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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What are the names of the stories that Matilda tells Hortensia she has read?

2. What does Miss Honey interrupt when she goes to see Matilda's parents?

3. What was the name of the school's headmistress?

4. What is the first thing Miss Honey hands out to the children?

5. What writer does Matilda tell her father was bald?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Miss Honey react to Matilda's brilliance in this section?

2. How are Matilda's parents different to most parents?

3. How does Matilda's parents react when she asks if she can eat her meal in the dining room?

4. How does Mr. Wormwood cheat his customers?

5. How does Bruce Bogtrotter get one up on Trunchbull in this section?

6. How do teacher get their revenge on parents?

7. Why is Mr. Wormwood so proud of his hair?

8. How does Miss Trunchbull react when she sees a little girl with pigtails?

9. How does Mr. Wormwood upset Matilda in this chapter?

10. Describe Mr. Wormwood.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How important is the tone of the book to its content? How would a less friendly, less melancholic tone change the story?

Essay Topic 2

Pick a character from the book and discuss his or her goals and motives. Do they achieve their motive? Do they share similar goals and motives with other characters? Do their goals clash with other characters? How do the characters goals and motives affect their interaction with each other?

Essay Topic 3

In what way is Matilda's situation at the beginning of the book serious and traumatic? Despite the serious subject matter, how does Dahl keep the book lighthearted? What statement does the story make about difficult childhoods?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 906 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample