Quiz The Midnight Train Matt Haig

The Midnight Train Quiz: Test Your Understanding

Dive into Matt Haig's poignant novel with this 20-question quiz. Questions cover plot sequence, character motivation, themes, and symbols. Each question is either multiple-choice or short-answer. After the quiz, check the answer key for explanations.

Plot and Sequence Questions

  1. In which year does the novel's honeymoon chapter take place?

    • A) 1964
    • B) 1974
    • C) 1984
    • D) 1954

  2. What object does Wilbur find in the attic that triggers an intense emotional response?

  3. What is the name of the train station in the afterlife that bears Wilbur's name?

  4. At what age does the ghost version of Wilbur appear?

    • A) 18
    • B) 29
    • C) 52
    • D) 81

  5. Who steps off the Midnight Train to greet Wilbur when he first boards?

  6. What historical event is shown during Wilbur's childhood memory at Mrs. Yelland's house?

    • A) VE Day
    • B) The Queen's coronation in 1953
    • C) The moon landing
    • D) The end of World War II

  7. What causes the car crash that kills Dougie?

  8. Where does Wilbur see his doppelgänger during his honeymoon?

Character Motivation Questions

  1. Why does Maggie call Wilbur after many years of silence?

  2. Why does Dougie steal the toy train for baby Wilbur?

    • A) He wanted Wilbur to have a toy despite their father's death
    • B) He intended to sell it for money
    • C) He was jealous of the baby
    • D) He wanted to make their mother angry

  3. Why does Agnes become a ghost guide for Wilbur?

  4. Why does Wilbur avoid returning to Sheffield after moving to London?

  5. What motivates Wilbur to interfere with his past on the Rialto Bridge?

    • A) He wants to change his life and avoid future regret
    • B) He wants to scare his younger self
    • C) He is lost and confused
    • D) He wants to speak to Maggie

Theme and Symbol Questions

  1. What does the Midnight Train primarily symbolize?

  2. What does the 'yellow sky' outside the train represent?

    • A) A beautiful sunset
    • B) Memories and the afterlife
    • C) A dream state
    • D) Pollution

  3. What does the 'portrait' that ages on the train represent?

  4. What does 'chiaroscuro' represent in the novel?

    • A) A painting technique
    • B) The balance of light and dark in life and art
    • C) A type of book binding
    • D) A philosophical concept

Synthesis Questions

  1. How does the novel use the concept of 'quantum wave function' to comment on life choices?

  2. Compare the role of music in Wilbur's life before and after his death.

  3. What is the significance of the novel's title 'The Midnight Train' in relation to the theme of time?

Answer Key

  1. B) 1974 – The honeymoon chapter is set in August 1974, as noted in the outline for chapter 1.

  2. The last page of Maggie's letter – Wilbur searches the attic and finds only the final page of Maggie's farewell letter, which records their separation.

  3. Wilbur Station – After death, Wilbur arrives on a desolate platform with a sign reading "Wilbur" (chapter 8).

  4. B) 29 – The ghost appears as a 29-year-old, the age during his honeymoon, which Agnes explains is when he was closest to his true self (chapter 12).

  5. Agnes Bagdale – She steps off the train dressed in old-fashioned attire and greets Wilbur, saying she has been expecting him (chapter 9).

  6. B) The Queen's coronation in 1953 – Wilbur recalls watching the coronation at Mrs. Yelland's house, eating fish-paste sandwiches and coronation chicken (chapter 18, evidence).

  7. A rabbit in the road – Dougie swerves to avoid a rabbit, causing the car to lose control and hit a tree (chapter 41).

  8. On the Rialto Bridge – Wilbur sees a doppelgänger of himself wearing identical clothes, who waves (chapter 1 and chapter 63).

  9. She had a dream of them being happy – Maggie reveals this during their phone call, as stated in chapter 4.

  10. A) He wanted Wilbur to have a toy despite their father's death – Dougie confesses to the baby that he stole the train because Wilbur deserved a toy even though their father had died (chapter 16).

  11. She chose that role and was given knowledge to help Wilbur navigate death – Agnes explains that she is not an ordinary ghost; she was blessed with knowledge of time and the universe to guide him (chapter 11).

  12. He was obsessed with work and avoided painful memories – The ghost reflects that Wilbur used ambition as a painkiller and ran away from sadness after his marriage ended (chapters 88, 92).

  13. A) He wants to change his life and avoid future regret – On the Rialto Bridge, the ghost decides to ignore the train and form a plan to guide his younger self, hoping to prevent his mistakes (chapter 63–64).

  14. The journey of life review after death / the passage through memory and time – The train allows Wilbur to revisit his past, understand his life, and prepare for eternity (chapter 11, 23).

  15. B) Memories and the afterlife – Agnes shows Wilbur that the sky is made of memory, containing his father's wartime plane (chapter 12–13).

  16. The passage of time and self-reflection / the truest assessment of existence – The portrait ages in line with Wilbur's journey, acting as a temporal guide (chapter 23).

  17. B) The balance of light and dark in life and art – Maggie explains chiaroscuro while drawing, and the ghost later reflects on the concept in relation to memory and grief (chapter 27, 50).

  18. It suggests that many possibilities exist and that observation can alter reality, reflecting the ghost's ability to influence the past – Charlie explains quantum theory with a spinning coin metaphor, and the ghost later uses the observer effect to justify breaking the rules (chapter 48, 64).

  19. Before death, music (piano, "Bridge Over Troubled Water") serves as a thread stitching time together and a way to reconnect with memories. After death, music continues to evoke emotion and helps the ghost guide his younger self – Wilbur practises piano in his final days, and the song reappears during key moments on the train (chapters 3, 62, 91).

  20. It represents the liminal journey between life and death, where time is non-linear and memories are revisited to achieve self-understanding before eternity – Agnes explains that the train goes where the passenger needs to go, reliving life forward so it can be understood backward (chapter 23).

Further Exploration