Matilda - Chapter 1 Quiz

Matilda - Chapter 1 Quiz

1.      What does the narrator complain about at the beginning of the chapter? (Page 1)

a.    The narrator complains NOT about the blindness of parents to what their children are really like, but rather that they should talk to us about their children’s supposed greatness.

2.      Find all the negative words and phrases which he uses to describe children? (Pages 1-3)

a.    “disgusting little blister”, “revolting offspring”, “total wash-out”, “grub”, “poisonous little girl”, “stinkers”.

3.      Using a dictionary and your intuition, explain the meaning of the following slang words and expressions which appear on page 2: ‘twaddle’, ‘to get one’s own back’, ‘scorchers’ and ‘sure as heck’.

a.    Twaddle = “senseless, silly or trifling talk or writing” (OED).  In this context, the parents are talking nonsense.

b.    To get one’s own back = to take revenge on somebody for something

c.    Scorchers = powerful statements (in this case, meant to undermine the parents’ perfect vision of their children).

d.    Sure as heck = most certainly

4.      What is the meaning of “to delve deeper” (at the top of page 3).

a.    “To delve deeper” means “to go more deeply (into a subject)”, that is, to advance from a discussion of the basics and go into the complexities of a given subject (i.e. ‘profundizar’).

5.      What kind of opinion do Matilda’s parents have of her?

a.    Matilda’s parents think that Matilda is a nuisance (p.4), is too noisy (p.5) and is spoiled (p.6).

6.      How are Mr and Mrs Wormwood described?

a.    They are described as being “gormless” (i.e. lacking in good judgement, clueless) and “wrapped up in their own silly little lives” (this means that they are self-possessed and care only about themselves) (–p.4).  They are seen to pay very little attention to their very special daughter.

7.      What kind of girl is Matilda? Describe her personality.

a.    She is a bright young girl, “sensitive and brilliant” (p.4), who is independent from an incredibly early age, both in practical and intellectual terms.

8.      How does Matilda teach herself to read, and by what age?

a.    Matilda teaches herself to read, by the time she is 3 years old, by studying all the material she can lay her hands on around the house (e.g. newspapers, magazines and a cookery book).

9.      What is Mrs Wormwood’s favourite pastime?

a.    Mrs Wormwood’s favourite pastime is playing bingo, which she does in a neighbouring town.

10.  Describe Mrs Phelps’s reaction upon meeting Matilda.

a.    Upon meeting Matilda, who arrives at the library on her own, Mrs Phelps is quite shocked, since it is unusual for such a young child to be unaccompanied by a parent.  Her surprise and wonderment continues to grow as she discovers what a talented and intelligent young girl Matilda is.

11.  Why is Mrs Phelps sad when she has to tell Matilda that “it´s ten to five”.

a.    Mrs Phelps is sad when she has to tell Matilda that “it´s ten to five” because that is the time that the library closes and she knows Matilda will be disappointed to have to leave the stimulation of the library and return to the monotony of her home life.

12.  Contrast Mrs Phelps with Matilda’s parents. What are the main differences between the characters?

a.    Mrs Phelps is polite, whereas Matilda’s parents are rude. 

                                       i.      We can tell this from the way in which Mrs Phelps speaks, using the polite form of address, as in “Would you like…?”, whereas Matilda’s parents are always using rude language (‘flaming book’, ‘for heaven’s sake’).

b.    Mrs Phelps takes an interest in Matilda’s development (i.e. she is a caring individual), unlike her parents, who don’t care (i.e. they are uncaring).

                                       i.      We can tell because Mrs Phelps offers to help Matilda finds the books she’d like to borrow, whereas Matilda’s parents don’t listen to Matilda’s requests for books with any patience.

c.    Mrs Phelps is self-contained, whereas Matilda’s parents are brash.

                                       i.      We can tell because on page 9 we find the sentence “Mrs Phelps was more stunned than ever, but she had the sense not to show it”, whereas Matilda’s parents are always saying the first thing that comes to their head.

13.  What does Matilda go on to do once she discovers that she can borrow books from the library?

a.    She visits the library less, only to return old books and check out new ones.  She turns her bedroom into a private sanctuary of books, where she spends most afternoons reading, with a mug of hot chocolate which she has prepared sitting beside her, for comfort.

14.  What countries does she visit in her imagination?

a.    She visits Africa and India and, indeed, travels all the way around the world in her imagination.  The books provide her with a window onto other worlds that exist outside her sleepy English village.

1