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Quizzes > Literature & Language > Books & Literature

The Landlady by Roald Dahl Trivia Quiz - Can You Spot the Clues?

Think you can uncover what's unusual about the landlady's animals? Dive in!

Difficulty: Moderate
2-5mins
Learning OutcomesCheat Sheet
Paper art shows landlady in vintage dress with a puzzled guest and small unusual animals on sky blue.

This quiz helps you spot what's unusual about the animals in The Landlady and review key plot clues and characters. Play to check what you remember and learn a new detail or two. For more practice, try the main Landlady quiz or revisit the Gregory Temple question .

What unusual characteristic does the landlady's parrot exhibit?
It never speaks
It only eats sweets
It has golden feathers
It sleeps in daylight
The parrot in Roald Dahl's 'The Landlady' is described as completely silent, which contrasts sharply with the mimicry parrots are known for. This silence hints that the bird is not truly alive but is stuffed. Dahl uses this detail to build an eerie atmosphere.
What is unusual about the landlady's pet dog?
It never barks
It flies when excited
It changes color
It only drinks champagne
Dahl describes the dog as never barking or making any noise, which is strange for a pet animal. This silence, like the parrot's, suggests that the dog is also a stuffed specimen. It subtly clues the reader into the landlady's macabre hobby.
Which breed of dog does the landlady keep?
Spaniel
Dachshund
Poodle
Beagle
In the story, Dahl mentions that the landlady's dog is a dachshund, a short-bodied breed often called a 'sausage dog'. This specific detail makes the animal feel more vivid while contrasting with its unnatural stillness.
Where does Billy Weaver first see the landlady's guestbook?
In a locked drawer
On the front desk
Next to the telephone
Under his pillow
Billy notices the guestbook placed openly on a small table by the front door when he first arrives. The sparse entries in it add to the unsettling mood of the story. His discovery is an early clue to the landlady's peculiar habits.
In which English town does 'The Landlady' take place?
London
Bath
Cambridge
Oxford
The story is set in the city of Bath, where Billy Weaver arrives looking for lodging. Dahl uses the quaint setting to contrast with the sinister events that unfold at the boarding house.
What is Billy Weaver's occupation?
Journalist
Banker
Teacher
Salesman
Billy Weaver is introduced as a young, ambitious salesman making his first journey to Bath. His naivety and trustfulness as a stranger amplify the tension when he encounters the landlady.
How does Roald Dahl foreshadow the landlady's sinister nature early in the story?
Through a sudden thunderstorm
By showing bloodstains
By describing the guestbook entries
With a strange phone call
Dahl draws attention to the guestbook showing very few names over many years, hinting at something amiss. This subtle detail is a classic example of foreshadowing that signals the landlady's dark side.
Which detail about the parrot hints at it being stuffed rather than alive?
It never blinks
It preens its feathers
It sings in the morning
It follows you with its head
Dahl writes that the parrot's eye is glassy and it doesn't blink, indicating it is not a living creature. This observation is one of the clues that reveals the landlady's taxidermy hobby.
What clue suggests that the dachshund is not alive?
It wags its tail constantly
It barks at strangers
It never moves or stretches
It chases after cats
In the narrative, the dog remains unnaturally still and never stretches or changes position. This unnatural stillness is a signal that the dog has been preserved through taxidermy.
What does the tea served by the landlady symbolize in the story?
Ultimate comfort
Seasonal change
Social status
Danger and complacency
The warm tea seems hospitable but is laced with poison, representing how a false sense of security can hide deadly intent. Dahl uses this everyday ritual to deepen the story's ominous mood.
Which literary device is most prominent in describing the animals' stillness?
Alliteration
Personification
Metaphor
Irony
The contrast between the animals' expected liveliness and their eerie stillness is ironic, as readers anticipate movement but find none. This irony amplifies the unsettling atmosphere.
Why does Billy ignore several warning signs about the landlady?
He trusts her immediately
He is too busy
He doesn't understand English
He sees her as a close friend
Billy's courteous and trusting nature leads him to overlook red flags, demonstrating his naivety. Dahl uses this trait to set up the story's suspense, as the reader anticipates Billy's discovery of the landlady's secret.
What thematic role do the stuffed animals play in reflecting the landlady's character?
They mirror her desire for control and preservation
They symbolize freedom
They show her love for real animals
They represent humor
The preserved animals embody the landlady's need to capture and freeze moments forever, hinting at her compulsion to dominate life and death. This theme aligns with the story's chilling undercurrent.
What is the importance of the landlady's precise choice of adjectives when describing her pets?
She wants to confuse guests
She emphasizes their perfection and stillness
She plans to sell them
She hides her guilt
Dahl's careful word choice - such as 'beautiful,' 'perfect,' and 'gentle' - highlights how the landlady views her stuffed pets as flawless creations. This diction underlines her obsession with preserving an ideal image.
How does Dahl use the contrast between a typical parrot and the landlady's parrot?
To provide comic relief
To showcase a magical realm
To highlight British culture
To foreshadow her sinister intent
By contrasting the expected chatter of a parrot with the absolute silence of the landlady's, Dahl creates unease and foreshadows darker elements. This technique subtly alerts readers to hidden menace.
How does the absence of animal sounds affect the story's atmosphere?
It signals family warmth
It makes it comedic
It heightens the sense of unease and suspense
It adds a musical quality
Silence where noise is expected creates a disquieting mood, amplifying the story's tension. Readers become alert to every small detail, deepening the suspense.
What inference can be made about the landlady's habits based on her treatment of the animals?
She uses them for experiments
She preserves them as trophies
She neglects them intentionally
She trains them for shows
The way the birds and dog are meticulously preserved suggests the landlady treats them as trophies, reflecting a darker compulsion to capture and keep life. This behavior parallels her treatment of human guests.
What deeper symbolism do the stuffed animals represent in 'The Landlady'?
The unpredictability of weather
The importance of animal rights
The fragility of human life
The power of nature over humans
The preserved animals serve as a chilling metaphor for how easily life can be arrested and displayed, mirroring the landlady's treatment of her victims. This highlights the delicate boundary between life and death.
Which psychological theory best explains the landlady's motivation for stuffing her animals and possibly her guests?
Operant conditioning
Attachment theory
Social identity theory
Compulsive hoarding
Compulsive hoarding behaviors involve an overwhelming desire to keep possessions, often irrespective of their condition, reflecting the landlady's need to preserve life in a frozen state. This theory aligns with her taxidermy practices.
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Study Outcomes

  1. Identify unusual animal traits -

    Pinpoint exactly what is unusual about the animals the landlady keeps by recalling the story's specific descriptions and clues.

  2. Recall key plot twists -

    Remember the chilling turns in Roald Dahl's The Landlady short story trivia to navigate each quiz question with confidence.

  3. Analyze animal symbolism -

    Examine how Dahl's choice of pets enhances suspense and foreshadows darker plot elements in The Landlady Roald Dahl quiz.

  4. Evaluate character behavior -

    Assess the landlady's actions and dialogue to uncover hidden motives and deepen your understanding of her eerie hospitality.

  5. Apply close-reading skills -

    Use attention to detail to answer The Landlady quiz questions accurately, especially around subtle hints about the animals.

Cheat Sheet

  1. Taxidermy Reveal -

    The shocking twist in Roald Dahl's The Landlady emerges when Billy Weaver notices that the seemingly lively pet parrot and dachshund are, in fact, expertly taxidermied. This detail answers the primary quiz question of what is unusual about the animals the landlady keeps and hints at her darker intentions. According to literary analyses from Cambridge University Press, Dahl uses this grotesque reveal to blur the line between life and death.

  2. Foreshadowing Through Animal Imagery -

    Dahl builds suspense by describing the animals with unnaturally glossy eyes and perfect smiles long before their true nature is revealed. This technique primes readers for the quiz question "what is unusual about the animals the landlady" by planting subtle clues. A 2019 Ohio State University study highlights how such imagery heightens psychological tension in short stories.

  3. Symbol of Control and Preservation -

    By preserving the animals in a lifelike state, the landlady metaphorically asserts power over her guests, treating people as collectible trophies. This parallels her guestbook entries, where she immortalizes names much like she does her pets. University of Toronto literature professors note this motif underscores themes of entrapment and obsession.

  4. Building an Unsettling Atmosphere -

    The stillness of the preserved parrot and dachshund contributes to the story's eerie mood, as their unnerving presence looms in the landlady's parlor. This use of contrasting motion - Billy's racing heartbeat against the animals' complete motionlessness - amplifies suspense and prepares quiz takers for The Landlady Roald Dahl trivia. Experts from the University of Edinburgh find that static objects in horror narratives intensify reader unease.

  5. Mnemonic Trick: TARP -

    Remember TARP - Taxidermy Appears Real, Petrifies - a handy mnemonic for recalling that the landlady's pets are stuffed. Use TARP to confidently answer any "what is unusual about the animals the landlady keeps" challenge in The Landlady quiz questions. This memory aid is inspired by cognitive research published by Stanford University on mnemonic effectiveness.

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