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The Automatic Nagging Machine: Questions & Answers

The document presents a series of questions and answers regarding Matilda's feelings about her life and experiences, particularly her disdain for her nursemaid Pridmore and her visits to Aunt Willoughby. Matilda expresses a desire for freedom and reflects on the peculiarities of a village they visit, ultimately witnessing Pridmore's transformation into a mechanical nagging machine. Throughout, Matilda shows a lack of remorse for Pridmore's change, indicating her annoyance with her nursemaid.

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145 views4 pages

The Automatic Nagging Machine: Questions & Answers

The document presents a series of questions and answers regarding Matilda's feelings about her life and experiences, particularly her disdain for her nursemaid Pridmore and her visits to Aunt Willoughby. Matilda expresses a desire for freedom and reflects on the peculiarities of a village they visit, ultimately witnessing Pridmore's transformation into a mechanical nagging machine. Throughout, Matilda shows a lack of remorse for Pridmore's change, indicating her annoyance with her nursemaid.

Uploaded by

As vijayeta
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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The Automatic Nagging Machine

Questions & Answers

1. Why did Matilda wish she could have been born in a


savage tribe instead of at Brixton?
New Answer: Matilda longed to be born in a wild tribe
rather than at Brixton because she hated the way her
nursemaid, Pridmore, made her wear stiff, uncomfortable
dresses that felt rough and tight, making her very
unhappy.

2. What made Matilda feel miserable as she sat


waiting for Pridmore?
New Answer: Matilda felt gloomy while waiting for
Pridmore because she knew she would have to face her
Great-aunt Willoughby again and answer the same dull
and annoying questions that her aunt always asked.

3. Which lines show that Matilda wanted children to


have the freedom to nag adults with impertinent
questions?
New Answer: Matilda wished that children could also
bother grown-ups with rude or nosy questions, just like
adults always did to them. This is clear when she says, “I
can’t think why grown-up people don’t see how
impertinent these questions are.”

4. During every visit of Matilda, what did Aunt


Willoughby do after Matilda had answered her typical
questions?
New Answer: After Matilda answered all of Aunt
Willoughby’s usual questions during each visit, her aunt
would hand her a tiny biscuit with caraway seeds and then
send her off with Pridmore to get her hands and face
cleaned once more.

5. “Nasty, spiteful little things!” Who said this to


whom? Why did she say this?
New Answer: Pridmore said this about Matilda when
Matilda sulked at the idea of visiting Aunt Willoughby.
Pridmore scolded her for not valuing her blessings, but
Matilda cheekily answered back that she wished Aunt
Willoughby had been Pridmore’s aunt instead.
6. What made shops in that strange but beautiful
village seem queer to Matilda?
New Answer: Matilda thought the shops in that odd yet
lovely village were strange because their signboards had
names that did not match the things they sold inside,
which seemed very puzzling to her.

7. Describe the place where the wrong omnibus had


brought Matilda and Pridmore.
New Answer: The wrong omnibus dropped Matilda and
Pridmore in a charming, unusual village that looked like
the cleanest and most colourful place Matilda had ever
seen. Neat houses circled a green open space where
children dressed in comfortable clothes laughed and
played freely.

8. For before her eyes she saw an awful change taking


place in Pridmore. Explain what happened to
Pridmore.
New Answer: Matilda watched in shock as Pridmore
slowly turned into a machine. Her upper body became
made of painted metal and glass, her skirt became flat and
square like a box, and her feet turned into four iron legs.
In the end, there was no nursemaid left, only a mechanical
nagging machine.
9. Do you think Matilda was sorry for what had
happened to Pridmore? How do you know?
New Answer: Matilda didn’t feel sad about Pridmore
turning into a machine because she always found
Pridmore annoying. When the king tried to comfort her by
saying the change would only last a day, Matilda honestly
said she liked Pridmore better as a machine.

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