SARFRAZ EDUCATIONAL COMPLEX, New Lalazar, Okara.

GOOD-BYE MR. CHIPS

By: James Hilton

Q 1: What type of novel is Good-Bye Mr. Chips?

Ans: It is a biographical novel. It deals with the life Mr. Chips. It
inspires the reader to work with dedication and win popularity.
Q 2: Why did Dr. Merivale say that Chips would die a natural
death? OR What was the name of Chips doctor and what did
he say about Chips?
Ans:Dr. Merivale was Chips doctor. He said that Chips was quite fit
even at the age of seventy five. He had no particular disease. He was
fitter than Merivale. The only disease he had was the old age.
Q 3: Why did Chips dislike Melbury? OR Why had Chips to
leave Melbury?
Ans: Chips disliked Melbury and he had to leave it because he could
not maintain discipline in the class. He could not control the class. The
boys insulted him.
Q 4: Who was the headmaster of Brookfield when Chips joined
it? OR Describe Chips first meeting with Mr. Wetherby. OR
How did Mr. Wetherby advise Chips? OR Who was Mr.
Wetherby and what kind of fellow was he?
Ans: When Chips joined Brookfield, Mr. Wetherby was its headmaster.
He was very kind, fatherly and courteous. He advised Chips to be
strict in the class. He advised him to give his devotion to Brookfield.
Q 5: What kind of atmosphere was in the hall when Chips
took his first class?
Ans: As Chips took his seat, there was sudden hush in the class. The
clock was ticking behind him. There was smell of ink and varnish. The
red rays of the setting sun were passing through the stained windowglass.
Q 6: Write a note on Brookfield School.
Ans: Brookfield was surrounded by elm trees. It was a good school of
the second rank. It faced many ups and downs. It contributed a great
deal to England. It produced a number of reputed people.
Q 7: What type of men did Brookfield produce/supply? OR
What contribution did Brookfield make to England?
Ans: Brookfield produced a number of reputed people like knights,
bishops, judges, colonial administrators, businessmen, members of
the Parliament, and manufacturers.
Q 8: Write a character sketch of Mr. Chips.
Ans: Chips was an honest, devoted and popular teacher. He was very
humourous and witty. He made people laugh on his jokes. He was very
hospitable and generous. He served his visitors with cakes, butter and
biscuits. He helped the poor students.
Q 9: Write a note on Mr. Chips as a teacher. OR What kind of
teacher was Chips?
Ans: Chips was an honest, devoted and popular teacher. He treated
his students like his sons. He was not only a teacher but also a friend
Resource Person: MUHAMMAD MUSSAWAR (M. A English;
Diploma in TEFL)

SARFRAZ EDUCATIONAL COMPLEX, New Lalazar, Okara.

and guide to them. He made them laugh on his jokes. He was popular
with his students as well as his colleagues.
Q 10: When and why was Chips retired for the first time? OR
What gifts did he receive on his retirement? OR When was
Chips given a farewell party?
Ans: Chips was retired in 1913 at the age of sixty five. He had
realized that now he could not do his job well. He was given a grand
farewell party. He received a cheque, a writing desk and a clock as
gifts. He was heavily garlanded.
Q 11: Who was Mrs. Wickett? Where did Mr. Chips stay after
retirement?
Ans: Mrs. Wickett was the in charge of the linen room of Brookfield.
Chips stayed at her house after his retirement. He took a room of her
house on rent. It was simply furnished with school masterly taste.
Q 12: Was Chips a profound classical scholar? What did he
think about Latin and Greek?
Ans: Chips was not a profound classical scholar. He thought of Latin
and Greek as dead languages because they were not spoken by many
people. But he himself taught Latin and Greek.
Q 13: How did Mr. Chips spend his time after retirement? OR
How did Mr. Chips pass his retired life? OR What were the
quiet enjoyments of Chips at Mrs. Wicketts house?
Ans: Reading, talking, remembering, taking tea, receiving visitors,
correcting the next edition of Brookfield Directory and writing his
occasional letters were the quiet enjoyments of Chips in his retired
life.
Q 14: What do you know about Katherine Bridges? OR Write a
character sketch of Katherine Bridges.
Ans: Katherine Bridges is the heroine of the novel. She was a modern
girl of 25. She had blue flashing eyes and beautiful cheeks. She had
radical views in politics. She exercised a very healthy influence on
Chips. She was very popular at Brookfield. She died just after two
years of her marriage with Chips.
Q 15: When, where and how did Chips encounter Katherine?
Ans: Chips encountered Katherine in 1896 during his visit to a
mountain, Great Gable. She was standing on a dangerous rock and
waving her hand. She thought that she is in danger and needed help.
So he rushed forward, fell down and sprained his ankle.
Q 16: What were Chips views about modern women? OR Why
did Chips not like Ibsen and Shaw?
Ans: Before marriage, Chips disliked and hated women. He called
them monstrous creature because modern women were bold and
fashionable and had radical views. He disliked Ibsen and Shaw
because they advocated the freedom of women.
Q 17: What were Katherines views about women?

Resource Person: MUHAMMAD MUSSAWAR (M. A English;

Diploma in TEFL)

SARFRAZ EDUCATIONAL COMPLEX, New Lalazar, Okara.

Ans: Katherine was radical in politics. She believed that women

should be granted admission to the universities. They should have a
right to vote. They should enjoy equality of rights with men.
Q 18: Which is the most beautiful, interesting and exciting
incident in the novel?
Ans: Chips first meeting with Katherine is the most beautiful and
interesting incident in the novel. Later, that girl became his wife. After
her death, he always remembered her and recalled this incident again
and again. It left a lasting impression on his mind.
Q 19: Write down some of the traits in Katherines character.
Ans: Katherine was a young beautiful lady. She was fond of visiting
new places. She was a modern lady and radical socialist. She was
very bold and courageous. She had an impressive personality.
Q 20: How greatly was Chips changed after his marriage? OR
What changes did Katherine bring in Chips? OR What
influence did Katherine exercise on Chips? OR Write an
account on Chips married life.
Ans: After marriage, Chips was a changed person. His sense of
humour was sharpened. He began to cut jokes in the class. His
discipline improved. His lessons became interesting. He became
broad-minded. He began to look beyond Brookfield.
Q 21: What memories of Katherine did haunt Chips?
Ans: In his memories, he saw Katherine running in the corridors,
laughing at some mistake in the essay he checked, taking part in
concert and giving him her good advice.
Q 22: When and how did Katherine and her newly-born baby
die? OR What was the saddest day in Chips life? OR Describe
the tragic death of Katherine.
Ans: After two years of marriage, Katherine died in childbirth on 1 st
April 1898. Her newly-born baby also died on the same day. It was the
saddest day in Chips life.
Q 23: What were Chips feelings on the death of his wife? OR
What was Chips mental condition after the death of
Katherine?
Ans: Chips was badly shaken on the death of his wife. He exclaimed,
My wife is dead and my child is dead, and I wish I were dead myself.
He could not control himself. He lost in interest in school affairs.
Q 24: What April foolery did Chips face on 1st April 1898?
Ans: Chips was at his desk. Someone said that there were letters for
him. He opened them one by one. All of them contained a blank sheet
of paper. He thought it strange. Afterwards, he realized that it was
April foolery.
Q 25: Who was Meldrum? How long did he serve Brookfield?
Ans: Meldrum became the headmaster of Brookfield after the death of
Mr. Wetherby in 1870. Meldrum served Brookfield for thirty years. He
died suddenly of pneumonia in 1900.
Resource Person: MUHAMMAD MUSSAWAR (M. A English;
Diploma in TEFL)

SARFRAZ EDUCATIONAL COMPLEX, New Lalazar, Okara.

Q 26: Who was Mr. Ralston? OR What type of man was

Ralston? OR Describe some qualities of Ralstons character.
OR How was Ralston well-known for his discipline?
Ans: Mr. Ralston became the headmaster of Brookfield after the death
of Mr. Meldrum. He was a modern man of 37. He was a science
graduate. He wanted to run the school on modern lines. He was strict
in discipline. He could silent the boys by lifting an eyebrow.
Q 27: Why could Ralston not become popular?
Ans: Ralston was efficient and ambitious. But he was unkind and
revengeful. He was feared but not liked or loved. Thats why, he could
not become popular.
Q 28: Why did Ralston want to get rid of Chips? OR Why did
Ralston want Chips to retire? OR How did Ralston charge
sheet Chips? OR Why did Ralston not like Chips? OR Why was
Ralston against Chips?
Ans: Ralston charge sheeted Chips that he was an old fashioned and
conservative person. His method of teaching and pronunciation were
old. Ralston could not tolerate this. So he wanted to get rid of Chips
and wanted him to retire.
Q 29: Describe the row between Chips and Ralston?
Ans: Once Ralston called Chips to his office and pointed out his
weaknesses. He ordered Chips to retire. Chips refused to obey him.
The result was a row between them.
Q 30: How did people come to know of the quarrel between
Ralston and Chips? OR How did the news of their quarrel
spread?
Ans: When Ralston and Chips were quarrelling, a small boy heard all
this. He told the other boys about it. The boys wrote letters to their
parents. The news of the quarrel spread like wildfire.
Q 31: Who was the Chairman of the Governors and how he
treated Chips and Ralston? OR Why was the Chairman in
favour of Chips?
Ans: Chips student, Sir Johan Rivers was the Chairman of the
Governors of Brookfield. He visited the school. He ignored Ralston and
went to Chips. He allowed Chips to stay as long as he liked in the
school. Ralston was to shift somewhere else. He favoured Chips
because he had been Chips pupil.
Q 32: Why and when did Ralston leave Brookfield?
Ans: Ralston left Brookfield in 1911 in his own interest. He was offered
the headship of another better public school.
Q 33: How long did Chips serve Brookfield?
Ans: Chips served Brookfield for 42 years. He joined Brookfield in
1870 and resigned in 1913. He rejoined the school in 1917 and finally
retired in 1918. It was a very long period of service.
Resource Person: MUHAMMAD MUSSAWAR (M. A English;
Diploma in TEFL)

SARFRAZ EDUCATIONAL COMPLEX, New Lalazar, Okara.

Q 34: What happened to Brookfield during the First World War

in 1915? OR What services did Brookfield render during the
First World War?
Ans: During the First World War in 1915, military camps were set up
near Brookfield. The soldiers used its playgrounds for drills and
training. The teachers either left the school or joined the army.
Q 35: Why did Chatteris go to Chips in the catastrophic July of
1916? OR What request did Chatteris make to Chips?
Ans: July 1916 was tragic for the British. Many teachers were killed in
the war or had left Brookfield. Chatteris was over-worked and overworried. Therefore, he went to Chips to request him to join Brookfield
again because there was shortage of teachers. Chips joined Brookfield
again on the request of Chatteris.
Q 36: Write a note on Chips humour.
Ans: Chips humour was much polished. It did not hurt anyones
feelings. People laughed with him not at him. He made students laugh
on their mistakes. He narrated the past events and made others
laugh.
Q 37: What do you know about Chips will? When did he make
his will?
Ans: In 1930, Chips made his will. In it, he gave some of his property
to Mrs. Wickett. The rest of his property was devoted by him for the
scholarships to the students.
Q 38: Who met Chips on November 1933, the last evening of
his life? OR Who was the last visitor of Mr. Chips? OR Who was
Linford?
Ans: In an evening of November 1933, a small boy Linford came to
see Mr. Chips. He asked Chips if he had invited him. Chips knew that it
was an old joke. Some boys had mischievously pushed him there. He
was the boy who said Good-Bye Mr. Chips for the last time.
Q 39: Write a brief note on the death of Mr. Chips. OR How did
Chips react to the remarks of Mr. Cartwright about his being
issueless?
Ans: Once, in 1933, Mrs. Wickett came back home to find Mr. Chips
lying unconscious. She called the doctor. The headmaster of
Brookfield commented about his being issueless. Chips opened his
eyes and said that all his students were his sons. Then he closed his
eyes. In the morning, the news came that he had died.
Q 40: Who was major Collingwood?
Ans: Collingwood was the boy whom Chips once punished because he
was climbing on the roof of the gymnasium. He wanted to get a ball
out of gutter. He might have broken his neck.
Q 41: How did Chips serve the guests? OR Write a note on
Chips hospitality? OR How did Chips welcome the new
students at Brookfield?

Resource Person: MUHAMMAD MUSSAWAR (M. A English;

Diploma in TEFL)

SARFRAZ EDUCATIONAL COMPLEX, New Lalazar, Okara.

Ans: Chips served his guests and the new comers at Brookfield with
walnut cake soaked in butter. He offered them tea. He was very
generous and hospitable towards his visitors.
Q 42: Why did Chips like summer?
Ans: Chips liked summer because during the summer vacation in
1896, Chips came across with Katherine whom he married. Thats why
summer was a special time for him.
Q 43: What is the significance of the title Good-Bye Mr.
Chips? OR What did Katherine say to Chips on the night
before wedding?
Ans: Katherine said Good-Bye Mr. Chips a night before her marriage.
These were the words that Linford said to Chips a night before his
death. So the title is very appropriate to the novel because it
highlights the two main events of Chips life.
Q 44: Describe briefly Mr. Chips farewell speech.
Ans: Chipss farewell speech was full of many jokes. He told about the
incidents of his past life. He mentioned his first bicycle, a bonfire, Mrs.
Brool and the captain of the school team.
Q 45: Why was Chips popular with the people?
Ans: Chips was very popular with the people of Brookfield. It was
because his conversation was full of humour. People used to laugh
with him at his witty remarks. The boys looked forward to the latest
jokes from him.

Resource Person: MUHAMMAD MUSSAWAR (M. A English;

Diploma in TEFL)