Get notes, workbook solutions (Evergreen and Morning Star), summary, questions and answers, extras, MCQs, competency based questions, and pdf of the story Oliver Asks for More by Charles Dickens which is part of ICSE Class 9 English (Treasure Chest) syllabus. However, the notes should only be treated for references and changes should be made according to the needs of the students.
Summary
In a small town in England, there was a place called a workhouse. It was for people who had no home or money. This is where Oliver Twist was born. His mom was young and no one really knew where she came from. They found her in the streets, and she looked like she’d walked a lot because her shoes were really worn out. After she had Oliver, she got to see and kiss him. But then she got really sick and died. The doctor noticed she didn’t have a wedding ring, which meant she probably wasn’t married. Oliver was left alone in the world because no one knew anything about his family.
Mr. Bumble, a town officer, named the baby Oliver Twist. He said they gave names in alphabetical order at the workhouse, and it was Oliver’s turn for a name starting with ‘T’.
Growing up there was tough. By the time Oliver was nine, he was skinny and weak. The kids there didn’t have nice clothes and didn’t get much to eat. They had soup three times a day and a bit of bread once a week. They all ate together in a big room. They each got one bowl of soup, and they made sure to eat every last drop.
One day, Oliver and his friends were really hungry. They came up with a plan to ask for more soup after dinner. Oliver was the one who had to ask. When he did, everyone was super surprised. The head of the workhouse, a big man, was so mad that he hit Oliver with a spoon. Mr. Bumble was also really angry. Oliver had to stay in a dark room for a week and Mr. Bumble would sometimes hit him.
Soon, they put up a sign outside saying they’d give five pounds to anyone who’d take Oliver. Mr. Bumble talked to Mr. Sowerberry, who made coffins for people who died in the workhouse. He showed him the sign, hinting that maybe Sowerberry could take Oliver.
Evergreen workbook answers/solutions
Multiple Choice Questions
(a) Analysis, Application and Evaluation :
1. Which of the following is NOT true about Oliver Twist?
(a) Oliver Twist was born in a workhouse.
(b) Oliver Twist’s mother had no ring on her finger.
(c) The bowls never needed washing, because the boys cleaned them with their spoons.
(d) They offered twenty five pounds to the person who would take Oliver Twist.
Answer: (d) They offered twenty five pounds to the person who would take Oliver Twist.
2. Read the sentence given below and answer the question that follows :
“He asked for more?” Mr Bumble cried.
Identify the tone of the speaker.
(a) ironic
(b) of disbelief
(c) humorous
(d) sarcastic
Answer: (b) of disbelief
3. Select the option that gives true character traits of Oliver Twist.
1. lean and thin
2. humorous
3. overworked
4. lonely
5. frightened
6. bold
(a) 1, 2, 3
(b) 1, 3, 6
(c) 1, 3, 4, 5
(d) 4, 5, 6
Answer: (d) 4, 5, 6
4. Choose the option that lists of sequence of events in the correct order.
1. Oliver asked for some more soup.
2. Oliver, an orphan boy, lived in a workhouse with other orphan boys.
3. He was shut in a dark, cold room for a week.
4. In the workhouse children were under-clothed and under-fed.
(a) 1, 2, 3, 4
(b) 2, 4, 1, 3
(c) 4, 2, 1, 3
(d) 2, 1, 3, 4
Answer: (b) 2, 4, 1, 3
5. Choose the option that shows the correct relationship between Statement (1) and Statement (2).
1. Oliver was severly beaten and shut in a cold, dark room for a week.
2. He had demanded some more soup.
(a) 1 is the result of 2.
(b) 1 is an example of 2.
(c) 1 is independent of 2.
(d) 1 is a contradiction of 2.
Answer: (a) 1 is the result of 2.
6. Which of these statements is NOT true?
(a) Oliver was bold enough to demand some more soup.
(b) He was goaded to ask for some more soup.
(c) He was too innocent to comprehend the situation.
(d) He was handed over to a coffin maker.
Answer: (d) He was handed over to a coffin maker.
7. Oliver’s demand for more soup made the master feel ……………. .
(a) sad
(b) angry
(c) stunned
(d) surprised
Answer: (c) stunned
8. “I named the last one Swubble. This one is Twist. The next one will be Unwin’. Which of the following statements shows the reason for this?
(a) These are popular names at that time.
(b) The mothers of the babies have selected these names.
(c) The babies in the workhouse are named in order from A to Z.
(d) These names are considered to the lucky for the babies.
Answer: (c) The babies in the workhouse are named in order from A to Z.
(b) Recalling and Understanding :
9. Where was Oliver Twist born? ……………….. .
(a) in a private clinic
(b) in the workhouse
(c) in a park
(d) in a discarded building
Answer: (b) in the workhouse
10. Oliver’s mother pressed her cold lips to his face and then ………………..
(a) smiled
(b) began to weep
(c) fell back and died
(d) went to sleep
Answer: (c) fell back and died
11. The doctor raised the dead woman’s left hand and commented that she had no ring on her finger. What does this mean?
(a) she was very poor
(b) she wasn’t fond of jewellery
(c) she wasn’t married
(d) none of the above
Answer: (c) she wasn’t married
12. To the orphan boy the name Oliver Twist was given by ………………..
(a) Swubble
(b) Unwin
(c) the old woman at the workhouse
(d) Mr Bumble
Answer: (d) Mr Bumble
13. The bowls in which soup was served to workhouse boys never needed washing. Why?
(a) they were made of glass
(b) they were made of bone-china
(c) the boys cleaned them with their spoons
(d) all of the above
Answer: (c) the boys cleaned them with their spoons
14. When Oliver asked for more soup how did the master react?
(a) he was pleased
(b) he was utterly surprised
(c) he shouted at Oliver
(d) he started beating Oliver
Answer: (b) he was utterly surprised
15. Oliver was shut up in a dark room. He remained a prisoner for ……………….. .
(a) a whole week
(b) five days
(c) six months
(d) twenty four hours
Answer: (a) a whole week
16. The soup disappeared quickly. Why?
(a) it was very tasty
(b) the boys were very hungry
(c) the quantity was not enough
(d) all of the above
Answer: (b) the boys were very hungry
17. How much money was offered to the person who would take Oliver Twist ?
(a) ten pounds
(b) five pounds
(c) one pound
(d) four pounds
Answer: (b) five pounds
18. What was the profession of Mr Sowerberry ? He made ……………….. .
(a) buildings
(b) utensils
(c) coffins
(d) shoes
Answer: (c) coffins
Comprehension Passages
PASSAGE-1
Among other buildings in a town in England, there was a house for poor people who had no money and nowhere to live. This was called the workhouse.
Oliver Twist was born in a workhouse. His mother, a young woman, lay ill in bed. A doctor and an old woman stood by her side. She lifted her head from the pillow.
‘Let me see the child and die’, she said.
(i) Why does the narrator not specify the setting of the story? (Analysis)
Answer: The narrator does not specify the exact setting of the story, only hinting at it as “a town in England,” because the purpose of the writer is to highlight the merciless treatment orphans like Oliver were given in social institutions like a workhouse in general. While the temporal and spatial setting is only hinted at, with no direct references to any specific city or time, this allows the reader to connect the events to places like the city of London and focuses attention on the universal plight of the poor and the cruel conditions within such establishments, rather than a singular location.
(ii) Who lived in the workhouse? (Understanding)
Answer: The workhouse was a house for poor people who had no money and nowhere to live.
(iii) Who were present in the room where Oliver was born? (Understanding)
Answer: In the room where Oliver was born, his mother, a young woman who lay ill in bed, a doctor, and an old woman stood by her side.
(iv) The baby’s mother wished for two things. What were they? (Understanding)
Answer: The baby’s mother wished for two things. She said, ‘Let me see the child and die’.
(v) How did the doctor react to one of the wishes later in the story? (Understanding)
Answer: Later in the story, after Oliver’s mother pressed her cold white lips to the child’s face and fell back, the doctor reacted to her wish to die by stating, ‘She is dead,’ thereby confirming its fulfillment.
PASSAGE-2
The doctor put the child in her arms. She pressed her cold white lips to its face, and then fell back.
‘She is dead’, said the doctor.
‘Yes, poor dear,’ said the old woman, as she took the child away from its dead mother. ‘Poor dear.’
‘She was a good-looking girl,’ said the doctor, as he put on his hat and gloves. ‘Where did she come from?’
‘She was brought here last night,’ said the old woman.
‘She was lying in the street. She had walked a long way and her shoes had holes in them. Nobody knows where she came from, or where she was going to.’
(i) Who is ‘she’ referred to in the first line? What wish had she expressed earlier? (Understanding)
Answer: ‘She’ referred to in the first line, “The doctor put the child in her arms,” is Oliver’s mother. Earlier, she had expressed the wish to see her child and then to die.
(ii) After kissing the baby the woman fell back. What happened to her? What do the words ‘Poor dear’ indicate? (Understanding and Analysis)
Answer: After kissing the baby, the woman fell back and died, as confirmed by the doctor who said, ‘She is dead’. The words ‘Poor dear,’ spoken by the old woman, indicate sympathy and pity for the deceased young mother.
(iii) What was the doctor told about the baby’s mother? Who told about Oliver’s mother to the doctor? (Understanding)
Answer: The doctor was told that the baby’s mother was brought to the workhouse the previous night. She had been lying in the street, had walked a long way, and her shoes had holes in them. Nobody knew where she came from or where she was going to. The old woman told this information about Oliver’s mother to the doctor.
(iv) Looking at the dead woman’s ringless hand what did the doctor conclude? What does this indicate? (Understanding and Analysis)
Answer: Looking at the dead woman’s ringless left hand, the doctor concluded that she wasn’t married, remarking, ‘The usual story’. This indicates that Oliver was born illegitimate, a common situation for poor women in such circumstances, and it also reveals the doctor’s indifferent and perhaps cynical attitude towards such tragedies, as well as the societal discrimination faced by unmarried mothers and their children.
(v) What did the old woman do when the doctor had gone home for dinner? (Understanding)
Answer: When the doctor had gone home to his dinner, the old woman sat down on a chair in front of the fire and began to dress the baby. She dressed him in the very old clothes used for babies who were born in the workhouse.
PASSAGE-3
No one was able to discover who the baby’s father was, or what his mother’s name was. Mr Bumble, an important officer in the town, invented a name for the baby. He chose the name Oliver Twist.
‘We name the new babies here in order from A to Z,’ he explained when people asked. ‘I named the last one Swubble. This one is Twist. The next one will be Unwin’.
At the age of nine, Oliver was a pale, thin child. He and the other workhouse boys never had enough warm clothes or food. They were given only three meals of thin soup every day. On Sundays they had a small piece of bread.
(i) Which figure of speech is used in the line — This one is Twist. The next one will be Unwin’? (Analysis)
Answer: The line “This one is Twist. The next one will be Unwin” primarily illustrates Mr. Bumble’s systematic and impersonal method of naming babies alphabetically (Swubble, Twist, Unwin corresponding to S, T, U). This methodical approach, explained by Mr. Bumble as naming new babies “in order from A to Z,” highlights the detached, bureaucratic, and dehumanizing nature of the workhouse system, where children are treated with neglect and ignorance rather than individual care. The names themselves appear arbitrary and functional, serving the institution’s record-keeping rather than reflecting any personal connection.
(ii) Who was Mr Bumble? What did he do for the baby? (Understanding)
Answer: Mr Bumble was an important officer in the town. For the baby, he invented a name; he chose the name Oliver Twist.
(iii) Who are ‘we’ mentioned in the passage? How did ‘we’ name new babies? (Understanding)
Answer: ‘We’ mentioned in the passage refers to Mr. Bumble and other officials or staff at the workhouse responsible for naming the babies. ‘We’ named the new babies in order from A to Z.
(iv) How did Oliver look at the age of nine? Why did he look thin and pale? (Understanding)
Answer: At the age of nine, Oliver was a pale, thin child. He looked thin and pale because he and the other workhouse boys never had enough warm clothes or food; they were given only three meals of thin soup every day and on Sundays, they had a small piece of bread.
(v) What was the usual food of workhouse boys? What special thing was given to them on Sundays? (Understanding)
Answer: The usual food of workhouse boys was three meals of thin soup every day. The special thing given to them on Sundays was a small piece of bread.
PASSAGE-4
The master hit Oliver with his spoon, then seized him and cried for help. Mr Bumble rushed into the room, and the master told him what Oliver had said.
‘He asked for more?’ Mr Bumble cried. ‘I cannot believe it. One day they will hang the boy.’
He took Oliver away and shut him in a dark room. The next morning a notice appeared on the workhouse gate. Five pounds were offered to anybody who would take Oliver Twist.
(i) Why did the master hit Oliver with his spoon? What does this reveal? (Understanding and Analysis)
Answer: The master hit Oliver with his spoon because Oliver, after finishing his soup, asked for more by saying, ‘Please, sir, I want some more.’ This reveals the extreme surprise and indignation of the master, as such a request was unheard of and considered audacious. It also highlights the cruelty and harsh discipline of the workhouse, where a starving child’s plea for more food was met with violence rather than compassion, underscoring the severe deprivation faced by the boys.
(ii) Whom did he call for help? What did that person do? (Understanding)
Answer: After hitting Oliver, the master seized him and cried for help. Mr Bumble rushed into the room. Upon being told what Oliver had said, Mr Bumble expressed disbelief, cried out, ‘He asked for more? I cannot believe it. One day they will hang the boy,’ and then took Oliver away and shut him in a dark room.
(iii) “He asked for more ?” In which tone is this sentence spoken? Why? (Analysis)
Answer: The sentence “He asked for more?” spoken by Mr Bumble is in a tone of utter disbelief, shock, and outrage. This is because, within the rigid and cruel system of the workhouse, asking for more food was an unprecedented act of defiance and impertinence that challenged the authority of the officials and the established meager rations. Mr Bumble’s subsequent exclamation, “I cannot believe it. One day they will hang the boy,” further emphasizes how gravely such a request was viewed.
(iv) What did the notice on the gate of the workhouse say? (Understanding)
Answer: The notice that appeared on the workhouse gate the next morning offered five pounds to anybody who would take Oliver Twist, implying it was for someone to take him as an apprentice.
(v) What impression do you form of the working of the workhouse? Why? (Understanding and Analysis)
Answer: I form the impression that the working of the workhouse was incredibly cruel, inhumane, and oppressive. This impression is based on several incidents: the children, including Oliver, were systematically underfed with only thin soup and minimal bread, and lacked adequate clothing. When Oliver, a small, starving boy, dared to ask for more food, he was met not with understanding but with violence from the master, who hit him with a spoon. The authorities like Mr. Bumble reacted with shock and outrage, predicting a grim future for Oliver (“One day they will hang the boy”) and subjecting him to severe punishment by locking him in a cold, dark room and beating him daily with a stick in front of everyone. The offer of five pounds to anyone who would take Oliver away further shows their desire to be rid of him rather than care for him. The entire system seems designed to instill fear, crush any spirit, and treat the poor and orphaned not as individuals deserving of care but as burdens and potential criminals.
PASSAGE-5
‘The usual story,’ he said. ‘I see that she has no ring on her finger. She wasn’t married. Good night!’
He went home to his dinner. The old woman sat down on a chair in front of the fire and began to dress the baby. She dressed him in the very old clothes used for babies who were born in the workhouse. The child was an orphan, born into a world which had no love or pity for him.
(i) ‘The usual story’, he said. What does the statement imply? (Analysis)
Answer: The doctor’s statement, ‘The usual story,’ implies that the death of a poor, unmarried woman in the workhouse, likely after giving birth, was a common and predictable occurrence for him. It suggests a recurring pattern of destitution, social abandonment of unwed mothers, and the grim realities faced by the impoverished. The phrase also conveys the doctor’s desensitization or cynical resignation to such tragic events, viewing them as routine rather than exceptional.
(ii) What does the absence of a ring on the finger show? (Analysis)
Answer: The absence of a ring on the dead woman’s finger, as observed by the doctor, shows that she wasn’t married. In the societal context of that time, this meant her child, Oliver, was illegitimate, which carried significant social stigma and often led to a life of hardship and discrimination for both the mother and the child.
(iii) When ‘he’ had gone home, what did the old woman do? What does it reveal about the woman? (Understanding and Analysis)
Answer: When ‘he’, the doctor, had gone home to his dinner, the old woman sat down on a chair in front of the fire and began to dress the baby. She dressed him in the very old clothes used for babies who were born in the workhouse. This reveals that the old woman, despite the harsh environment, fulfilled her practical duties of providing basic care for the newborn. It shows a sense of routine and perhaps a functional, if not deeply compassionate, response to the situation, as she was part of the workhouse system.
(iv) The newly born baby was dressed in very old clothes. Why? (Analysis)
Answer: The newly born baby was dressed in very old clothes because those were the standard, meager provisions supplied by the workhouse for infants born into such poverty. This reflects the institution’s lack of resources, the minimal level of care afforded to its inhabitants, and the destitution that awaited children like Oliver from their very birth.
(v) What light does the last line throw on the society of that time? (Understanding and Analysis)
Answer: The last line, “The child was an orphan, born into a world which had no love or pity for him,” throws a stark and critical light on the society of that time. It portrays a society that was largely indifferent, uncompassionate, and lacking in care for its most vulnerable members, particularly orphans and the destitute. It suggests a world where children like Oliver faced immense hardship and neglect from the moment they were born, with little hope for affection or support.
PASSAGE-6
Oliver was a prisoner in that cold, dark room for a whole week. Every morning he was taken outside to wash, and Mr Bumble beat him with a stick. Then he was taken into the large hall where the boys had their soup. Mr Bumble beat him in front of everybody. He cried all day. When night came he tried to sleep, but he was cold. lonely and frightened.
But one day, outside the high workhouse gate, Mr Bumble met Mr Sowerberry. Mr Sowerberry was a tall, thin man who wore black clothes and made coffins. Many of his coffins were for the poor people who died in the workhouse.
(i) What emotions are evoked by the description of Oliver’s treatment in the workhouse? (Analysis)
Answer: The description of Oliver’s treatment in the workhouse evokes strong emotions of pity and sympathy for Oliver due to his suffering, loneliness, fear, and the physical abuse he endured. It also evokes feelings of anger, indignation, and revulsion towards Mr. Bumble and the cruel workhouse system that inflicted such misery upon a helpless child.
(ii) Why did Mr Bumble beat Oliver in front of everybody? (Understanding and Analysis)
Answer: Mr Bumble beat Oliver in front of everybody, in the large hall where the boys had their soup, most likely to make an example of him. This public punishment was intended to intimidate the other boys and deter them from any similar acts of perceived insubordination, such as asking for more food. It served to assert Mr. Bumble’s authority and enforce the harsh discipline of the workhouse through fear and humiliation.
(iii) Why couldn’t Oliver sleep at night? (Understanding)
Answer: Oliver couldn’t sleep at night because, as the story states, “he was cold. lonely and frightened.”
(iv) How did Mr Sowerberry earn money for a living? What does it show about his character? (Understanding and Analysis)
Answer: Mr Sowerberry earned money for a living by making coffins. Many of his coffins were for the poor people who died in the workhouse. This shows that his livelihood was directly connected to death and poverty. It suggests he was a man engaged in a somber trade, possibly pragmatic and accustomed to the grim realities of the workhouse. His business profited from the frequent deaths among the poor, indicating an opportunistic aspect, though he was also providing a necessary service.
(v) What information did Mr Sowerberry give to Mr Bumble? (Understanding)
Answer: Mr Sowerberry informed Mr Bumble that he had “prepared the coffins for the two women who died last night.”.
Project Assignments
1. What do you learn about the life in a workhouse during the Victorian times?
Answer: From the story “Oliver Asks for More,” I learn that life in a workhouse during what is understood to be the Victorian times was extremely harsh and filled with deprivation. A workhouse was a place for poor people who had no money and nowhere to live. Children like Oliver Twist were born into these institutions, and their mothers often died there shortly after childbirth, as Oliver’s mother did.
Babies were dressed in very old clothes used for infants born in the workhouse. Orphans like Oliver were given names in an impersonal, systematic way; for instance, Mr Bumble explained they named new babies in order from A to Z, with the previous one being “Swubble,” Oliver being “Twist,” and the next to be “Unwin.” This shows a lack of individual care and regard.
By the age of nine, children like Oliver were pale and thin. They never had enough warm clothes or food. Their diet consisted of only three meals of thin soup every day, with a small piece of bread on Sundays as a meager treat. They were fed in a big hall, and each boy received only one small bowl of soup and no more. The boys were so hungry that their bowls never needed washing because they cleaned them with their spoons until they shone.
If a child dared to ask for more food, as Oliver did, the consequences were severe. The master reacted with shock and violence, hitting Oliver with a spoon. Mr Bumble, an important officer, expressed disbelief and predicted a grim future for such a child, stating, “One day they will hang the boy.” Oliver was punished by being shut in a cold, dark room for a whole week, taken out only to be washed and then beaten with a stick by Mr Bumble, even in front of everybody in the large hall. The workhouse authorities were even willing to offer five pounds to anyone who would take a child like Oliver Twist off their hands. Furthermore, Mr Sowerberry, the coffin maker, made many of his coffins for the poor people who died in the workhouse, indicating a high mortality rate among the destitute. The story depicts the miserable plight of the poor and helpless, showing how society mistreated poor orphaned children, who were slowly starved and treated harshly.
2. Imagine you are the manager of the workhouse. What would you do to help the children living there?
Answer: If I were the manager of the workhouse, I would strive to make significant changes to help the children living there, based on the terrible conditions Oliver and the other boys endured.
First and foremost, I would ensure that the children received adequate nutrition. Instead of just three meals of thin soup, I would provide more substantial and nourishing food, including more bread daily, and perhaps vegetables and some protein. The goal would be to see them healthy and strong, not pale and thin. The practice of giving only one small bowl of soup would be abolished; children would be given enough to satisfy their hunger.
Secondly, I would make sure they had sufficient warm clothes, especially during cold weather, and proper shoes, unlike Oliver’s mother whose shoes had holes in them. The living conditions would also be improved. No child would be locked in a cold, dark room as punishment. Sleeping quarters would be made warm and comfortable, so children wouldn’t feel cold, lonely, and frightened at night.
Thirdly, the cruel disciplinary practices would end immediately. There would be no beatings with sticks or spoons. Instead, I would try to understand the children’s needs and address misbehavior with kindness, guidance, and constructive methods. Public humiliation, like beating a child in front of others, would be strictly forbidden.
Fourthly, I would try to create a more humane and caring environment. Children would be treated as individuals, not just names in an alphabetical list. I would try to find ways to provide some form of education or skill training to give them a better chance in life, rather than just offering them to anyone for a small sum of money. The aim would be to provide love and care, which the story states Oliver was born into a world without. I would work to change the perception that these children are mere burdens and instead see them as young individuals deserving of support and a chance for a decent future.
3. What happens to Oliver’s mother and how do the people in the workhouse react to the situation?
Answer: Oliver’s mother, a young woman, is gravely ill in bed in the workhouse when Oliver is born. Her final wish is to see her child. The doctor places the baby in her arms, she presses her cold white lips to its face, and then she falls back and dies.
The reactions of the people in the workhouse to her death are varied:
- The doctor states factually, “‘She is dead.'” Later, after observing she had no ring on her finger, he remarks with apparent indifference and cynicism, “‘The usual story… She wasn’t married. Good night!'” and then goes home to his dinner. This suggests he sees her death and her unmarried status as a common, unremarkable tragedy among the poor, showing a lack of deep compassion.
- The old woman who was present at the birth expresses some sympathy, saying, “‘Yes, poor dear,'” as she takes the child from its dead mother. After the doctor leaves, she sits by the fire and dresses the baby in the old clothes provided by the workhouse, fulfilling her practical duty.
- Mr Bumble, an important officer, later invents the name Oliver Twist for the baby, explaining their system of naming babies alphabetically. This shows a detached, bureaucratic approach to the orphans, indicating neglect and ignorance towards the children and their deceased parents’ circumstances.
Overall, the reaction is a mixture of perfunctory care from the old woman, professional detachment and societal judgment from the doctor, and systemic neglect represented by Mr Bumble’s actions. There is no indication of profound grief or concern for the deceased young mother beyond a fleeting expression of pity from the old woman. The system seems more focused on processing the situation rather than providing genuine comfort or support.
4. ‘Circumstances force people to revolt and struggle against their plight ! Explain the statement with reference to the story ‘Oliver Asks for More’.
Answer: The statement ‘Circumstances force people to revolt and struggle against their plight’ is well illustrated by the events in “Oliver Asks for More.” The plight of Oliver and the other workhouse boys was one of extreme hunger and deprivation. They “never had enough warm clothes or food” and were given “only three meals of thin soup every day.” Each boy received “one small bowl of soup and no more,” and they were so starved that “the bowls never needed washing, because the boys cleaned them with their spoons until they shone.”
These dire circumstances, particularly the constant, gnawing hunger, forced the boys to consider a desperate act. The story mentions, “One day Oliver and his friends decided that one boy would walk up to the master after supper and ask for more soup.” This decision was a direct result of their unbearable plight. Oliver was chosen for this act of “revolt.”
His struggle against their plight manifested when he “stood up from the table and went to the master, with his bowl and spoon in his hands” and uttered the simple but revolutionary words, “‘Please, sir, I want some more.'” This was a direct challenge to the established rules and the meager rations they were forced to endure.
The severe reaction to his request – the master turning pale, hitting him, Mr Bumble’s horrified disbelief and prediction that “One day they will hang the boy,” Oliver’s subsequent confinement in a dark room, and the daily beatings – underscores how significant this act of “revolt” was perceived to be by the authorities. Oliver’s action, born out of the desperate circumstance of starvation, was indeed a struggle against the inhumane conditions imposed upon him and his companions.
5. Point out the incidents that show inhuman behaviour of some of the characters in this story.
Answer: Several incidents in “Oliver Asks for More” highlight the inhuman behaviour of some characters:
- The Doctor’s Indifference: When Oliver’s mother dies, the doctor, after confirming her death, examines her hand and remarks, “‘The usual story… I see that she has no ring on her finger. She wasn’t married. Good night!'” His casual dismissal of a young woman’s tragic death and his judgmental tone about her marital status, followed by him promptly going home to his dinner, shows a profound lack of compassion and an inhuman detachment.
- The Master’s Cruelty:
- The master knowingly serves “thin soup” in “one small bowl” as the primary sustenance for growing boys, essentially starving them.
- When Oliver, a small, starving child, politely asks for more soup, the master, a “fat, healthy man,” reacts not with understanding but with violence. He “hit Oliver with his spoon, then seized him and cried for help.” This physical abuse for a simple request for food is deeply inhuman.
- Mr Bumble’s Brutality and Prejudice:
- Upon hearing Oliver asked for more, Mr Bumble cries, “‘He asked for more? I cannot believe it. One day they will hang the boy.'” This extreme reaction, predicting a child will be hanged for asking for food, reveals a shocking level of prejudice and inhumanity.
- Mr Bumble then “took Oliver away and shut him in a dark room.” For a whole week, Oliver was a prisoner in this “cold, dark room.”
- “Every morning he was taken outside to wash, and Mr Bumble beat him with a stick.” This daily, systematic beating is a clear act of inhuman cruelty.
- Furthermore, “Then he was taken into the large hall where the boys had their soup. Mr Bumble beat him in front of everybody.” This public humiliation and physical abuse is designed to terrorize Oliver and the other children.
- The impersonal way Mr Bumble names babies (“This one is Twist. The next one will be Unwin.”) also reflects a dehumanizing attitude.
- The workhouse offering “Five pounds… to anybody who would take Oliver Twist” shows they view him as a burden to be disposed of rather than a child needing care.
- The Systemic Neglect of the Workhouse: The overall conditions – insufficient food leading to the boys being “pale, thin,” lack of warm clothes, and the general atmosphere of fear and deprivation – represent an inhuman system. The critical appreciation notes that “the board members thought that the poor should be given only two alternatives – to starve quickly outside the workhouse or gradually inside it,” which is an inherently inhuman policy.
Morning Star workbook answers/solutions
Multiple Choice Questions II
1. A workhouse shows
(a) The story is set in Victorian era
(b) Harsh living conditions
(c) Abject poverty in England
(d) All of the above.
Answer: (d) All of the above.
2. After the doctor assisted in the birth of the baby he
(a) went to tend to other patients
(b) went home to have dinner
(c) went to speak to Mr Bumble
(d) All of the above
Answer: (b) went home to have dinner.
3. How did the old woman conclude that the young woman had come from far away?
(a) Nobody knew her
(b) Her shoes had holes
(c) She was lying on the pavement
(d) All of the above
Answer: (d) All of the above.
4. How did they know that the young woman was not married?
(a) She did not have a ring on her finger on her left hand.
(b) She was found lying on the sheet
(c) She walked alone all the way
(d) None of the above.
Answer: (a) She did not have a ring on her finger on her left hand.
5. Who gave the name to Oliver Twist?
(a) The old woman
(b) Mr Bumble.
(c) The doctor at the workhouse.
(d) The young woman.
Answer: (b) Mr Bumble.
6. The bowls never needed washing as the boys
(a) drank up all the soup and cleaned them with their spoons.
(b) were given new bowls
(c) got them cleaned by others
(d) None of the above.
Answer: (a) drank up all the soup and cleaned them with their spoons.
7. Why did the master turn pale?
(a) The soup had finished
(b) He was sick
(c) Oliver asked him for more food
(d) The boys hit him.
Answer: (c) Oliver asked him for more food.
8. What punishment was given to Oliver for asking more food?
(a) He was made to clean the entire workhouse
(b) He was made to clean all the bowls
(c) He was asked to cook food for everyone.
(d) He Oliver was shut up for a week in solitary confinement.
Answer: (d) He was shut up for a week in solitary confinement.
9. How much money was offered to the person who would take Oliver?
(a) Twenty pounds.
(b) Five pounds.
(c) Two pounds.
(d) One pound.
Answer: (b) Five pounds.
10. Who was Mr Sowerberry?
(a) Cook in the workhouse.
(b) A coffin maker for the workhouse.
(c) A friend of Mr Bumble.
(d) A member of the board.
Answer: (b) A coffin maker for the workhouse.
Context Questions
Extract 1
Oliver Twist was born in a workhouse. His mother, a young woman, lay ill in bed. A doctor and an old woman stood by her side. She lifted her Let me see the child and die,” she said. “Oh, you mustn’t talk about dying yet,” said the doctor
(i) What is a workhouse? What does it say about the setting of the story?
Answer: A workhouse is a place where poor people who had no money or home lived and worked in exchange for food and shelter. It reflects the harsh social conditions of the 19th century, where poverty was widespread, and those who were destitute were treated harshly.
(ii) Who were present in the room where Oliver was born? Why?
Answer: The doctor and an old woman were present when Oliver was born. They were there to assist in the birth, though their attitudes were indifferent, suggesting a lack of empathy toward the poor.
(iii) What was the Oliver’s mother’s wish? How did she try to fulfill her wish? What happened to the young woman soon after that?
Answer: Oliver’s mother wished to see her child before she died. She asked for the child to be given to her and kissed him before she died.
(iv) What did the old woman tell her about her wish? What did the old woman say about her to the doctor?
Answer: The old woman told Oliver’s mother she was too young to die. After her death, the old woman commented to the doctor that she had been found in the street and nobody knew where she came from.
(v) what evidence is given in the story to say the young woman was poor and not married?
Answer: The young woman was found in the street, her shoes had holes, and she wore no ring, indicating that she was poor and unmarried.
Extract 2
The doctor raised the dead woman’s left hand. The usual story,” he said. ‘I see that she has no ring on her finger. She wasn’t married. Good night!” He went home to his dinner. The old woman sat down on a chair in front of the fire and began to dress the baby. She dressed him in the very old clothes used for babies who were born in the workhouse. The child was an orphan, born into a world which had no love or pity for him.
(i) When the doctor raised the young woman’s hand, what did he notice? What does this indicate about the young woman?
Answer: The doctor noticed she had no ring on her finger, which indicated that she was not married.
(ii) what did the older men do after the doctor went home? What does this say about life in the workhouse?
Answer: The old woman dressed Oliver in old, worn-out clothes. This highlights the neglect and lack of resources in the workhouse, reflecting the harsh conditions.
(iii) Who gave the name to the new baby? What logic did he follow while naming the babies?
Answer: Mr Bumble gave the baby the name “Oliver Twist.” He followed an alphabetical order when naming babies in the workhouse.
(iv) Oliver was an orphan “born into a world, which had no love or pity for him”. Give example from the extract that Oliver experience, a lack of love.
Answer: The fact that the baby was dressed in old, worn-out clothes and the indifferent attitude of the old woman show a lack of care or love for him.
(v) what was the condition of children in England as shown in the story?
Answer: The condition of children, especially orphans, was dire. They were neglected, unloved, and treated harshly, as reflected in Oliver’s experience in the workhouse.
Extract 3
No one was able to discover who the baby’s father was, or what his mother’s name was. Mr Bumble, an important officer in the town, invented a name for the baby. He chose the name Oliver Twist. We name the new babies here in order from A to Z,” he explained when people asked. I named the last one Swubble. This one is Twist. The next one will be Unwin”.
(i) Why was no one able to discover the identity of the baby’s parents?
Answer: No one knew where Oliver’s mother had come from, and she died without revealing her identity.
(ii) Who was Mr bumble? What did he do for the baby?
Answer: Mr Bumble was an important officer in the town. He named the baby “Oliver Twist.”
(iii) How the babies were named? What does the name Twist allude to?
Answer: The babies were named alphabetically. “Twist” alludes to the twists of fate or circumstances that the child might face.
(iv) Why did Olivia look thin and pale? How do you think the other babies look to give a reason to support your answer?
Answer: Oliver looked thin and pale due to malnutrition, and likely the other babies looked similarly underfed, as they all received inadequate food in the workhouse.
(v) what was the normal food given to the boys? What was the extra food given to them on Sunday? What does it reflect about the inmates of the workhouse?
Answer: The boys were normally given thin soup and were only given a small piece of bread on Sundays. This reflects the extreme deprivation faced by the workhouse inmates.
Extract 4
One day Oliver and his friends decided that one boy would walk up to the master after supper and ask for more soup. Oliver was chosen. In the evening, the boys sat down at the tables. The master stood by the pot, and the soup was served. It disappeared quickly. The boys whispered and made signs to Oliver. He stood up from the table and went to the master, with his bowl and spoon in his hands. Please, Sir,” he said, I want some more.” The master was a fat, healthy man, but he went very pale. He looked with surprise at the small boy. What?” said the master at last in a quiet voice. Please, sir,” repeated Oliver, I want some more.’ The master hit Oliver with his spoon, then seized him and cried for help. Mr Bumble rushed into the room, and the master told him what Oliver had said. He asked for more?” Mr Bumble cried. ‘I cannot believe it. One day they will hang the boy.”
(i) What is said about the physical appearance of the master? why was he surprised?
Answer: The master is described as a fat, healthy man. He was surprised because Oliver dared to ask for more food, which was highly unusual.
(ii) Why was Oliver hit with the Master’s spoon? What was Oliver’s asking for more food seen as?
Answer: Oliver was hit for breaking the unwritten rule that the boys should not ask for more food. His request was seen as audacious and disrespectful.
(iii) Whom did the master call for help? What did that person say against Oliver?
Answer: The master called for Mr Bumble, who exclaimed that Oliver’s behaviour was shocking and predicted that he would one day be hanged.
(iv) How did he punish Olivier? What is the punishment proportionate to the offence?
Answer: Oliver was locked in a dark room for a week and beaten in front of everyone. The punishment was grossly disproportionate to the offence.
(v) What are your feelings for young helpless Oliver?
Answer: Oliver’s situation evokes sympathy, as he is an innocent child subjected to cruel and unjust treatment for simply asking for more food.
Extract 5
Oliver was a prisoner in that cold, dark room for a whole week. Every morning he was taken outside to wash, and Mr Bumble beat him with a stick. Then he was taken into the large hall where the boys had their soup. Mr Bumble beat him in from of everybody. He cried all day. When night came he tried to sleep, but he was cold, lonely and frightened.
(i) Who shut Oliver the cold dark room? Where was Oliver imprisoned for a whole week and why?
Answer: Mr Bumble shut Oliver in the cold, dark room as punishment for asking for more food.
(ii) What forced Oliver to make that offense? Why was he chosen to commit to that office?
Answer: Oliver and the other boys were starving, and he was chosen by his peers to ask for more food because he was the smallest and least likely to be suspected.
(iii) was it proper for Mr bumble to beat Oliver in front of everyone? Why did he do so?
Answer: It was not proper for Mr Bumble to beat Oliver. He did so to assert authority and control, using public punishment to intimidate the other boys.
(iv) What are you feelings for Mr bumble and the workhouse culture of Victorian times?
Answer: Mr Bumble’s harsh treatment and the workhouse culture reflect the cruelty and indifference to the poor in Victorian society, provoking feelings of injustice.
(v) Why could Olivia not sleep at night? What does it say about the condition of children in Victorian England?
Answer: Oliver could not sleep because he was cold, lonely, and frightened. This highlights the bleak and harsh conditions faced by children in Victorian England.
Extract 6
But one day, outside the high workhouse gate, Mr Bumble met Mr Sowerberry. Mr Sowerberry was a tall, thin man who wore black clothes and made coffins. Many of his coffins were for the poor people who died in the workhouse.
(i) who was Mr. Sowerberry? Describe his appearance.
Answer: Mr Sowerberry was an undertaker who made coffins. He is described as a tall, thin man who wore black clothes.
(ii) what do you think his black clothes signify? What was the notice at the gate? What did the notice state?
Answer: His black clothes likely signify his profession as an undertaker. The notice at the gate offered five pounds to anyone willing to take Oliver, reflecting the cold transactional nature of the workhouse system.
(iii) why did Mr bumble say that he would be reached one day?
Answer: Mr Bumble said this to Mr Sowerberry, referring to his business of making coffins for the poor, implying that death and poverty were profitable for undertakers.
(iv) Which theme of the story is reflected in the extract? Explain it briefly.
Answer: The theme of exploitation of the poor is reflected in this extract, as both Mr Sowerberry and Mr Bumble profit from the misery of workhouse inmates.
(v) what does the notice reflect about the treatment of children in Victorian times?
Answer: The notice reflects the dehumanizing treatment of children in Victorian times, where orphans like Oliver were treated as burdens to be sold off for the highest price.
Extras/Additional
Questions and Answers
Extract 1
‘She was brought here last night,’ said the old woman. ‘She was lying in the street. She had walked a long way and her shoes had holes in them. Nobody knows where she came from, or where she was going to.’
The doctor raised the dead woman’s left hand.
‘The usual story,’ he said. ‘I see that she has no ring on her finger. She wasn’t married. Good night!’
He went home to his dinner. The old woman sat down on a chair in front of the fire and began to dress the baby. She dressed him in the very old clothes used for babies who were born in the workhouse. The child was an orphan, born into a world which had no love or pity for him.
(i) What details are given about Oliver’s mother?
Answer: Oliver’s mother was a young woman who walked a long distance before collapsing in the street. Her shoes had holes, and no one knew where she came from or where she was heading.
(ii) What did the doctor conclude about Oliver’s mother?
Answer: The doctor noticed that she had no wedding ring and assumed she was unmarried.
(iii) How did the doctor react to her death?
Answer: The doctor reacted indifferently, commenting on her lack of a ring and then leaving to have dinner.
(iv) How did the old woman handle the situation after the mother’s death?
Answer: The old woman dressed the newborn baby in old, reused clothes meant for workhouse babies.
(v) What does this passage reveal about Oliver’s birth circumstances?
Answer: Oliver was born into poverty and indifference, as no one showed love or care for him after his mother’s death.
Extract 7
Oliver stood up from the table and went to the master, with his bowl and spoon in his hands.
‘Please, sir,’ he said, ‘I want some more.’
The master was a fat, healthy man, but he went very pale. He looked with surprise at the small boy.
‘What?’ said the master at last in a quiet voice.
The master hit Oliver with his spoon, then seized him and cried for help. Mr Bumble rushed into the room, and the master told him what Oliver had said.
‘He asked for more?’ Mr Bumble cried. ‘I cannot believe it. One day they will hang the boy.’
(i) How did Oliver show courage in this moment?
Answer: Oliver showed courage by stepping forward and asking for more food, despite knowing the strict rules of the workhouse.
(ii) What was the master’s reaction to Oliver’s request?
Answer: The master was shocked and angered, hitting Oliver with a spoon and calling for help.
(iii) How did Mr Bumble respond when he heard about Oliver’s request?
Answer: Mr Bumble was astonished and outraged, suggesting that Oliver’s behaviour was deserving of extreme punishment.
(iv) What does this incident reveal about the power dynamics in the workhouse?
Answer: The incident reveals a harsh power dynamic where the poor were expected to remain silent and submissive, and any request for basic needs was treated as an offense.
(v) Why was Oliver’s request seen as such a serious offense?
Answer: Oliver’s request was seen as a challenge to the strict control and authority that the workhouse imposed on its inmates, making it a serious act of defiance.
MCQs (Knowledge Based)
1. What was the name given to the house for poor people who had no money and nowhere to live?
(a) Shelter
(b) Orphanage
(c) Workhouse
(d) Almshouse
Answer: (c) Workhouse
75. Which of the following is NOT a reason Oliver felt distressed at night during his confinement?
(a) He was cold.
(b) He was lonely.
(c) He was hungry.
(d) He was frightened.
Answer: (c) He was hungry.
MCQs (Competency Based)
1. Select the option that gives true character traits of Oliver Twist as depicted in the early part of the story.
- Pale and thin
- Cheerful and talkative
- Submissive and frightened
- Rebellious and defiant
- Lonely
- Well-fed
(a) 1, 2, 6
(b) 1, 3, 5
(c) 2, 4, 5
(d) 3, 4, 6
Answer: (b) 1, 3, 5
20. The statement “The child was an orphan, born into a world which had no love or pity for him” sets a tone of:
(a) Hope and optimism for the child’s future.
(b) Indifference towards the child’s fate.
(c) Bleakness and foreshadows a life of hardship.
(d) Celebration of a new life despite the circumstances.
Answer: (c) Bleakness and foreshadows a life of hardship.
Get notes of other classes and subjects
| NBSE | SEBA/AHSEC |
| NCERT | TBSE |
| WBBSE/WHCHSE | ICSE/ISC |
| BSEM/COHSEM | MBOSE |
| Share Feedback | Question Papers |
Thank you very much !!! This helped me to score 35/40 in English 2 and I’m pretty sure it will also help me in future…. Once again Thank you !!!
Same here
thank you this helped me a lot
Pretty helpful ig
Hey, where are you from 🤔