Welcome to “Oliver Asks For More Workbook Solution: ICSE Treasure Chest,” where we delve into the captivating narrative of ICSE English Literature Treasure Chest Part 1. Within these pages, we meticulously unravel the essence of “Oliver Asks For More” through comprehensive workbook solutions. Explore multiple-choice and contextual questions, deepening your understanding of this timeless tale. Meet Oliver, the compelling protagonist, and delve into the intricacies of character development and thematic exploration. Each question serves as a gateway to dissecting the text, urging readers to analyze subtle nuances and extract deeper meanings. Contextual inquiries broaden our exploration canvas, encouraging critical engagement with socio-cultural backdrops and universal themes. Through this examination, readers sharpen analytical skills and develop a profound appreciation for literary craftsmanship. Whether navigating ICSE English Literature or unraveling beloved stories, “Morning Star: Oliver Asks For More Workbook Solutions” offers valuable companionship. Join us on this literary journey as we illuminate the path to understanding, one workbook solution at a time.
Table of Contents
Story Summary :
The story begins with the description of workhouse as a building for the poor and homeless. This puts the workhouse and its atmosphere mildly. At the time the story was written, workhouses homed the poor and homeless in inhumane conditions. The inmates were usually the old, the invalid and the orphans-all who could not work in factories. The conditions were so miserable that the able- bodied lazy would rather work instead of living in a workhouse. Oliver was born in a workhouse to a poor young woman, who had been picked up from the street. Oliver’s mother died after kissing her newborn on his forehead. Oliver was clothed in ‘very old clothes’ as he was an orphan in the world which had no love or pity for him. As Oliver was an orphan, Mr Bumble an important officer in the town named him Twist. He named orphans in alphabetical order.
At the age of nine, Oliver was a pale thin child who like other orphans was under-clothed and under-fed. They were all fed thin soup thrice a day in a big hall. Each child had a small bowl into which the master served the soup. The children were perpetually hungry and it was decided that one of them would ask for more soup. Oliver probably being the weakest or youngest was chosen to be the one to ask for more. On the designated evening, Oliver was signalled to ask the master for more soup. The master, a fat healthy man turned pale with disbelief at Oliver’s strange request. He asked Oliver to repeat his request. When Oliver repeated his request, he hit Oliver with the spoon, caught him and called for help. Mr Bumble rushed in. He too was shocked at Oliver’s apparent audacity to ask for more. Oliver was shut up in a cold dark room and a notice was put up at the workhouse gate that the one who took in Oliver would get a reward of five pounds.
Oliver was a prisoner for a week. Each morning he was taken out of the dark room to wash, after that he was beaten by Mr Bumble. Then he was taken to the large hall where the orphans had their soup. In front of the other orphans he was again beaten by Mr Bumble with a stick. After all this, he was sent to his prison where he cried in the day and could not sleep in at night as he was cold, lonely and frightened.
One day, Mr Sowerberry the coffin maker for the workhouse residents was accosted by Mr Bumble. Mr Bumble pointed to the five pound reward and asked Mr Sowerberry if he knew someone who wanted a boy to work. Indirectly he tried to pass off Oliver to the undertaker.
Workbook MCQs :
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: ( For Full Answers Get The Workbook Answers PDF – View )
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: ( For Full Answers Get The Workbook Answers PDF – View )
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: ( For Full Answers Get The Workbook Answers PDF – View )
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: ( For Full Answers Get The Workbook Answers PDF – View )
Workbook 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 was a place where people who were unable to support themselves, such as the poor, Aged ones, and orphaned, were sent to live and work in exchange for basic necessities like food and shelter. The fact that Oliver Twist was born in a workhouse suggests that the story takes place in a time and place where poverty and inequality were significant issues. The setting reflects the pathetic condition of English society back then. It shows the “other side” (the poor people’s perspective) It reflects the poor economic condition of the people.
(iI)Who were present in the room where Oliver was born? Why?
Answer :- There were three people present in the room where Oliver was born: his mother, a doctor, and an old woman. The fact that Oliver’s mother was in a workhouse suggests that she may not have had access to private medical care or the support of family members during her pregnancy and birth, so the doctor and an old woman were likely provided by the workhouse as part of their institutional care.
(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’s final wish was to see her newborn child before she died. She tried to fulfill her wish by holding the child before she die she is saying “Let me see the child and die.” Unfortunately, the young woman dies soon after giving birth to Oliver. The doctor pronounces her dead and notes that she was a good-looking girl with no wedding ring, indicating that she was unmarried.
(iV) What did the old woman tell her about her wish? What did the old woman say about her to the doctor?
Answer :- As her final wish she wants to see her son and then die peacefully. on this old lady say “No dear, you are too young to die”. The old woman say that the young woman was a good-looking girl and had no wedding ring she told the doctor that the girl had been brought their the previous night she had been found lying in the street and seemed to have walked a long way, and also had holes in them. Nobody knew where she came from or where she was going.
(v) what evidence is given in the story to say the young woman was poor and not married?
Answer :- The evidence that suggests the young woman who gave birth to Oliver was poor and unmarried includes her worn-out shoes, the absence of a wedding ring, and her physical appearance. These detail imply that she may have been in a difficult financial situation and lacked the resources to care for her child on her own, which is why she ended up in the workhouse where she gave birth.
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 :- When the doctor raised the young woman’s left hand, he noticed that she did not have a ring on her finger. This indicates that the young woman was not married. In the context of the story, this detail helps to establish the young woman’s social and economic status, as unmarried women in this time period often faced significant challenges in supporting themselves and their children.
(iI) what did the older men do after the doctor went home? What does this say about life in the workhouse?
Answer :- After the doctor left for dinner, the old woman said down on a chair in front of the fire and dress the baby in very old clothes that were used for babies who were born in the workhouse. This highlights the harsh living conditions and lack of compassion towards the less fortunate during that time period.
(iII) who gave the name to the new baby? What logic did he follow while naming the babies?
Answer :- Mr. Bumble, an important officer in the town, gave the name to the new baby. He followed the logic of naming the babies in alphabetical order, from A to Z. He named the last one Swubble and chose the name Oliver Twist for the newborn. He explained that the next baby would be named Unwin.
(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 :- One example from the extract that shows Oliver’s lack of love is the fact that 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. This shows that the workhouse authorities did not care about providing proper nutrition and warmth to the children in their care, indicating a lack of love and care toward them.
(v) what was the condition of children in England as shown in the story?
Answer :- The story depicts the miserable conditions of children in England, especially those who were born into poverty and had no families to support them. Children in workhouses were subjected to harsh living conditions, inadequate food, and little to no care or affection. They were treated as if they had no value and were forced to work long hours in difficult conditions. The story also highlights the lack of support and resources available for women who found themselves in difficult circumstances, such as Oliver’s mother.
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 was able to discover the identity of the baby’s parents because the child was an orphan who was born in the workhouse. The mother was unknown and the father was never mentioned or identified. Mr Bumble, an important officer in the town, invented a name for the baby and claimed that they name new babies in alphabetical order from A to Z. This suggests that the workhouse was overcrowded and understaffed, and the babies born there were often abandoned or left without anyone to care for them.
(iI) who was Mr bumble? What did you do for the baby?
Answer :- Mr Bumble was an important officer in the town, who was in charge of the workhouse where Oliver Twist was born. When no one could discover the baby’s father or mother, Mr Bumble invented a name for him, Oliver Twist. He also made arrangements to have Oliver taken care of in the workhouse. However, he was not particularly kind to Oliver or the other children in his care, and he often punished them harshly.
(iII) How the babies were named? What does the name Twist Allude to?
Answer :- The babies in the workhouse were named in alphabetical order from A to Z, with Mr. Bumble, an important officer in the town, inventing the names. For instance, the last baby was named “Swubble,” and the next one would be “Unwin.” Mr. Bumble chose the name “Oliver Twist” for the new baby. The name “Twist” alludes to the difficult and complex path that the baby’s life is likely to take, as he is born into a world that has no love or pity for him.
(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 because he, like the other workhouse boys, did not have enough nutritious food. They were given only three meals of thin soup every day, and on Sundays, they had a small piece of bread. The conditions of the workhouse were harsh, and the children were malnourished and poorly cared for, leading to physical weakness and illness. It is likely that the other babies in the workhouse also looked thin and pale due to the poor living conditions.
(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 :- ( For Full Answers Get The Workbook Answers PDF – View )
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 :- It is said that the master was a “fat, healthy man”, but when Oliver asked for more food, the master went very pale and looked at the small boy with surprise. The reason for the master’s surprise was that Oliver’s request for more food went against the established rules and expectations of the workhouse.
(iI) Why was Oliver hit with the Master’s spoon? What was Oliver’s asking for more food seen as?
Answer :- ( For Full Answers Get The Workbook Answers PDF – View )
(iII) Whom did the master call for help? What did that person say against Oliver?
Answer :- ( For Full Answers Get The Workbook Answers PDF – View )
(iV) How did he punish Olivier? What is the punishment proportionate to the offence?
Answer :- ( For Full Answers Get The Workbook Answers PDF – View )
(v) What are your feelings for young helpless Oliver?
Answer :- ( For Full Answers Get The Workbook Answers PDF – View )
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 :- Oliver was imprisoned in the coal darkroom as he had asked for more gruel because he was hungry and that was a crime in the eyes. of the organizers of the workhouse
(iI) What forced Oliver to make that offense? Why was he chosen to commit to that office?
Answer :- ( For Full Answers Get The Workbook Answers PDF – View )
(iII) was it proper for Mr bumble to beat Oliver in front of everyone? Why did he do so?
Answer :- ( For Full Answers Get The Workbook Answers PDF – View )
(iV) What are you feelings for Mr bumble and the workhouse culture of Victorian times?
Answer :- ( For Full Answers Get The Workbook Answers PDF – View )
(v) Why could Olivia not sleep at night? What does it say about the condition of children in Victorian England?
Answer :- ( For Full Answers Get The Workbook Answers PDF – View )
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 a tall and thin man who wore black clothes and made coffins. He earn money by making coffins for the poor people who died in the workhouse. He was described as having a “cadaverous face,” which means his face looked thin and pale as if he were a corpse. He was also said to have a “deep voice,” which suggests that he spoke in a low, serious tone.
(iI) what do you think his black clothes signify? What was the notice at the gate? What did the notice state?
Answer :- ( For Full Answers Get The Workbook Answers PDF – View )
(iII) why did Mr bumble say that he would be reached one day?
Answer :- ( For Full Answers Get The Workbook Answers PDF – View )
(iV) Which theme of the story is reflected in the extract? Explain it briefly.
Answer :- ( For Full Answers Get The Workbook Answers PDF – View )
(v) what does the notice reflect about the treatment of children in Victorian times?
Answer :- ( For Full Answers Get The Workbook Answers PDF – View )
