"Also Known As..." (Nicknames and Dual Identities) Quiz

Answer: The Golden Thread

"The Golden Thread" is actually the title of Book The Second in "A Tale of Two Cities" by Charles Dickens. Lucie Manette is the golden thread because she ties all of the characters and many of the book's events together. 'Golden' also refers to her defining physical characteristic: her golden hair.

Answer: Hotspur

Hotspur appears in "Henry IV, Part One" as a foil to Prince Harry's character. In this Shakespeare play, both men are around the same age and initially display very different characteristics. Harry (Hal) is first portrayed as a lazy, disreputable prince (though he claims it's all an act), while Hotspur is obsessed with honour and glory.

By the end of the play, however, Hal defeats Hotspur, completing his transformation into noble prince; he eventually becomes King Henry V.

Answer: The Green Knight

In "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight," Gawain is a young knight in King Arthur's court who is challenged by the mysterious Green Knight to prove his integrity and chivalry. Gawain accepts the challenge but, while stopping and spending time in Bertilak de Hautdesert's castle on his way to meet his foe, Gawain learns that things aren't always as they seem, and that his test has been taking place all along.

Answer: King Peter the Magnificent

Peter Pevensie is the older brother of Susan, Edmund, and Lucy, the four children who enter the enchanted land of Narnia by way of a magic wardrobe in C.S. Lewis' "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe." At the end of the novel, the four children are crowned Kings and Queens of Narnia, and due to his courage, valour, and strength, Peter becomes known as King Peter the Magnificent. Just for interest's sake: Susan becomes Queen Susan the Gentle, Edmund becomes King Edmund the Just, and Lucy becomes Queen Lucy the Valiant.

Answer: Gooseberry

Gooseberry is employed by Mr. Bruff (the Verinder family lawyer) and has earned his nickname because of his large, rolling eyes, which stick out from his small head. He essentially watches and follows people as instructed by Mr. Bruff and, being very small, intelligent, quick, and sneaky, he is quite good at his job.

He's not a main character in "The Moonstone" by any means, but he does play an integral role in solving the mystery towards the end of the novel.

Answer: Billy Budd

Billy Budd is branded "The Handsome Sailor" by Melville himself in his novella entitled "Billy Budd, Sailor." Billy is 21-years-old, cheerful, innocent, and extremely handsome when he first becomes a seaman upon the merchant ship "Rights-of-Man," before being pushed into naval duty aboard the "Bellipotent." He is also known as "Baby Budd" to many of his older shipmates.

Unfortunately, Billy's innocence and happiness are soon irreversibly damaged and tragedy ensues.

Answer: Laura Wingfield

Laura Wingfield is the crippled daughter in Tennessee Williams' play "The Glass Menagerie." She got the nickname Blue Roses when she was in high school, and Jim - the school hero whom she had a crush on - misheard her when she said she had missed school because of pleurosis (a disease). From then on he called her Blue Roses.

Answer: Jack Dawkins

Although he goes primarily by Artful Dodger in the Dickens' novel "Oliver Twist," his real name is actually Jack Dawkins. He works as a master pickpocket for Fagin, and soon takes Oliver under his wing. It's probably one of the most famous nicknames in literature, so much so that it has basically supplanted his real name!

Answer: Alisoun

If you've done my "Literary Ladies' Personal Ads" Quiz, you probably already know that the Wife of Bath's actual name is Alisoun. Emelye, Grisilde, and May, also appear in "The Canterbury Tales" as characters within the tales themselves. Alisoun isn't really known by her actual name, for she is a Wife by trade, definition, and reputation, and she's proud of it!

Answer: Arthur

Although Jem, Scout, and Dill refer to him as "Boo," his actual name is Arthur. He is the neighbourhood recluse and has been essentially condemned by society, but we soon learn that he is an innately good human being who genuinely cares for others, particularly Scout and Jem. In many ways, he is a "mockingbird" in Harper Lee's novel "To Kill a Mockingbird."

Answer: Carrots

In Lucy Maud Montgomery's wonderful novel "Anne of Green Gables," Gilbert Blythe first uses this nickname for Anne when they're sitting in class. She responds by breaking her slate over his head. Anne despises her red hair and constantly wishes she could change it, even attempting to dye it once herself (with disastrous results!).

However, Gilbert is eventually able to gain Anne's forgiveness and the two fall in love.

Answer: Pip

From Charles Dickens' "Great Expectations": "My father's family name being Pirrip, and my Christian name Philip, my infant tongue could make of both names nothing longer or more explicit than Pip. So, I called myself Pip, and came to be called Pip." That explains it all!

Answer: Laura Ingalls Wilder

Laura Ingalls is the lovable heroine from the "Little House on the Prairie" series of books, and she is affectionately known as Half-Pint to her father, Charles. These books were true accounts actually written by Laura Ingalls Wilder, detailing her family's journey and experiences in the Mid West. They were later made into a television show starring Melissa Gilbert and Michael Landon.

Answer: The Three Musketeers

"The Three Musketeers" was written by Alexandre Dumas and published in 1844. Athos is a distinguished man who is intelligent, brave, and wise, though he is inwardly tormented by some unknown sadness. Porthos is vain, impetuous, and self-absorbed, but also very brave and loyal. Finally, Aramis is young, handsome, and quiet with a mysterious mistress.

Answer: Sleeping Beauty

Anyone who is familiar with traditional fairy tales has probably read some version of this 1697 fairy tale written by Charles Perrault (originally called "The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood"). I kind of cheated on this question though, because Sleeping Beauty was never officially given the names Princess Aurora or Briar Rose until the tale was adapted into a 1959 Disney movie.

However, the movie was still based on the literature, and almost everyone now thinks of Sleeping Beauty's name as being Aurora.