Question 21
GCE_MODEL_QUESTIONS_VOL1
•
2021
•
LITERATURE_IN_ENGLISH
•
objective
Read the following passage from Charles Dickens's *Great Expectations* (Chapter 12), where Pip describes Miss Havisham:
"She was dressed in a white satin dress, with a veil of black silk over her head, and a great deal of dust lay upon her and the whole room. She seemed to be a ghost, and yet she smiled at me with a look that was both tender and cruel."
(a) Identify two methods of indirect characterization used by Dickens in this passage.
(b) From those methods infer one dominant personality trait of Miss Havisham.
(c) Explain how this trait influences her behaviour towards Pip later in the novel.
Answer Options
A.
Dickens relies on Miss Havisham's spoken dialogue and the elaborate description of the decaying mansion as indirect characterization. These suggest her dominant trait is superficial vanity, which later makes her constantly flaunt her wealth and status to Pip, trying to impress rather than intimidate him.
B.
The passage uses foreshadowing of future events and symbolic references to broken clocks as indirect characterization. These imply that Miss Havisham's dominant trait is naive optimism, leading her to encourage Pip's ambitions and promise him a bright future despite her own tragic past.
Correct Answer
C.
Dickens uses visual description of Miss Havisham's ruined attire and the contradictory description of her smile (tender yet cruel) as indirect characterization. These suggest her dominant trait is deep bitterness. This bitterness drives her to manipulate Pip, keeping him hopeful of a fortune while ultimately rejecting him.
D.
Through the narrator's intrusive commentary and the use of internal monologue attributed to Miss Havisham, Dickens indirectly characterizes her. This points to a dominant trait of generosity, which later causes her to freely give Pip money and opportunities without any ulterior motive.
Correct Answer
C
Correct Option:
Dickens uses visual description of Miss Havisham's ruined attire and the contradictory description of her smile (tender yet cruel) as indirect characterization. These suggest her dominant trait is deep bitterness. This bitterness drives her to manipulate Pip, keeping him hopeful of a fortune while ultimately rejecting him.
About This Question
This is
Gce Model Questions Vol1
2021
Literature In English
Question 21.
It is one of the
objective
questions from the
2021
Gce Model Questions Vol1
Literature In English
examination.
Difficulty level:
Medium
.