David Copperfield – Chapter II (“I Observe”) – MCQs

1. What is the main focus of Chapter II (“I Observe”)?
A) David’s schooling
B) David’s early observations of his home and Peggotty
C) David’s meeting with Miss Betsey
D) David’s father’s funeral
Answer: B) David’s early observations of his home and Peggotty

2. What nickname does David use for Peggotty?
A) Peg
B) Pegs
C) Peggotty
D) Aunt Peggotty
Answer: C) Peggotty

3. What physical characteristic of Peggotty fascinates David?
A) Her soft cheeks
B) Her hard red arms and cheeks
C) Her long black hair
D) Her tall figure
Answer: B) Her hard red arms and cheeks

4. What is Peggotty’s personality like toward young David?
A) Cold and distant
B) Maternal and protective
C) Harsh and scolding
D) Indifferent but dutiful
Answer: B) Maternal and protective

5. What room does David describe vividly in this chapter?
A) The parlor
B) The kitchen
C) The nursery
D) The front hall
Answer: B) The kitchen

6. What does David notice about Peggotty’s buttons?
A) They are gold-plated
B) They are polished daily
C) They are so large they reflect his face
D) They are mismatched and rusty
Answer: C) They are so large they reflect his face

7. What habit does David describe Peggotty doing when listening to Clara?
A) Folding her arms and staring
B) Knitting quietly
C) Shaking her head slowly
D) Whispering to herself
Answer: A) Folding her arms and staring

8. What does young David wonder aloud to Peggotty about her family?
A) Whether she has a husband
B) Whether she has children
C) Whether she has any relations
D) Whether she is rich
Answer: C) Whether she has any relations

9. How does Peggotty respond to David’s curiosity about her relations?
A) She ignores him
B) She says she has none “but me” (meaning David)
C) She angrily scolds him
D) She changes the topic
Answer: B) She says she has none “but me” (meaning David)

10. How does this response affect David?
A) He feels frightened
B) He feels tenderly toward her
C) He becomes suspicious
D) He becomes angry
Answer: B) He feels tenderly toward her

11. What significant family connection does Peggotty actually have?
A) A brother named Daniel Peggotty
B) A sister named Clara Peggotty
C) A cousin named Ham Peggotty
D) An uncle named Barkis
Answer: A) A brother named Daniel Peggotty

12. Where does Daniel Peggotty live?
A) In London
B) In a boathouse at Yarmouth
C) In Canterbury
D) In Blunderstone Rookery
Answer: B) In a boathouse at Yarmouth

13. Who lives with Daniel Peggotty?
A) His own wife and children
B) His orphaned relatives and adopted niece
C) Clara Copperfield’s parents
D) Miss Betsey Trotwood
Answer: B) His orphaned relatives and adopted niece

14. What does Peggotty invite David to do in this chapter?
A) Visit Yarmouth with her during holidays
B) Travel to London for school
C) Help her knit clothes
D) Visit Miss Betsey at Dover
Answer: A) Visit Yarmouth with her during holidays

15. How does Clara Copperfield react to Peggotty’s invitation?
A) She refuses immediately
B) She hesitates but agrees
C) She happily encourages David to go
D) She cries and begs him not to leave
Answer: B) She hesitates but agrees

16. What does Clara fear about sending David to Yarmouth?
A) He may get sick at sea
B) She may miss him too much
C) He might not return
D) He will not like Daniel Peggotty
Answer: B) She may miss him too much

17. How does Peggotty reassure Clara about the trip?
A) By promising to write letters daily
B) By promising to take good care of David
C) By offering to stay behind
D) By arranging Miss Betsey’s visit
Answer: B) By promising to take good care of David

18. What mode of transport do they use to reach Yarmouth?
A) Train
B) Horse-drawn cart
C) Boat
D) Walking on foot
Answer: C) Boat

19. How does David feel about traveling to Yarmouth?
A) Frightened and sad
B) Curious and excited
C) Angry and resentful
D) Indifferent and sleepy
Answer: B) Curious and excited

20. What relationship does Ham Peggotty have to Daniel Peggotty?
A) Nephew
B) Son
C) Brother
D) Adopted cousin
Answer: A) Nephew

21. What type of building does Daniel Peggotty live in?
A) A converted windmill
B) A converted boathouse
C) A lighthouse
D) A fisher’s hut
Answer: B) A converted boathouse

22. How is the boathouse interior described?
A) Cramped and dirty
B) Warm, cozy, and clean
C) Large and luxurious
D) Empty and abandoned
Answer: B) Warm, cozy, and clean

23. Which character in the boathouse is named Emily?
A) Peggotty’s cousin
B) Daniel Peggotty’s adopted niece
C) Ham’s sister
D) Clara’s friend
Answer: B) Daniel Peggotty’s adopted niece

24. What nickname is Emily known by?
A) Little Em’ly
B) Peg
C) Baby Em
D) Miss Em
Answer: A) Little Em’ly

25. What future significance does Little Em’ly hold in David’s life?
A) She becomes his close childhood friend and first love
B) She becomes his stepmother
C) She becomes his governess
D) She marries Dr. Chillip
Answer: A) She becomes his close childhood friend and first love

26. Who else lives in Daniel Peggotty’s boathouse besides Ham and Emily?
A) His mother
B) Mrs. Gummidge
C) Clara Copperfield
D) Miss Betsey
Answer: B) Mrs. Gummidge

27. What is Mrs. Gummidge’s relationship to Daniel Peggotty?
A) His sister
B) Widow of his fishing partner
C) His cousin
D) His mother-in-law
Answer: B) Widow of his fishing partner

28. How is Mrs. Gummidge’s temperament described?
A) Always cheerful
B) Frequently complaining and melancholy
C) Angry and violent
D) Quiet and mysterious
Answer: B) Frequently complaining and melancholy

29. What does Mrs. Gummidge call herself when feeling low?
A) A nuisance
B) A lonesome creature
C) A useless body
D) A burden
Answer: D) A burden

30. How do Daniel Peggotty and the children treat Mrs. Gummidge?
A) With irritation
B) With kindness and patience
C) With indifference
D) With mocking laughter
Answer: B) With kindness and patience

31. What does Daniel Peggotty do for a living?
A) Fisherman
B) Farmer
C) Lawyer
D) Teacher
Answer: A) Fisherman

32. What meal does Daniel Peggotty serve David during his visit?
A) Bread and cheese
B) Fried fish and potatoes
C) Hot stew and tea
D) Biscuits and milk
Answer: C) Hot stew and tea

33. How does David feel about sleeping in the boathouse?
A) Frightened of the sea noises
B) Excited and safe
C) Lonely and homesick
D) Restless and unhappy
Answer: B) Excited and safe

34. What is notable about the boathouse windows?
A) They are round like portholes
B) They face the river mouth
C) They are painted blue
D) They are boarded shut at night
Answer: A) They are round like portholes

35. Who does Little Em’ly live with after her parents’ deaths?
A) Her aunt in London
B) Daniel Peggotty in Yarmouth
C) Mrs. Gummidge in Suffolk
D) Peggotty in Blunderstone
Answer: B) Daniel Peggotty in Yarmouth

36. What trait of Little Em’ly does David admire most?
A) Her golden hair
B) Her blue eyes and kindness
C) Her singing voice
D) Her intelligence
Answer: B) Her blue eyes and kindness

37. What secret desire does Little Em’ly share with David?
A) She wants to become a lady
B) She wants to run away to sea
C) She wants to find her father
D) She wants to be rich someday
Answer: A) She wants to become a lady

38. What play activity do David and Little Em’ly enjoy?
A) Building sandcastles
B) Collecting shells and playing by the shore
C) Sailing small boats
D) Climbing trees
Answer: B) Collecting shells and playing by the shore

39. What nickname does Daniel Peggotty often use for David?
A) Mas’r Davy (Master Davy)
B) Young Copper
C) Little Mister
D) Baby David
Answer: A) Mas’r Davy (Master Davy)

40. How does Daniel Peggotty treat David during his stay?
A) Like a son
B) Strictly like a guest
C) Coldly
D) Indifferently
Answer: A) Like a son

41. What social class does Daniel Peggotty belong to?
A) Upper class landowner
B) Working-class fisherman
C) Aristocratic merchant
D) Lower-class beggar
Answer: B) Working-class fisherman

42. What contrast is drawn between David’s home and the Peggotty boathouse?
A) Rookery is elegant, boathouse is filthy
B) Rookery is lonely, boathouse is warm and full of love
C) Both are cold and cheerless
D) Both are equally lively
Answer: B) Rookery is lonely, boathouse is warm and full of love

43. How does David view the sea during this visit?
A) Terrifying and dangerous
B) Mysterious and beautiful
C) Annoying and noisy
D) Boring and plain
Answer: B) Mysterious and beautiful

44. What bedtime routine do the children have in the boathouse?
A) Singing a hymn
B) Listening to Daniel’s sea stories
C) Praying together
D) Counting shells
Answer: B) Listening to Daniel’s sea stories

45. Who comforts Mrs. Gummidge during her “lowness of spirits”?
A) Ham Peggotty
B) Daniel Peggotty himself
C) Little Em’ly
D) Peggotty
Answer: B) Daniel Peggotty himself

46. What does David admire about Daniel Peggotty’s character?
A) His wealth
B) His generosity and kindness
C) His strictness
D) His noble title
Answer: B) His generosity and kindness

47. How does Little Em’ly’s dream of being a lady foreshadow later events?
A) It hints at her future involvement with upper-class men
B) It suggests she will marry Daniel Peggotty
C) It predicts she will become a governess
D) It shows she will stay poor forever
Answer: A) It hints at her future involvement with upper-class men

48. What is the tone of David’s narration about this visit to Yarmouth?
A) Bitter and regretful
B) Nostalgic and affectionate
C) Humorous and mocking
D) Indifferent and detached
Answer: B) Nostalgic and affectionate

49. Which literary device is used when the boathouse is compared to a ship?
A) Simile
B) Hyperbole
C) Alliteration
D) Personification
Answer: A) Simile

50. What central theme of the novel is reinforced by the Peggotty household?
A) The cruelty of wealth
B) The warmth of working-class family life
C) The coldness of aristocracy
D) The obsession with ghosts
Answer: B) The warmth of working-class family life

51. How does David describe his feelings when first seeing the sea at Yarmouth?
A) Indifference
B) Awe and fascination
C) Fear and trembling
D) Joyful laughter
Answer: B) Awe and fascination

52. What color imagery is used to describe the sea in this chapter?
A) Green and grey hues
B) Golden yellow
C) Dark black waters
D) Crystal blue only
Answer: A) Green and grey hues

53. What does David compare the sound of the waves to?
A) Whispering voices
B) Cannon fire
C) Thunderous applause
D) A lullaby
Answer: A) Whispering voices

54. What habit does Mrs. Gummidge display when unhappy?
A) Sighing heavily and claiming she is a “lone lorn creature”
B) Shouting at children
C) Running away to the shore
D) Singing sad songs
Answer: A) Sighing heavily and claiming she is a “lone lorn creature”

55. How do the children respond to Mrs. Gummidge’s constant complaints?
A) They tease her
B) They sympathize and comfort her
C) They ignore her completely
D) They become frightened
Answer: B) They sympathize and comfort her

56. What food does David especially enjoy at the Peggotty house?
A) Fresh fish and hot potatoes
B) Cakes and pies
C) Steamed puddings
D) Meat pies and tea
Answer: A) Fresh fish and hot potatoes

57. How does Daniel Peggotty show hospitality to David?
A) By giving him his own bed
B) By sharing sea stories and food
C) By buying him new clothes
D) By teaching him to fish
Answer: B) By sharing sea stories and food

58. What feature of the boathouse makes it unique as a home?
A) It is entirely afloat on water
B) It is a grounded boat converted into a cottage
C) It is underground
D) It is a windmill converted into a house
Answer: B) It is a grounded boat converted into a cottage

59. How does David feel about sleeping in the boathouse for the first time?
A) Lonely and scared
B) Content and secure
C) Restless and excited to leave
D) Annoyed by sea noises
Answer: B) Content and secure

60. What does Little Em’ly say about the difference between rich and poor children?
A) Rich children are happier
B) Poor children are luckier to play by the sea
C) Poor children work harder but are stronger
D) There is no real difference
Answer: B) Poor children are luckier to play by the sea

61. What future relationship is subtly hinted between David and Little Em’ly?
A) Sibling rivalry
B) A childhood affection that might grow into love
C) A bitter enmity
D) Indifference
Answer: B) A childhood affection that might grow into love

62. How does Daniel Peggotty address David affectionately?
A) Little Master Davy
B) Mas’r Davy
C) Young Copper
D) Boy David
Answer: B) Mas’r Davy

63. What is the general tone of David’s memories of Yarmouth?
A) Bitterness and regret
B) Affection and nostalgia
C) Horror and fear
D) Pride and arrogance
Answer: B) Affection and nostalgia

64. Which literary device is prominent in David’s descriptions of the boathouse?
A) Simile and personification
B) Hyperbole and satire
C) Irony and sarcasm
D) Allegory and symbolism
Answer: A) Simile and personification

65. How is Ham Peggotty described physically?
A) Short and thin
B) Tall, strong, and good-natured
C) Small and mischievous
D) Frail but clever
Answer: B) Tall, strong, and good-natured

66. What is Ham Peggotty’s attitude toward David?
A) Bullying
B) Protective and friendly
C) Indifferent
D) Competitive
Answer: B) Protective and friendly

67. Why is Mrs. Gummidge referred to as “lone and lorn”?
A) She lost her husband (a fisherman) and feels perpetually lonely
B) She is blind and helpless
C) She has no relatives and no friends
D) She is a stranger to the town
Answer: A) She lost her husband (a fisherman) and feels perpetually lonely

68. How does Daniel Peggotty handle Mrs. Gummidge’s complaints?
A) He scolds her harshly
B) He comforts her with patience and kindness
C) He ignores her completely
D) He sends her away to relatives
Answer: B) He comforts her with patience and kindness

69. What impression does the Peggotty household leave on David about family life?
A) It is harsh and unforgiving
B) It is filled with love and mutual care despite poverty
C) It is chaotic and unpleasant
D) It is lonely and sad
Answer: B) It is filled with love and mutual care despite poverty

70. What broader theme does this chapter highlight?
A) The stark contrast between wealth and poverty
B) The corruption of aristocracy
C) The importance of education over family
D) The cruelty of sailors’ lives
Answer: A) The stark contrast between wealth and poverty

71. What bedtime stories fascinate David most at Yarmouth?
A) Fairy tales
B) Sea adventures and shipwrecks
C) Bible parables
D) Historical battles
Answer: B) Sea adventures and shipwrecks

72. How do Ham and Little Em’ly behave toward each other?
A) Like siblings, caring and playful
B) Like rivals, constantly quarreling
C) Like strangers, ignoring one another
D) Like enemies, bitter and distant
Answer: A) Like siblings, caring and playful

73. What weather condition is common at the Peggotty boathouse?
A) Calm sunny days
B) Windy and salty sea breezes
C) Heavy snowfall
D) Dry desert winds
Answer: B) Windy and salty sea breezes

74. How does David feel about returning home after Yarmouth?
A) Happy and relieved
B) Sad to leave Peggotty’s family
C) Indifferent and tired
D) Angry at his mother
Answer: B) Sad to leave Peggotty’s family

75. What does the warmth of Peggotty’s household symbolize in contrast to David’s own home?
A) Material wealth
B) Emotional security and love
C) Religious devotion
D) Academic brilliance
Answer: B) Emotional security and love

76. What event occurs shortly after David returns home from Yarmouth?
A) His mother remarries Mr. Murdstone
B) Peggotty leaves for good
C) David starts a new school
D) Miss Betsey returns to visit
Answer: A) His mother remarries Mr. Murdstone

77. How does David first react to meeting Mr. Murdstone?
A) He feels uneasy and intimidated
B) He instantly likes him
C) He runs away to Peggotty’s house
D) He ignores him completely
Answer: A) He feels uneasy and intimidated

78. What physical description is given of Mr. Murdstone in later parts? (Foreshadowed here)
A) Dark whiskers and severe look
B) Blond curls and smiling eyes
C) Grey hair and kind face
D) Small stature with limp
Answer: A) Dark whiskers and severe look

79. How does Clara Copperfield behave when Mr. Murdstone visits?
A) Nervous and submissive
B) Bold and confrontational
C) Indifferent
D) Cheerfully indifferent
Answer: A) Nervous and submissive

80. What subtle change does David notice in Peggotty when Mr. Murdstone visits?
A) She becomes openly hostile
B) She becomes protective and watchful
C) She befriends him
D) She ignores David
Answer: B) She becomes protective and watchful

81. How is Mr. Murdstone’s presence foreshadowed during the Yarmouth trip?
A) Peggotty’s hints about future changes at home
B) Clara’s letters to Miss Betsey
C) Daniel Peggotty’s warnings
D) Mrs. Gummidge’s prophecies
Answer: A) Peggotty’s hints about future changes at home

82. What emotion dominates David upon seeing his mother happy with Mr. Murdstone?
A) Relief
B) Jealousy
C) Anger
D) Joy
Answer: B) Jealousy

83. How does Dickens portray Clara Copperfield’s character in this chapter?
A) Strong-willed and determined
B) Gentle, loving, but easily influenced
C) Harsh and domineering
D) Cunning and manipulative
Answer: B) Gentle, loving, but easily influenced

84. What attitude does Mr. Murdstone subtly show toward David?
A) Dismissive and stern
B) Playful and kind
C) Sympathetic and warm
D) Completely indifferent
Answer: A) Dismissive and stern

85. How does the chapter’s ending foreshadow conflict?
A) Mention of future hardships caused by Mr. Murdstone
B) Prediction of Clara’s death
C) Arrival of Miss Betsey
D) Fire destroying the Rookery
Answer: A) Mention of future hardships caused by Mr. Murdstone

86. Which motif reappears from Chapter I in Chapter II?
A) The Rookery’s empty nests symbolizing loneliness
B) The caul symbolizing protection
C) Miss Betsey’s fairy-like image
D) The church graveyard
Answer: A) The Rookery’s empty nests symbolizing loneliness

87. How does David describe his feelings about childhood memories?
A) They are faint and unimportant
B) They are vivid and meaningful
C) They are painful and avoided
D) They are purely joyful
Answer: B) They are vivid and meaningful

88. What broader Victorian theme is explored through David’s observations?
A) Class mobility and moral worth
B) Political revolution
C) Industrialization’s impact
D) Scientific progress
Answer: A) Class mobility and moral worth

89. What quality of Daniel Peggotty stands out to young David?
A) His wisdom and kindness
B) His cunning and greed
C) His wealth and status
D) His laziness and carelessness
Answer: A) His wisdom and kindness

90. How does Little Em’ly’s dream of becoming a lady affect David?
A) He promises to help her
B) He feels protective and enchanted by her
C) He discourages her ambition
D) He mocks her dreams
Answer: B) He feels protective and enchanted by her

91. How does Mrs. Gummidge contrast with Daniel Peggotty?
A) She is always complaining; he is always cheerful
B) She is rich; he is poor
C) She is silent; he is loud
D) She is young; he is old
Answer: A) She is always complaining; he is always cheerful

92. What emotional lesson does David learn at Peggotty’s home?
A) True family is about love, not blood ties
B) Money solves every problem
C) Social rank defines happiness
D) Childhood is full of suffering only
Answer: A) True family is about love, not blood ties

93. Which element of nature symbolizes freedom for David at Yarmouth?
A) The wind
B) The vast sea
C) The elm trees
D) The church bells
Answer: B) The vast sea

94. What object in the boathouse fascinates David the most?
A) The round porthole windows
B) The fishing nets
C) The wooden mast beams
D) The carved shells
Answer: A) The round porthole windows

95. How does Dickens use humor to balance the poverty depicted?
A) Through Mrs. Gummidge’s exaggerated complaints
B) Through David’s mischievous pranks
C) Through Ham’s clumsiness
D) Through Peggotty’s jokes about food
Answer: A) Through Mrs. Gummidge’s exaggerated complaints

96. What word best sums up the mood of David’s Yarmouth experience?
A) Adventure
B) Nostalgia
C) Terror
D) Indifference
Answer: B) Nostalgia

97. What foreshadowing is implied by Emily’s longing to be a lady?
A) She may fall prey to upper-class temptations
B) She will marry Ham
C) She will become a governess
D) She will stay in Yarmouth forever
Answer: A) She may fall prey to upper-class temptations

98. What larger Victorian concern is illustrated through Daniel Peggotty’s home?
A) The dignity of the working poor
B) The corruption of city life
C) The rise of aristocracy
D) The perils of industrialism
Answer: A) The dignity of the working poor

99. How does this chapter deepen David’s understanding of relationships?
A) He learns love and care can exist outside wealth
B) He discovers wealth brings happiness
C) He learns adults cannot be trusted
D) He decides to leave home permanently
Answer: A) He learns love and care can exist outside wealth

100. What is the overall tone of Chapter II?
A) Warm and reflective, with hints of future sadness
B) Bitter and angry
C) Cold and unemotional
D) Suspenseful and terrifying
Answer: A) Warm and reflective, with hints of future sadness