Home-coming by Tagore – MCQs (20+ Questions)

1. Who is the protagonist of "The Home-Coming"?
   a) Makhan
   b) Phatik Chakravarthy, a 14-year-old boy
   c) Uncle Bishamber
   d) Phatik's mother
2. What is Phatik's family situation at the beginning of the story?
   a) Both parents are alive
   b) His father is alive but his mother is dead
   c) His father died when he was young; he lives with his mother and brother Makhan
   d) He is an orphan with no family
3. What was the log on the river mudflat used for?
   a) Making furniture
   b) Making a boat
   c) Making a mast for a boat
   d) Building a bridge
4. What mischief did Phatik plan with the log?
   a) To break it into pieces
   b) To roll it away from its place by moving it with main force
   c) To use it for swimming
   d) To hide it in the river
5. What actually happened during the log incident?
   a) The log successfully got rolled away
   b) Makhan sat on the log and was rolled over; Makhan hit Phatik and blamed him
   c) No one got hurt
   d) The owner of the log beat everyone
6. Who did Phatik's mother believe about the log incident?
   a) She believed Phatik's version
   b) She believed Makhan's version and blamed Phatik
   c) She did not believe either of them
   d) She investigated thoroughly
7. Why was Phatik sent to Calcutta?
   a) As punishment for misbehavior
   b) To live with his uncle Bishamber and continue his studies
   c) To learn business
   d) To escape from his brother
8. Where did Uncle Bishamber live before bringing Phatik to Calcutta?
   a) In a village
   b) In a small town
   c) In Bombay doing his business
   d) In Delhi
9. How did Phatik initially feel about moving to Calcutta?
   a) Sad and reluctant
   b) Anxious and worried
   c) Excited and hopeful about the city and opportunities
   d) Indifferent
10. How did Phatik fare in his new environment in Calcutta?
    a) He became popular and successful
    b) He was bullied by other students and beaten by teachers; he felt isolated and lonely
    c) He ignored everyone
    d) He became a teacher's pet
11. What physical description is given of Phatik in Calcutta?
    a) Strong and confident
    b) Lean, burning hands, timid, shy, like a stray dog that has lost its master
    c) Well-fed and happy
    d) Tall and athletic
12. What did Phatik long for in Calcutta?
    a) Money and luxury
    b) His village home, the meadows, the stream where he used to swim, and his mother's love
    c) School achievement
    d) Friends in the city
13. What is significant about Phatik standing by the window?
    a) He was watching the street
    b) He stood "wistfully by the window and gazed at the roofs of distant houses"; if he saw children playing on open terraces, his heart ached with longing
    c) He was waiting for someone
    d) He was watching the weather
14. When Phatik asked his uncle "When can I go home?" what was the response?
    a) "Immediately"
    b) "Never"
    c) "Wait till the holidays"
    d) "Maybe next year"
15. What did Phatik give to Makhan the night before leaving the village?
    a) Money and clothes
    b) His fishing rod, big kite, and marbles—permanent gifts suggesting farewell
    c) His schoolbooks
    d) Nothing
16. Why did Phatik decide to run away from Calcutta?
    a) He was angry with his uncle
    b) He was desperate, feverish, and unable to endure the loneliness and mistreatment anymore; he wanted to go home to his mother
    c) He wanted to see the city
    d) He wanted to explore the countryside
17. What happened to Phatik on his way home?
    a) He reached his village successfully
    b) He was caught by police and brought back
    c) He got drenched in rain, fell seriously ill, and was found by police in critical condition
    d) He lost his way and found shelter
18. Who was called to help when Phatik fell critically ill?
    a) A neighbor
    b) The police
    c) His uncle's friends
    d) His mother
19. What did Phatik say when he saw his mother at his bedside?
    a) "Mother, I am sorry"
    b) "Mother, help me"
    c) "Mother, the holidays have come" (delirious, thinking the holiday period had finally arrived)
    d) "Mother, I want to go home"
20. What is the title "Home-Coming" referring to in the story?
    a) Only Phatik's return to his village
    b) Multiple false homecomings: blamed homecoming, escape attempt homecoming, and finally death as homecoming to love
    c) Only the ending
    d) His regular visits home
21. What is the central tragic irony of the story?
    a) Phatik becomes successful in the city
    b) His mother finally shows affection only when he is dying—too late to help him
    c) He refuses to return home
    d) Everyone is happy at the end
22. What does Phatik's character represent in the story?
    a) Ambition and determination
    b) The innocence and vulnerability of childhood; a child misunderstood and seeking love and belonging
    c) Rebellious disobedience
    d) Strength and courage
23. What is the primary theme of "The Home-Coming"?
    a) The importance of education
    b) Love, neglect, isolation, and the failure of adults to understand children's emotional needs
    c) Urban life is superior to village life
    d) Sibling rivalry
24. How does Tagore use the contrast between village and city in this story?
    a) To show the superiority of city life
    b) To show that village life is always better
    c) To show that true home is where one is loved and understood, not merely a physical location
    d) To show the irrelevance of setting

Answers: 1-b, 2-c, 3-c, 4-b, 5-b, 6-b, 7-b, 8-c, 9-c, 10-b, 11-b, 12-b, 13-b, 14-c, 15-b, 16-b, 17-c, 18-d, 19-c, 20-b, 21-b, 22-b, 23-b, 24-c.