Nicholas Nickleby MCQs & Summary

Summary:

Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens is a novel that follows the struggles of the young and kind-hearted Nicholas Nickleby after the death of his father. Left penniless, Nicholas, his mother, and his sister Kate Nickleby seek help from their wealthy but cruel uncle, Ralph Nickleby. Instead of providing real assistance, Ralph sends Nicholas to work as an assistant at Dotheboys Hall, a harsh and abusive boarding school run by the cruel Wackford Squeers.

Appalled by the mistreatment of students, particularly a disabled boy named Smike, Nicholas rebels, beats Squeers, and escapes with Smike. The two set out on an adventurous journey, eventually joining a kind theater troupe led by Mr. Crummles. Meanwhile, Kate suffers harassment from Ralph’s corrupt associates, particularly Sir Mulberry Hawk, but finds support in the Cheeryble brothers, generous businessmen who offer Nicholas a respectable job.

As the story unfolds, Nicholas gains success, finds love with Madeline Bray, and fights against his uncle’s evil schemes. Ralph’s cruelty and selfishness ultimately lead to his downfall when he discovers that Smike, whom he despised, was actually his own son. Overcome with guilt and despair, Ralph takes his own life.

The novel ends with justice served—Nicholas and Kate find happiness, Smike is given a loving home before tragically passing away, and the villains receive their due punishment. Through this tale, Dickens critiques corruption, greed, and social injustices, while emphasizing themes of family, love, and resilience.

MCQs:

1. Who is the main protagonist of the novel?
   A) Ralph Nickleby
   B) Nicholas Nickleby
   C) Wackford Squeers
   D) Smike
   Answer: B) Nicholas Nickleby

2. What happens to Nicholas’s father at the beginning of the novel?
   A) He abandons his family
   B) He loses all his wealth
   C) He dies, leaving his family in poverty
   D) He sends Nicholas abroad
   Answer: C) He dies, leaving his family in poverty

3. Where does Ralph Nickleby send Nicholas to work?
   A) A textile factory
   B) A law office
   C) Dotheboys Hall, a harsh boarding school
   D) A coal mine
   Answer: C) Dotheboys Hall, a harsh boarding school

   

4. Who is Smike?
   A) Nicholas’s younger brother
   B) An orphan mistreated at Dotheboys Hall
   C) Ralph Nickleby’s business partner
   D) A rich nobleman
   Answer: B) An orphan mistreated at Dotheboys Hall

5. Why does Nicholas leave Dotheboys Hall?
   A) He is fired by Squeers
   B) He falls in love and runs away
   C) He attacks Wackford Squeers and flees with Smike
   D) He receives an inheritance
   Answer: C) He attacks Wackford Squeers and flees with Smike

6. What kind of job does Nicholas take after leaving Dotheboys Hall?
   A) A lawyer’s apprentice
   B) A schoolteacher
   C) A performer in a theater troupe
   D) A shopkeeper
   Answer: C) A performer in a theater troupe

7. Who helps Nicholas and Kate escape their uncle’s cruelty?
   A) Wackford Squeers
   B) The Cheeryble brothers
   C) Mr. Crummles
   D) Sir Mulberry Hawk
   Answer: B) The Cheeryble brothers

8. Who does Nicholas fall in love with?
   A) Kate Nickleby
   B) Madeline Bray
   C) Miss La Creevy
   D) Fanny Squeers
   Answer: B) Madeline Bray

9. What shocking truth is revealed about Smike?
   A) He is Nicholas’s lost twin brother
   B) He is actually Ralph Nickleby’s son
   C) He is heir to a great fortune
   D) He is the son of Wackford Squeers
   Answer: B) He is actually Ralph Nickleby’s son

10. What happens to Ralph Nickleby at the end of the novel?
    A) He is arrested and imprisoned
    B) He reforms and helps Nicholas
    C) He takes his own life out of guilt
    D) He is exiled from England
    Answer: C) He takes his own life out of guilt