Q.1.

(i) Select the best option/answer and fill in the appropriate Box on the OMR Answer Sheet. (20 × 1 = 20)

(ii) Answers given anywhere else, other than OMR Answer Sheet, will not be considered.

 

1. In “Politics and the English Language,” Orwell argues that unclear language most dangerously affects which of the following?

(A) The aesthetic value of poetry
(B) The emotional bond between friends
(C) The ability of political discourse to conceal or distort reality
(D) None of these

2. In “Self-Reliance,” Emerson's emphasis on nonconformity most directly challenges which attitude toward society?

(A) That social customs always protect individual freedom
(B) That moral truth depends entirely on religious authority
(C) That progress comes only through scientific innovation, not character
(D) None of these

3. Russell, in “The Conquest of Happiness,” would most likely criticize which response to personal unhappiness?

(A) Examining one's habits and external interests for possible change
(B) Blaming impersonal forces but still seeking constructive action
(C) Retreating into excessive self-absorption and constant introspection
(D) None of these

4. In “The Gift of the Magi,” the story's irony most powerfully critiques which common assumption about gift-giving?

(A) That material wealth is the only measure of generosity
(B) That surprise gifts are always better than requested ones
(C) Both (A) & (B)
(D) None of these

5. In “The Lotus-Eater,” the protagonist's choice to live off his savings on Capri can be read as a challenge to which dominant modern value?

(A) Rational planning and financial security
(B) Artistic creativity and self-expression
(C) Solitude as a path to spiritual enlightenment
(D) None of these

6. Chesterton's “A Somewhat Improbable Story” uses improbability primarily to question what?

(A) The validity of scientific laws
(B) The reliability of seemingly “obvious” common-sense explanations
(C) The importance of moral responsibility
(D) None of these

7. In Wordsworth's “Tintern Abbey,” the speaker's changing relationship to nature suggests which development in his inner life?

(A) Nature loses all emotional meaning and becomes merely scenic
(B) Nature becomes threatening as he ages and fears death
(C) Both (A) & (B)
(D) None of these

8. In Yeats's “The Second Coming,” the chaotic imagery most strongly implies which view of history?

(A) History moves steadily toward democratic progress
(B) History is determined solely by individual moral choices
(C) Both (A) & (B)
(D) None of these

9. Philip Larkin's poems such as “The Trees” and “Continuing to Live” treat time and mortality in what characteristic way?

(A) With romantic celebration of heroic death
(B) With abstract philosophical optimism about eternity
(C) With skeptical, muted reflection that finds no easy consolation
(D) None of these

10. In Hamlet, the prince's delay in avenging his father can best be interpreted as revealing what about his character?

(A) A reflective nature torn between moral scruple and the demand for action
(B) An unthinking obedience to supernatural commands
(C) Pure cowardice with no ethical conflict
(D) None of these

11. Waiting for Godot disrupts conventional expectations of plot primarily to explore which thematic concern?

(A) The triumph of romantic love over adversity
(B) The reliable justice of political institutions
(C) The experience of existential waiting and the search for meaning
(D) None of these

12. In Pygmalion, Shaw's treatment of Eliza's transformation most directly questions which simplistic idea about social mobility?

(A) That education and speech training automatically secure genuine independence
(B) That gender roles are fixed by biological nature
(C) That economic systems are irrelevant to class identity
(D) None of these

13. In Far from the Madding Crowd, Bathsheba's choices among her suitors primarily illuminate what tension in the novel?

(A) Between religious faith and scientific doubt
(B) Between inherited class position and personal emotional desire
(C) Between colonial expansion and national decline
(D) None of these

14. Nineteen Eighty-Four presents Newspeak as a crucial instrument of power because it aims to do what?

(A) Increase citizens' enjoyment of literature
(B) Provide a neutral, purely logical language
(C) Limit thought by shrinking the range of expressible ideas
(D) None of these

15. In A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, Stephen's gradual rejection of family, religion, and nationalism most clearly embodies which modernist concern?

(A) The celebration of stable, inherited social roles
(B) The pursuit of artistic and personal identity beyond traditional authorities
(C) The superiority of collective over individual experience
(D) None of these

16. In The Scarlet Letter, Hester's public punishment versus Dimmesdale's hidden guilt can be read as a critique of what?

(A) The idea that sin is purely a private matter
(B) The belief that social shame automatically leads to moral destruction
(C) The assumption that law and visible punishment always align with genuine moral responsibility
(D) None of these

17. A structuralist reading of Hamlet would most likely focus on which aspect?

(A) The underlying patterns and systems of meaning that organize the text
(B) The hidden psychological drives of the characters
(C) The author's biographical intentions
(D) None of these

18. In postcolonial literature, the concept of “hybridity” typically describes what phenomenon?

(A) The pure preservation of indigenous culture against colonial influence
(B) The blending of colonizer and colonized cultural elements in new, complex forms
(C) The complete rejection of all cultural traditions
(D) None of these

19. In psychoanalytic criticism, the “uncanny” (Freud's unheimlich) refers to which type of experience?

(A) Something entirely unfamiliar and foreign
(B) Something paradoxically both familiar and strange, provoking discomfort
(C) A purely rational, explicable phenomenon
(D) None of these

20. Poststructuralism critiques structuralism primarily by arguing that:

(A) Language has a single, fixed meaning independent of context
(B) Literary texts have no connection to historical reality
(C) Both (A) & (B)
(D) None of these

 

PART-II

NOTE:

(i) Part-II is to be attempted on the separate Answer Book.

(ii) Attempt ONLY FOUR questions from PART-II. ALL questions carry EQUAL marks.

(iii) All the parts (if any) of each Question must be attempted at one place instead of at different places.

(iv) Write Q. No. in the Answer Book in accordance with Q. No. in the Q.Paper.

(v) No Page/Space be left blank between the answers. All the blank pages of Answer Book must be crossed.

(vi) Extra attempt of any question or any part of the question will not be considered.

 

Q. No. 2.

In his essay “The Transcendentalist,” Emerson derides the supposedly “sturdy capitalist” whose apparently solid enterprise actually rests on “quaking foundations”. Interestingly, Emerson’s very definitions of transcendentalism are forged in the heat of his opposition to the bourgeois obsession with materialism, both as a philosophy and as a way of life, according prominence to economic interests above all else. Discuss.

(20)

 

Q. No. 3.

“Maugham’s writing reflects the ethos of the interwar period, a time when the rigid societal structures of Victorian England were giving way to a more existential questioning of purpose” (de Onzoño, 2016). Elucidate with reference to “The Lotus Eater.”

(20)

 

Q. No. 4.

T. S. Eliot’s poem “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” has often been read as a thoroughly cynical assessment of the modern individual and community. This totalizing portrayal misses the poem’s ability to serve as a foil to a more ideal community. How far do you agree with this? Substantiate your answer by referring to textual specifics.

(20)

 

Q. No. 5.

“Knowledge acquires a quite different character when in the possession of a newly emancipated representative of the proletariat.” Elaborate with reference to Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion.

(20)

 

Q. No. 6.

In A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, while Stephen at first accepts the roles that others want him to perform—all related to the demands of hegemonic masculinity, homosociality, and patriarchy—he moves away from these performances only to perform a different narrative: the narrative of the artist-genius. Discuss.

(20)

 

Q. No. 7.

The category or trope of “nation” in postcolonial studies has conflicted status. Discuss the central debates around theorizing national identity or the nation. How does the status of the nation as a subject of analysis change alongside the development of the field of postcolonial studies?

(20)

 

Q. No. 8.

Informed by Lawrence’s dualistic philosophy, it can be said that in Sons and Lovers, characters’ quest for ‘Two-in-One’ finally causes the failure of the romance. Discuss.

(20)

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Q.1.

(i) Select the best option/answer and fill in the appropriate Box on the OMR Answer Sheet. (20 × 1 = 20)

(ii) Answers given anywhere else, other than OMR Answer Sheet, will not be considered.

 

1. George Bernard Shaw was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in:

(A) 1912
(B) 1925
(C) 1930
(D) 1942

2. What does the speaker learn from the leech-gatherer in Wordsworth’s poem?

(A) The value of solitude
(B) The importance of wealth
(C) The virtue of patience and perseverance
(D) The dangers of ambition

3. Harold Pinter shows the loss of spiritual life in ‘The Caretaker’ through the shattering of the statue of:

(A) Virgin Mary
(B) Buddha
(C) Christ
(D) ST. Paul

4. In his essay ‘Self-Reliance’, Emerson stresses the importance of:

(A) Conforming to societal expectations
(B) Relying on external authorities for guidance
(C) Trusting one’s own intuition and individuality
(D) Achieving fame and recognition

5. What does Gabriel Oak do to save Bathsheba’s farm during a violent storm?

(A) Protects her grain from fire
(B) Covers the ricks with tarpaulins
(C) Diverts floodwaters away from her fields
(D) Guards the livestock from thieves

6. Paradox is a literary device in which you make a statement which is:

(A) Affirmative
(B) Self-contradictory
(C) Ironical
(D) Humorous

7. Which character in 1984 works at the Ministry of Truth and is involved in rewriting history?

(A) Winston Smith
(B) Julia
(C) O'Brien
(D) Emmanuel Goldstein

8. William Wordsworth is associated with which literary movement?

(A) The Renaissance
(B) Romanticism
(C) Modernism
(D) Realism

9. ‘The Lotus Eater’ by Maugham shares a similar theme of indulgence and pleasure with ‘The Picture of Dorian Grey’ by:

(A) Oscar Wilde
(B) Forster
(C) Kipling
(D) None of these

10. Which play is considered Shakespeare’s longest play?

(A) Hamlet
(B) Macbeth
(C) Othello
(D) Romeo and Juliet

11. Which group of intellectuals constitutes a trinity in Postcolonial Theory?

(A) Said, Derrida, Barthes
(B) Barthes, Kristeva, Young
(C) Said, Fanon, Spivak
(D) Said, Bhaba, Spivak

12. Keats sees an intricate link between melancholy and:

(A) Anxiety
(B) Beauty
(C) Sadness
(D) Love

13. “Where youth grows pale and spectre-thin and dies” is a line from Keats’ Ode to:

(A) Autumn
(B) Beauty
(C) Nightingale
(D) Psyche

14. ‘In The Wasteland’, Eliot entreats his readers to come under the shadow of:

(A) God
(B) Red Rock
(C) London Bridge
(D) Tree

15. Tennyson’s poetry is characterized by his belief in:

(A) Unflinching human spirit
(B) Wavering human nature
(C) Nobility of human soul
(D) Both (A) & (C)

16. William Congreve was an English poet and politician with a:

(A) Whig outlook
(B) Tory outlook
(C) Evangelical outlook
(D) Protestant outlook

17. Both Joyce and Murdoch are similar in their use of a literary motif of:

(A) Shackles
(B) Chains
(C) Labyrinth
(D) Wheel

18. In Greek mythology, Icarus is often seen as a symbol of:

(A) Wisdom and Strength
(B) Hubris
(C) Recklessness
(D) Both (B) & (C)

19. Philip Larkin was often associated with a post-war literary movement named:

(A) The Beat Generation
(B) The Movement
(C) The Bloomsbury Group
(D) The Imagist Movement

20. In ‘Long Day’s Journey into Night’, the senior Tyrone has an obsession with:

(A) Buying junk property
(B) Buying new apartment
(C) Planting Trees
(D) Changing Houses

 

PART-II

NOTE:

(i) Part-II is to be attempted on the separate Answer Book.

(ii) Attempt ONLY FOUR questions from PART-II. ALL questions carry EQUAL marks.

(iii) All the parts (if any) of each Question must be attempted at one place instead of at different places.

(iv) Write Q. No. in the Answer Book in accordance with Q. No. in the Q.Paper.

(v) No Page/Space be left blank between the answers. All the blank pages of Answer Book must be crossed.

(vi) Extra attempt of any question or any part of the question will not be considered.

 

Q. No. 2.

The Structuralist and Poststructuralist theories have invaded the core assumptions of Humanism regarding human subjectivity, language, nature and culture. Elaborate by building up an argument with reference to major debates in the field.

(20)

 

Q. No. 3.

T. S. Eliot’s poetry can be read like a mystery religion in its own right by reinforcing the cardinal principles of Christian morality blended with myths and allusions all over the world. Elaborate with reference to pertinent textual instances from Eliot’s poems.

(20)

 

Q. No. 4.

D. H. Lawrence represents the complex shades of human relationship, both intimate and familial, by showing his characters’ vulnerability in maintaining a balance between desire and duty, sensuality and spirituality and impersonalization and engagement.

(20)

 

Q. No. 5.

After reading O’Neill’s ‘Long Day’s Journey into Night’, one gets the feeling that as a typical Irish family, religious blasphemy, albeit in its different manifestation, runs in all four Tyrones. Discuss with special reference to relevant textual sites.

(20)

 

Q. No. 6.

Emerson's transcendentalism shares some chief features with the esoteric voices of East, including Muhammad Iqbal and Maulana Rumi, highlighting a cross-cultural resonance between Western and Eastern spiritual philosophies. Comment.

(20)

 

Q. No. 7.

Reading Wordsworth’s poetry one hears the “still sad music of humanity” that Romanticism celebrates as a core value of literature. Elaborate in the context of relevant poetic instances from the poet.

(20)

 

Q. No. 8.

What is the significance of the title of Somerset Mugham’s ‘The Lotus Eater’ in relation to human sufferings and fragility as intrinsic to existence?

(20)

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Q.1.

(i) Select the best option/answer and fill in the appropriate Box on the OMR Answer Sheet. (20 × 1 = 20)

(ii) Answers given anywhere else, other than OMR Answer Sheet, will not be considered.

 

1. According to Russell, what is the connection between envy and unhappiness?

(A) Envy is a catalyst for happiness
(B) Envy is unrelated to happiness
(C) Envy is a source of unhappiness
(D) None of these

2. What emotional tone is prevalent in the final stanza of Keats’ Ode to Autumn?

(A) Melancholic
(B) Joyful
(C) Anxious
(D) None of these

3. What does “The Lotus Eater” symbolize in the context of the story?

(A) A drug
(B) A mythical creature
(C) A state of indulgence and lethargy
(D) None of these

4. Which literary technique is frequently employed by Whitman in the poem “As I Ponder’d in Silence”?

(A) Sonnet form
(B) Rhymed couplets
(C) Free verse and cataloguing
(D) None of these

5. In Russell's essay, what does he propose as a key factor in overcoming the fear of public opinion and achieving genuine happiness?

(A) Indifference
(B) Solitude
(C) Conforming
(D) None of these

6. What does Ulysses mean by the phrase “to strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield”?

(A) He is submitting to death indifferently
(B) He has given up on all pursuits
(C) He wishes to retire peacefully
(D) None of these

7. How does Whitman convey a sense of inclusivity in the poem “As I Ponder’d in Silence”?

(A) Through exclusionary language
(B) By emphasizing individualism
(C) By addressing a diverse range of people and experiences
(D) None of these

8. What war is looming in the background of Shaw’s “Heartbreak House”?

(A) World War I
(B) World War II
(C) The Napoleonic Wars
(D) None of these

9. According to Russell, what is the advocated approach to balancing external achievements and internal well-being for lasting happiness?

(A) Prioritizing
(B) Balancing
(C) Ignoring
(D) None of these

10. What famous play did Shaw write as a sequel to “Pygmalion,” exploring the consequences of Eliza's newfound social status?

(A) “Man and Superman”
(B) “Major Barbara”
(C) “Heartbreak House”
(D) None of these

11. What style of theatre is often associated with “Waiting for Godot”?

(A) Realism
(B) Absurdism
(C) Romanticism
(D) None of these

12. Which literary device is prominently featured in the poem The Second Coming’s opening lines, “Turning and turning in the widening gyre / the falcon cannot hear the falconer”?

(A) Simile
(B) Metaphor
(C) Symbolism
(D) None of these

13. Which of the following best characterizes the rhythm and meter of “The Second Coming”?

(A) Strict adherence to a regular meter
(B) Frequent use of rhyme schemes
(C) Varied and irregular meter
(D) None of these

14. What is the central theme of “The Lotus Eater”?

(A) The pursuit of wealth
(B) The danger of indulgence
(C) The allure of nature
(D) None of these

15. What role does philosophy play in “Under the Net” by Iris Murdoch?

(A) It serves as a mere backdrop
(B) No philosophy in the plot
(C) It confuses the narrative
(D) None of these

16. What role does symbolism play in “Sons and Lovers”?

(A) There is no symbolism
(B) Superficial embellishment
(C) Conveys psychological complexities
(D) None of these

17. What characterizes the language used in absurd theatre?

(A) Clear and logical
(B) Symbolic and metaphorical
(C) Poetic and lyrical
(D) None of these

18. What term is often used in Marxist literary theory to describe works that reflect and critique the economic and social conditions of their time?

(A) Bourgeoisie literature
(B) Proletarian literature
(C) Utopian literature
(D) None of these

19. What genre influences Iris Murdoch's writing style in “Under the Net”?

(A) Science fiction
(B) Mystery
(C) Philosophical fiction
(D) None of these

20. How does deconstructionism challenge the traditional binary oppositions in language and thought?

(A) By deconstructing and subverting binary oppositions
(B) By reinforcing and solidifying binary oppositions
(C) By avoiding any engagement with binary concepts
(D) None of these

 

PART-II

NOTE:

(i) Part-II is to be attempted on the separate Answer Book.

(ii) Attempt ONLY FOUR questions from PART-II. ALL questions carry EQUAL marks.

(iii) All the parts (if any) of each Question must be attempted at one place instead of at different places.

(iv) Write Q. No. in the Answer Book in accordance with Q. No. in the Q.Paper.

(v) No Page/Space be left blank between the answers. All the blank pages of Answer Book must be crossed.

(vi) Extra attempt of any question or any part of the question will not be considered.

 

Q. No. 2.

Critically analyze whether Emerson's transcendentalist philosophy has enduring value and applicability in addressing current societal and individual concerns.

(20)

 

Q. No. 3.

Investigate O’ Henry's intentions in crafting “The Gift of the Magi” and how his writing style contributes to the story's impact? What literary devices does he employ to evoke emotions and convey the central message?

(20)

 

Q. No. 4.

Explore ecocritical perspectives in “Tintern Abbey.” How does Wordsworth engage with ecological themes, and what environmental ethics can be discerned in the poem?

(20)

 

Q. No. 5.

Investigate the portrayal of women in “Hamlet,” focusing on Gertrude and Ophelia. How do gender roles and societal expectations influence their actions and outcomes? Discuss the agency or lack thereof granted to female characters in the play.

(20)

 

Q. No. 6.

How do Orwell's warnings about authoritarianism, surveillance, and propaganda resonate with contemporary political and social developments? Discuss the enduring significance of “1984” in the 21st century as a cautionary tale.

(20)

 

Q. No. 7.

What are the limitations and potential shortcomings of feminist approaches to literature? Evaluate the challenges and criticisms faced by Feminist Criticism as a literary theory.

(20)

 

Q. No. 8.

Examine the thematic exploration of guilt, redemption, and atonement within the context of a judgmental society in Nathaniel Hawthorne's “The Scarlet Letter.”

(20)

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PART-II

 

PART-II

 

PART-II

 

PART-II

Q. No. 2. Russell in The Conquest of Happiness identifies a number of causes of unhappiness. If we work on these causes, do you think happiness is still possible?(20)

 

Q. No. 3. Both Jim and Della behave impulsively in “The Gift of the Magi” by sacrificing their greatest treasures without thinking of the consequences and focusing instead on making each other happy. Is the author really successful in creating wise characters in literature? Respond to the question by presenting your arguments with supporting evidence.(20)

 

Q. No. 4. In what ways is the poem “Ode to a Nightingale” about the co-existence and interdependence of pleasure and pain? Discuss.(20)

 

Q. No. 5. Wordsworth does not “mourn” or “murmur” for the loss of “aching joys” of his past. Elaborate by providing suitable textual evidence from “Tintern Abbey”.(20)

 

Q. No. 6. Harold Pinter specializes in the tragicomedy of the breakdown of communication, broadly in the tradition of the Theatre of the Absurd. Discuss it with the reference to The Caretaker.(20)

 

Q. No. 7. By the end of the novel A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, Joyee renders a portrait of a mind that has achieved emotional, intellectual, and artistic adulthood. Elaborate.(20)

 

Q. No. 8. How does the essence of Structuralism, i.e., “Things cannot be understood in isolation, they have to be seen in the context of larger structures they are part of ” relate to literature? Discuss in detail by providing relevant examples to support your arguments.(20)

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PART-II

Q. No. 2. Bertrand Russell bridges the esoteric philosophical concerns and the issue of mundane endeavour for contentment in his The Conquest of Happiness. Discuss. (20)

 

Q. No. 3. William Wordsworth’s ‘Lines Composed Few Miles above Tintern Abbey’ is an attempt, in vein, to retrieve the irretrievable luscious experience that has foundered into the realm of the past. Explain (20)

 

Q. No. 4. How does T.S Eliot envision the chaotic collapse of ever-cherished convictions of system and sublimity in the modern context in The Wasteland? (20)

 

Q. No. 5. Theatre of Absurd marks the break from obsession with heroic adventure and focuses the insignificance of the human accomplishments. Substantiate the statement with reference to Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot. (20)

 

Q. No. 6. Amidst the swarming stories of deception and betrayal, O’ Henry’s The Gift of the Magi appears as a soothing assurance for lovers. Elaborate. (20)

 

Q. No. 7. How does Lawrence fictionalize the libidinal psychic patterns in his Sons and Lovers? What is your opinion about its critical reception in various social settings? (20)

 

Q. No. 8. The modernist aspiration for scientification of academic discourses resulted in development of the structuralist attitude in the literary studies. Explain. (20)

 

PART-II

Q. No. 2

In what way, Wordsworth has democratised the tradition of literature? Discuss it with special reference to his poem “Resolution and Independence.”

(20)

 

Q. No. 3

“The Waste Land” evoked the waste and sterility of a Western world ravaged by the horrors of World War-I; it is not a poem about war but the war’s trauma. Discuss.

(20)

 

Q. No. 4

Bradly argues that Hamlet’s inaction is due to his melancholia caused by his father’s death and his mother’s hasty remarriage. What do you think, why does Hamlet procrastinate in killing the King?

(20)

 

Q. No. 5

D.H. Lawrence’s Sons and Lovers is somewhat autobiographical in which is portrayed a young man’s inner struggles caused by his affection for his mother. What self-realization does the protagonist experience after the death of his mother?

(20)

 

Q. No. 6

With what kind of evidence and reasoning does Freud support the psychoanalytic theory that children entertain death-wishes toward their parents? And how does it help us to interpret literary texts?

(20)

 

Q. No. 7

Female poetics seeks to understand why female authors tend to favour certain genres (lyric, poetry, novel, short story, tale, letters, diaries, memories) over others (epic, martial romance, drama, satire). Elaborate.

(20)

 

Q. No. 8

(a) According to Emerson what terrors frighten us from self-trust? Where in the essay “Self-Reliance” do you find the clearest statements that tune the strings of transcendentalism?

(b) Sketch the character of Thomas Wilson in Somerset Maugham’s “The Lotus Eater.” Is the title of the story appropriate to him?

(10 each) (20)

 

PART-II