Lady Atalanta and Melchior
Estella, Peregrine, Saskia, Imogen and Tristram
Wheelchair, Daisy Duck and Imogen
Melchior, Ranulph, Tristram and Gareth
9. Which of the following characters are identical twins?
Nora and Dora and Saskia and Imogen
Melchior and Peregrine and Dora and Nora
Gareth and Tristram
Gareth’s unnamed babies
10. Which of the following characters are fraternal twins?
Dora and Nora
Peregrine and Melchior, Gareth and Tristram and Gareth’s unnamed babies
Saskia and Imogen
Gareth and Tristram
11. How many pairs of twins are there in the novel?
3
4
5
6
12. What was the souvenir that Melchior ‘took away from the grand catastrophe
of his parents’ lives’?
A pasteboard crown that Ranulph wore for Lear made by Estella
A bunch of dried flowers used in Hamlet when Estella played Ophelia
The grandfather clock
A train ticket
13. What happened to Gareth when he reached adulthood?
He became a notorious actor and womaniser
He became a game show presenter
He became a butterfly keeper and explorer
He became a Jesuit missionary
14. What happened to Tristram when he reached adulthood?
He became a game show presenter
He became a butterfly keeper and explorer
He became a Jesuit missionary
He fell in love with Imogen
15. What, in Dora’s view, do Tristram and Gareth’s careers have in common?
‘They’re both to do with life and death’
‘Both of them require a lot of money’
‘Both of them promise you a free gift if you play the game.’
‘They both have a Christmas special’
© 2007 www.teachit.co.uk
7808.doc
Page 2 of 6
Wise Children
16. Who was Melchior’s first wife?
Lady Atalanta Hazard
Daisy Duck
Saskia
Grandma Chance
17. Who was Melchior’s second wife?
My Lady Margarine
Lady Atalanta Hazard
Delia Delaney (Daisy Duck)
Wheelchair
18. Who was Melchior’s third wife?
My Lady Margarine
Lady Atalanta Hazard
Delia Delaney
Daisy Duck
19. Which character is described as an ‘adventurer, magician, seducer,
explorer, scriptwriter, rich man, poor man …’?
Melchior
Peregrine
Gareth
Ranulph
20. Which character does Dora inform us later ‘vanishes among the butterflies’?
Gareth
Ranulph
Melchior
Peregrine
21. Which character had a ‘gift for exits’?
Estella
Pretty Kitty
Dora
Grandma Chance
22. Which character, in his youth was ‘all for art’?
Melchior
Peregrine
Tristram
Gareth
23. Which character in his youth was ‘out for fun’?
Melchior
Peregrine
Ranulph
Tristram
© 2007 www.teachit.co.uk
7808.doc
Page 3 of 6
Wise Children
24. Who ‘took to children like a duck to water’?
Grandma Chance
Nora
My Lady Margarine
Our Cyn
25. What was Grandma Chance’s motto?
‘A change is as good as a rest’
‘Better late than never’
‘One two three hop’
‘Hope for the best, expect the worst’
26. What is Tristram’s relationship with Nora and Dora?
He is their step brother (they have the same father)
Nora and Dora are his aunts
Tristram is Nora and Dora’s godson
Tristam is their step brother (they have the same mother)
27. Whose disappearance brings Tristram to Nora and Dora’s house in chapter 1?
Saskia’s
Tiffany’s
My Lady Margarine’s
Wheelchair’s
28. What relationship does Tristram have with Saskia?
They are step brother and sister but also lovers
They both star in the same TV game show
Saskia is Tristram’s mother
They are man and wife
29. In which play were Estella and Cassius Booth both, fittingly, performing
when they met their untimely ends?
King Lear
Hamlet
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Othello
30. How did Estella, Cassius Booth and Ranulph die?
In a train crash
Ranulph killed Estella, Cassius and then himself
In a theatrical fire whilst they were performing Hamlet
They died of old age
© 2007 www.teachit.co.uk
7808.doc
Page 4 of 6
Wise Children
Answers
Quiz questions on chapter one
1. What kind of narrative voice is used in Wise Children?
first person
2. Which of the adjectives below best describe Dora Chance’s narrative style?
Informal, intimate, conversational and playful
3. How old is Dora Chance when the novel begins?
75
4. Where do Nora and Dora live?
49 Bard Road
5. What two signs are there that something exciting is going to happen to Nora
and Dora as the novel begins?
The wind and the grandfather clock which uncharacteristically tells the right
time
6. Who or what is Wheelchair?
Lady Atalanta Hazard
7. How, coincidentally, did both Ranulph and Estella and Melchior and his
third wife begin their relationships?
Both of the female characters were playing Cordelia and the male characters
were playing Lear
8. Which of the following characters have red hair?
Estella, Peregrine, Saskia, Imogen and Tristram
9. Which of the following characters are identical twins?
Nora and Dora and Saskia and Imogen
10. Which of the following characters are fraternal twins?
Peregrine and Melchior, Gareth and Tristram and Gareth’s unnamed babies
11. How many pairs of twins are there in the novel?
5
12. What was the souvenir that Melchior ‘took away from the grand catastrophe
of his parents’ lives’?
A pasteboard crown that Ranulph wore for Lear made by Estella
13. What happened to Gareth when he reached adulthood?
He became a Jesuit missionary
14. What happened to Tristram when he reached adulthood?
He became a game show presenter
© 2007 www.teachit.co.uk
7808.doc
Page 5 of 6
Wise Children
15. What, in Dora’s view, do Tristram and Gareth’s careers have in common?
‘Both of them promise you a free gift if you play the game.’
16. Who was Melchior’s first wife?
Lady Atalanta Hazard
17. Who was Melchior’s second wife?
Delia Delaney (Daisy Duck)
18. Who was Melchior’s third wife?
My Lady Margarine
19. Which character is described as an ‘adventurer, magician, seducer,
explorer, scriptwriter, rich man, poor man …’?
Peregrine
20. Which character does Dora inform us later ‘vanishes among the butterflies’?
Peregrine
21. Which character had a ‘gift for exits’?
Estella
22. Which character, in his youth was ‘all for art’?
Melchior
23. Which character in his youth was ‘out for fun’?
Peregrine
24. Who ‘took to children like a duck to water’?
Grandma Chance
25. What was Grandma Chance’s motto?
‘Hope for the best, expect the worst’
26. What is Tristram’s relationship with Nora and Dora?
He is their step brother (they have the same father)
27. Whose disappearance brings Tristram to Nora and Dora’s house in chapter 1?
Tiffany’s
28. What relationship does Tristram have with Saskia?
They are step brother and sister but also lovers
29. In which play were Estella and Cassius Booth both, fittingly, performing
when they met their untimely ends?
Othello
30. How did Estella, Cassius Booth and Ranulph die?
Ranulph killed Estella, Cassius and then himself
© 2007 www.teachit.co.uk
7808.doc
Page 6 of 6