The Witches GCSE Quiz (With Answers)

Q1 of 15

The witches in the novel specifically hate children. What might Dahl be suggesting about certain types of adults through this extreme characterisation?

• All adults are secretly witches
• Witches are fantasy figures, and
• Dahl uses witches as a metaphor for adults who genuinely resent or harm children
• Some adults dislike children, and

Q2 of 15

The narrator accepts remaining a mouse with relative peace. What does this suggest about identity, acceptance and what truly constitutes 'a good life'?

• He had no choice, a reading that locates the novel's meaning in its historical and personal context rather than in its literary structure
• A good life is defined by love, purpose and connection
• He is just resigned
• Children are not bothered by such things

Q3 of 15

How does Grandma function as a model of female strength in the novel? How does her characterisation subvert stereotypes of elderly women?

• She represents the past, a reading that locates the novel's meaning in its historical and personal context rather than in its literary structure
• She is just a nice old lady
• Grandma is wise, brave, knowledgeable and strategically astute
• She is a typical grandmother

Q4 of 15

Why might Dahl have chosen to make witches look completely ordinary? What is the thematic effect of this choice?

• He wanted to avoid clichés, a reading that locates the novel's meaning in its historical and personal context rather than in its literary structure
• It was easier to write
• The ordinariness of witches makes the real danger invisible
• Witches are always ordinary

Q5 of 15

The novel is prefaced with a warning that witches are real. Why does Dahl blur the line between fantasy and reality, and what effect does this create?

• It was a joke
• Dahl believed in witches, a reading that locates the novel's meaning in its historical and personal context rather than in its literary structure
• It is purely for fun
• This blurring creates genuine unease

Q6 of 15

How does the transformation into a mouse function as a metaphor for how children can feel in an adult world?

• The mouse is a plot device, and
• Children already feel small, powerless and overlooked
• Mice are funny animals, and
• Children don't feel powerless

Q7 of 15

The Grand High Witch is both terrifying and absurdly comic. How does Dahl balance these tones, and why is this combination particularly effective for a children's novel?

• Comedy undermines the horror
• The balance doesn't work
• Combining terror and comedy allows children to process fear through laughter
• The Grand High Witch is funny, and

Q8 of 15

Dahl was Norwegian and set the early chapters in Norway. How does the Norwegian setting and cultural tradition of witch folklore affect the story's atmosphere?

• The Nordic setting roots the story in a genuine folk tradition, giving the witches cultural authenticity and connecting the fantasy to real childhood fears across cultures
• The setting was random
• The setting is irrelevant
• Norway was convenient, and

Q9 of 15

How does Bruno Jenkins serve as a foil to the narrator? What does the contrast between them reveal about character and luck?

• They are very similar
• Bruno is less clever
• Bruno is greedy, thoughtless and quickly caught
• Bruno's parents are worse

Q10 of 15

In the novel, the Grandmamma smokes cigars and has a finger missing. How does Dahl use her unconventionality to suggest that unusual people are often wiser?

• Unconventional appearance marks Grandmamma as outside ordinary social constraints
• Old women often smoke
• She represents Norway, a reading that locates the novel's meaning in its historical and personal context rather than in its literary structure
• She is just eccentric

Q11 of 15

The witches want to use sweet shops and chocolate to poison children. Why might Dahl have chosen the specific vehicle of sweets as a danger?

• Sweets are tempting, and
• By using the most beloved children's treats as a weapon, Dahl makes the danger viscerally real
• It was a random choice
• Sweets cause tooth decay

Q12 of 15

What does the boy's decision to use Formula 86 on the witches rather than waiting for adult help suggest about the relationship between children and adults in Dahl's work?

• Dahl consistently shows children must be self-reliant
• The boy had no choice
• Adults are always better at solving problems
• Adults are all useless

Q13 of 15

Formula 86 is described with almost scientific precision. Why might Dahl have used this pseudo-scientific language?

• It was accurate
• Pseudo-science parodies the way official-sounding language creates false authority
• Dahl liked chemistry, a reading that locates the novel's meaning in its historical and personal context rather than in its literary structure
• It was educational

Q14 of 15

How does The Witches engage with the theme of trust? Which adults and children are trustworthy, and how do you know?

• Adults are always untrustworthy
• Trust is simple in the novel
• children can be trusted, and
• Trust must be earned through demonstrated care

Q15 of 15

The ending of the novel is bittersweet rather than conventionally happy. Why might Dahl have chosen this kind of ending, and what does it suggest about life?

• Dahl liked sad endings, a reading that locates the novel's meaning in its historical and personal context rather than in its literary structure
• It was a mistake
• A bittersweet ending is more truthful
• Children don't notice bittersweet endings