Here is 50 important PYQs (Previous year questions) of UGC NET JRF English, related to Charles Dickens, along with their answers and explanations. 


1. Who is the antagonist in The Old Curiosity Shop?  
   - (a) Mr. Crook  
   - (b) Rigand  
   - (c) Mulberry Hawk  
   - (d) Daniel Quilp  
   Answer: (d) Daniel Quilp  
   Explanation: Quilp is a vicious, ill-tempered antagonist in The Old Curiosity Shop. His grotesque characteristics make him a memorable villain.

2. In which novel does the "Office of Circumlocution" feature?  
   - (a) David Copperfield  
   - (b) Bleak House  
   - (c) Great Expectations  
   - (d) Hard Times  
   Answer: (b) Bleak House  
   Explanation: The "Office of Circumlocution" symbolizes bureaucratic inefficiency and corruption, themes central to Bleak House.

3. Identify the character who is a high-spirited boy left penniless after his father's death in Nicholas Nickleby.  
   - (a) Pip  
   - (b) Oliver Twist  
   - (c) Nicholas Nickleby  
   - (d) David Copperfield  
   Answer: (c) Nicholas Nickleby  
   Explanation: Nicholas, along with his mother and sister, faces financial ruin. The novel critiques boarding schools in Victorian England.

4. Which Dickens novel includes the Court of Chancery?  
   - (a) Little Dorrit  
   - (b) Hard Times  
   - (c) Dombey and Son  
   - (d) Bleak House  
   Answer: (d) Bleak House  
   Explanation: The Court of Chancery represents the pitfalls of prolonged legal disputes, central to the novel's plot.

5. From which Dickens novel is the quote, “I saw no shadow of another parting from her”?  
   - (a) Great Expectations  
   - (b) David Copperfield  
   - (c) Nicholas Nickleby  
   - (d) Bleak House  
   Answer: (a) Great Expectations  
   Explanation: This line is from the closing paragraph of Great Expectations, symbolizing Pip and Estella's relationship.

6. Which novel reflects Dickens's criticism of the American society?  
   - (a) Hard Times  
   - (b) Martin Chuzzlewit  
   - (c) Nicholas Nickleby  
   - (d) Oliver Twist  
   Answer: (b) Martin Chuzzlewit  
   Explanation: Dickens's experience in America heavily influenced Martin Chuzzlewit, particularly its satirical depiction of American life.

7. Which two publications was Dickens a founding editor of?  
   - (a) Household Words and All the Year Round  
   - (b) North and South and Bleak House  
   - (c) Pickwick Papers and Oliver Twist  
   - (d) David Copperfield and Hard Times  
   Answer: (a) Household Words and All the Year Round  
   Explanation: These periodicals were instrumental in publishing many of Dickens’s serialized novels.

8. What is the correct chronological order of Dickens's novels?  
   - (a) Pickwick Papers, Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, Bleak House  
   - (b) Bleak House, Great Expectations, Oliver Twist, Dombey and Son  
   - (c) David Copperfield, Hard Times, A Tale of Two Cities, Oliver Twist  
   Answer: (a)  
   Explanation: Pickwick Papers (1836), Oliver Twist (1837), David Copperfield (1849), and Bleak House (1852) were published in this order.

9. Which Dickens novel features the character Miss Havisham?  
   - (a) Bleak House  
   - (b) Hard Times  
   - (c) Great Expectations  
   - (d) Dombey and Son  
   Answer: (c) Great Expectations  
   Explanation: Miss Havisham is a central character in Great Expectations, symbolizing decay and the consequences of unfulfilled revenge.

10. What is the subtitle of Bleak House?  
   - (a) The Trial of Jarndyce  
   - (b) The Deadlock  
   - (c) Chancery Court  
   - (d) There is no subtitle  
   Answer: (d) There is no subtitle  
   Explanation: Bleak House is simply titled as such without a subtitle.

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11. Which character says, “Please, sir, I want some more”?  
   - (a) Oliver Twist  
   - (b) David Copperfield  
   - (c) Pip  
   - (d) Tiny Tim  
   Answer: (a) Oliver Twist  
   Explanation: This famous line is from Oliver Twist when the young boy asks for more food at the workhouse.

12. Who is the villainous moneylender in David Copperfield?  
   - (a) Uriah Heep  
   - (b) Fagin  
   - (c) Mr. Murdstone  
   - (d) Daniel Quilp  
   Answer: (a) Uriah Heep  
   Explanation: Uriah Heep is known for his false humility and manipulative behavior in David Copperfield.

13. In which novel does the character Thomas Gradgrind appear?  
   - (a) Hard Times  
   - (b) Bleak House  
   - (c) Oliver Twist  
   - (d) A Tale of Two Cities  
   Answer: (a) Hard Times  
   Explanation: Gradgrind embodies utilitarianism and strict adherence to facts, themes central to Hard Times.

14. What does the ghost of Jacob Marley symbolize in A Christmas Carol?  
   - (a) Redemption  
   - (b) Greed and regret  
   - (c) Wealth  
   - (d) Forgiveness  
   Answer: (b) Greed and regret  
   Explanation: Marley's ghost warns Scrooge of the consequences of his greed and selfishness, urging him to change his ways.

15. Which novel of Dickens begins with the famous line, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times”?  
   - (a) David Copperfield  
   - (b) Bleak House  
   - (c) A Tale of Two Cities  
   - (d) Great Expectations  
   Answer: (c) A Tale of Two Cities  
   Explanation: This opening line contrasts the social conditions in London and Paris during the French Revolution.

16. What is the significance of "Joe Gargery" in Great Expectations?  
   - (a) Pip's mentor  
   - (b) Pip's abusive uncle  
   - (c) Pip's brother-in-law and moral compass  
   - (d) Pip's rival  
   Answer: (c) Pip's brother-in-law and moral compass  
   Explanation: Joe Gargery represents kindness and loyalty, serving as a moral touchstone for Pip.

17. In Dombey and Son, what is Mr. Dombey’s fatal flaw?  
   - (a) His greed  
   - (b) His pride  
   - (c) His temper  
   - (d) His ambition  
   Answer: (b) His pride  
   Explanation: Mr. Dombey's pride isolates him from others and contributes to his personal downfall.

18. Which Dickens novel is subtitled The Parish Boy’s Progress?  
   - (a) David Copperfield  
   - (b) Oliver Twist  
   - (c) Great Expectations  
   - (d) A Christmas Carol  
   Answer: (b) Oliver Twist  
   Explanation: This subtitle reflects the journey of the orphan Oliver as he navigates the harsh realities of Victorian England.

19. What event inspired Dickens to write A Tale of Two Cities?  
   - (a) The American Civil War  
   - (b) The Industrial Revolution  
   - (c) The French Revolution  
   - (d) The Crimean War  
   Answer: (c) The French Revolution  
   Explanation: The novel depicts the turmoil and social injustices of the French Revolution, contrasting it with England's stability.

20. Which Dickens novel is set in a debtors’ prison?  
   - (a) Bleak House  
   - (b) Little Dorrit  
   - (c) Great Expectations  
   - (d) Martin Chuzzlewit  
   Answer: (b) Little Dorrit  
   Explanation: Much of the novel takes place in the Marshalsea debtors’ prison, reflecting Dickens's own father's imprisonment there.  

21. Which character in Great Expectations represents unrequited love?  
   - (a) Pip  
   - (b) Joe Gargery  
   - (c) Estella  
   - (d) Biddy  
   Answer: (a) Pip  
   Explanation: Pip's unreciprocated love for Estella is a central theme, illustrating the pain of unattainable desires.  

22. Who is the convict in Great Expectations?  
   - (a) Magwitch  
   - (b) Joe Gargery  
   - (c) Compeyson  
   - (d) Drummle  
   Answer: (a) Magwitch  
   Explanation: Magwitch is the escaped convict who later becomes Pip's secret benefactor, showing his complex moral character.  

23. In David Copperfield, who is the cheerful character known for saying “Barkis is willin’”?  
   - (a) Mr. Micawber  
   - (b) Uriah Heep  
   - (c) Mr. Barkis  
   - (d) Mr. Peggotty  
   Answer: (c) Mr. Barkis  
   Explanation: This humorous line conveys Mr. Barkis’s willingness to marry Peggotty.  

24. What is the name of Dickens’s unfinished novel?  
   - (a) The Mystery of Edwin Drood  
   - (b) The Haunted Man  
   - (c) Sketches by Boz  
   - (d) A Message from the Sea  
   Answer: (a) The Mystery of Edwin Drood  
   Explanation: Dickens passed away before completing this novel, leaving its resolution a mystery.  

25. In A Christmas Carol, which ghost shows Scrooge his lonely death?  
   - (a) Ghost of Christmas Past  
   - (b) Ghost of Christmas Present  
   - (c) Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come  
   - (d) Jacob Marley  
   Answer: (c) Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come  
   Explanation: This ghost shows Scrooge his bleak future if he does not change his ways.  

26. What is the significance of The Pickwick Papers in Dickens’s career?  
   - (a) It was his first serialized novel  
   - (b) It was his most controversial work  
   - (c) It marked the end of his writing career  
   - (d) It was his only play  
   Answer: (a) It was his first serialized novel  
   Explanation: The Pickwick Papers launched Dickens’s career and established him as a leading literary figure.  

27. In Oliver Twist, who is the leader of the pickpocket gang?  
   - (a) Bill Sikes  
   - (b) Mr. Bumble  
   - (c) Fagin  
   - (d) Dodger  
   Answer: (c) Fagin  
   Explanation: Fagin trains and leads a group of young pickpockets, embodying criminal corruption.  

28. Which Dickens novel features a plot centered around an inheritance dispute?  
   - (a) Bleak House  
   - (b) Hard Times  
   - (c) Dombey and Son  
   - (d) The Old Curiosity Shop  
   Answer: (a) Bleak House  
   Explanation: The Jarndyce and Jarndyce inheritance dispute highlights the inefficiency of the legal system.  

29. What does the character Little Nell symbolize in The Old Curiosity Shop?  
   - (a) Innocence  
   - (b) Greed  
   - (c) Wisdom  
   - (d) Wealth  
   Answer: (a) Innocence  
   Explanation: Little Nell’s purity and tragic fate reflect the harshness of Victorian society.  

30. Which Dickens novel critiques industrialization and utilitarianism?  
   - (a) Great Expectations  
   - (b) Hard Times  
   - (c) Little Dorrit  
   - (d) Bleak House  
   Answer: (b) Hard Times  
   Explanation: Hard Times critiques the dehumanizing effects of industrialization and utilitarian philosophy.  

31. What pseudonym did Dickens use for some of his early writings?  
   - (a) Boz  
   - (b) Pip  
   - (c) Quilp  
   - (d) Cratchit  
   Answer: (a) Boz  
   Explanation: Dickens adopted the pen name "Boz" for his early works, including Sketches by Boz.  

32. Which Dickens novel is primarily set during the French Revolution?  
   - (a) Bleak House  
   - (b) A Tale of Two Cities  
   - (c) Great Expectations  
   - (d) Oliver Twist  
   Answer: (b) A Tale of Two Cities  
   Explanation: The novel contrasts the chaos in revolutionary France with relative stability in England.  

33. Who is Amy Dorrit’s main adversary in Little Dorrit?  
   - (a) Mr. Merdle  
   - (b) Rigaud  
   - (c) Mrs. Clennam  
   - (d) Fanny Dorrit  
   Answer: (b) Rigaud  
   Explanation: Rigaud, also known as Blandois, serves as a menacing antagonist in the novel.  

34. What was Dickens’s first published work?  
   - (a) Oliver Twist  
   - (b) Pickwick Papers  
   - (c) Sketches by Boz  
   - (d) A Christmas Carol  
   Answer: (c) Sketches by Boz  
   Explanation: This collection of sketches provided a humorous and satirical depiction of London life.  

35. What is the name of the house in Bleak House?  
   - (a) Satis House  
   - (b) Chesney Wold  
   - (c) Gad’s Hill Place  
   - (d) Bleak House  
   Answer: (d) Bleak House  
   Explanation: The titular house reflects the novel’s themes of decay, justice, and compassion.  

36. In Oliver Twist, who adopts Oliver in the end?  
   - (a) Mr. Brownlow  
   - (b) Nancy  
   - (c) Rose Maylie  
   - (d) Bill Sikes  
   Answer: (a) Mr. Brownlow  
   Explanation: Mr. Brownlow, a kind and wealthy man, provides Oliver with a loving home at the end of the novel.  

37. What is the central theme of Hard Times?  
   - (a) Love and betrayal  
   - (b) Industrialization and its dehumanizing effects  
   - (c) The legal system  
   - (d) The French Revolution  
   Answer: (b) Industrialization and its dehumanizing effects  
   Explanation: Hard Times critiques the effects of utilitarian education and industrial capitalism on society.  

38. What relation does Miss Pross have to Lucie Manette in A Tale of Two Cities?  
   - (a) Mother  
   - (b) Aunt  
   - (c) Governess and companion  
   - (d) Sister  
   Answer: (c) Governess and companion  
   Explanation: Miss Pross is a fiercely loyal companion to Lucie, representing selfless devotion.  

39. In David Copperfield, who is the cruel stepfather of David?  
   - (a) Mr. Murdstone  
   - (b) Uriah Heep  
   - (c) Mr. Peggotty  
   - (d) Mr. Micawber  
   Answer: (a) Mr. Murdstone  
   Explanation: Mr. Murdstone is a harsh and controlling figure in David's life, embodying cruelty and oppression.  

40. What does Pip aspire to become in Great Expectations?  
   - (a) A scholar  
   - (b) A gentleman  
   - (c) A merchant  
   - (d) A sailor  
   Answer: (b) A gentleman  
   Explanation: Pip’s desire to rise in social status and win Estella’s love drives much of the plot.  

41. Which Dickens character is associated with the catchphrase “Bah! Humbug!”?  
   - (a) Mr. Micawber  
   - (b) Ebenezer Scrooge  
   - (c) Uriah Heep  
   - (d) Bill Sikes  
   Answer: (b) Ebenezer Scrooge  
   Explanation: Scrooge’s disdain for Christmas is epitomized in this iconic phrase from A Christmas Carol.

42. Who is the leader of the strike in *Hard Times*?  
(a) Mr. Bounderby  
(b) Stephen Blackpool  
(c) James Harthouse  
(d) Slackbridge  

Answer: (d) Slackbridge  
Explanation: Slackbridge is a union leader who stirs dissent among workers in the factory town of Coketown.

43. What was the inspiration for *Little Dorrit*?  
(a) Dickens’s visit to the United States  
(b) Dickens’s childhood experiences with debtors’ prison  
(c) The French Revolution  
(d) The Industrial Revolution  

Answer: (b) Dickens’s childhood experiences with debtors’ prison  
Explanation: Dickens’s father’s imprisonment at Marshalsea influenced the setting of *Little Dorrit*.

44. Which character is a parody of the self-made man in *Hard Times*?  
(a) Thomas Gradgrind  
(b) Josiah Bounderby  
(c) Stephen Blackpool  
(d) Mr. Sleary  

Answer: (b) Josiah Bounderby  
Explanation: Bounderby’s claims of being a self-made man are revealed as fraudulent, highlighting Dickens’s critique of industrialists.

45. What was Dickens’s final completed novel?  
(a) Our Mutual Friend  
(b) Great Expectations  
(c) The Mystery of Edwin Drood  
(d) A Tale of Two Cities  

Answer: (a) Our Mutual Friend  
Explanation: *Our Mutual Friend* was the last novel Dickens finished before his death.

46. Which Dickens novel is most closely associated with the theme of redemption?  
(a) Great Expectations  
(b) A Christmas Carol  
(c) David Copperfield  
(d) Bleak House  

Answer: (b) A Christmas Carol  
Explanation: Scrooge’s transformation from miser to benefactor epitomizes the theme of redemption.

47. What is Pip’s real name in *Great Expectations*?  
(a) Philip Pirrip  
(b) Philip Pocket  
(c) Peter Pipson  
(d) Paul Pritchard  

Answer: (a) Philip Pirrip  
Explanation: Pip’s full name, Philip Pirrip, is mentioned in the opening chapter of the novel.

48. Who is the manipulative lawyer in *Bleak House*?  
(a) Mr. Guppy  
(b) Mr. Tulkinghorn  
(c) Mr. Jarndyce  
(d) Mr. Bucket  

Answer: (b) Mr. Tulkinghorn  
Explanation: Tulkinghorn represents the sinister side of the legal profession in *Bleak House*.

49. Which Dickens novel features Sydney Carton, a man who sacrifices his life for love?  
(a) Great Expectations  
(b) David Copperfield  
(c) A Tale of Two Cities  
(d) Oliver Twist  

Answer: (c) A Tale of Two Cities  
Explanation: Carton’s selfless act at the guillotine exemplifies themes of love and redemption.

50. What does the term "Circumlocution Office" in *Bleak House* satirize?  
(a) Political corruption  
(b) Bureaucratic inefficiency  
(c) Social inequality  
(d) Industrial progress  

Answer: (b) Bureaucratic inefficiency  
Explanation: Dickens uses the Circumlocution Office to critique the inefficiency of government bureaucracy.

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