A TO Z Literary Principles from History of English Literature: Note 107

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 A TO Z Literary Principles from History of English Literature: Note  107

A Set of 26 Objective Questions & Answers

UGC NET ENGLISH / COMPETITIVE EXAM QUESTION BANK


UGC NET English model question (Multiple choice questions from English Literature with EXPLANATION) 


  1. Who wrote the novel "Pride and Prejudice"?

a) Jane Austen

b) Charles Dickens

c) George Eliot

d) Emily Bronte

Answer: a) Jane Austen

Reasoning: "Pride and Prejudice" is a classic novel written by Jane Austen, first published in 1813.


  1. In the play "Hamlet," what is the name of the ghost that appears to Prince Hamlet?

a) King Claudius

b) Queen Gertrude

c) King Hamlet

d) Prince Fortinbras

Answer: c) King Hamlet

Justification: In William Shakespeare's play "Hamlet," Prince Hamlet is visited by the ghost of King Hamlet (HIS FATHER), who tells him the truth about his murder.


  1. Who wrote the poem "The Road Not Taken"?

a) Robert Frost

b) Walt Whitman

c) Emily Dickinson

d) Langston Hughes

Answer: a) Robert Frost

Reasoning: "The Road Not Taken" is a famous poem written by Robert Frost, first published in 1916.


  1. In the novel "To Kill a Mockingbird," who is the father of Scout and Jem?

a) Atticus Finch

b) Bob Ewell

c) Tom Robinson

d) Boo Radley

Answer: a) Atticus Finch


Reasoning: Atticus Finch is the father of Scout and Jem in Harper Lee's novel "To Kill a Mockingbird," which was published in 1960.


  1. The character of Heathcliff is the protagonist of which novel?

a) Pride and Prejudice

b) Wuthering Heights

c) Jane Eyre

d) Emma

Answer: b) Wuthering Heights

Reasoning: Heathcliff is the main character in Emily Bronte's novel "Wuthering Heights", first published in 1847.


  1. In the novel "The Great Gatsby," what symbolizes Gatsby's longing for the past?

a) The Valley of Ashes

b) The Green Light

c) The Eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg

d) The Plaza Hotel

Answer: b) The Green Light

Reasoning: The green light that Gatsby sees across the water at Daisy's house symbolizes his longing for the past and his desire to reclaim his lost love.


  1. In the play "Othello," what is the main theme?

a) Love

b) Jealousy

c) Betrayal

d) All of the above

Answer: d) All of the above

Reasoning: The play "Othello" explores themes of love, jealousy, and betrayal throughout the course of the story.


  1. Who wrote the poem "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock"?

a) T.S. Eliot

b) W.H. Auden

c) Dylan Thomas

d) W.B Yeats

Answer: a) T.S. Eliot


Reasoning: "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" is a famous poem written by T.S. Eliot, first published in 1915.


  1.  In the novel "Heart of Darkness," what is the ultimate goal of the main character, Marlow?

a) To find Kurtz

b) To explore the Congo

c) To understand the nature of imperialism

d) To escape the jungle

Answer: a) To find Kurtz

Reasoning: Marlow's ultimate goal in the novel "Heart of Darkness" is to find Kurtz, a mysterious and powerful figure who has gone mad while working in the Congo.


  1. In the novel "One Hundred Years of Solitude," what is the recurring motif?

a) The Buendia Family

b) Melancholic

c) Magical Realism

d) Solitude

Answer: c) Magical Realism

Reasoning: The novel "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez is known for its use of magical realism, which is a recurring motif throughout the story.


  1. In the novel "Moby-Dick," what is the main character's obsession?


a) Whaling

b) The ocean

c) A white whale

d) Revenge

Answer: d) Revenge

Reasoning: The main character, Ishmael, is driven by an obsession for revenge against a white whale, whom he believes to have killed his shipmate.


  1. Who wrote the poem "The Raven"?

a) Edgar Allan Poe

b) Emily Dickinson

c) Samuel Taylor Coleridge

d) Robert Burns

Answer: a) Edgar Allan Poe

Reasoning: "The Raven" is a famous poem written by Edgar Allan Poe, first published in 1845.


  1. In the play "A Streetcar Named Desire," what is the name of the main character?

a) Blanche DuBois

b) Stanley Kowalski

c) Mitch

d) Harold Mitchell

Answer: a) Blanche DuBois

Reasoning: Blanche DuBois is the main character in Tennessee Williams' play "A Streetcar Named Desire," which was first performed in 1947.


  1. In the novel "Brave New World," what is the main theme?

a) The danger of technology

b) The loss of individuality

c) The consequences of conformity

d) All of the above

Answer: d) All of the above

Reasoning: The themes of technology, individualism, and conformity are explored throughout the story of the novel "Brave New World."


  1. In the poem "The Waste Land," what is the main theme?

a) World War I

b) The corruption of modern society

c) The search for spiritual redemption

d) All of the above

Answer: d) All of the above

Reasoning: T.S. Eliot's poem "The Waste Land" explores themes of World War I, the corruption of contemporary society, and the quest for spiritual redemption throughout.


  1. In the novel "The Catcher in the Rye," what is the name of the main character?

a) Holden Caulfield

b) Phoebe Caulfield

c) Allie Caulfield

d) D.B Caulfield

Answer: a) Holden Caulfield

Reasoning: The protagonist of the book "The Catcher in the Rye" is Holden Caulfield, a young man who is dealing with emotional and personal problems.


  1. Who wrote the poem "Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night"?

a) Dylan Thomas

b) W.H. Auden

c) Robert Frost

d) T.S. Eliot

Answer: a) Dylan Thomas

Reasoning: In 1951, Dylan Thomas published his well-known poem "Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night."


  1. In the play "The Crucible," what is the main theme?

a) The Salem witch trials

b) The power of fear

c) The consequences of lies

d) All of the above

Answer: d) All of the above

Reasoning: The themes of the Salem witch trials, the influence of fear, and the effects of lies are all explored in Arthur Miller's play "The Crucible" throughout the narrative.


  1. In the novel "The Great Gatsby," what is the main symbol of Gatsby's unachievable dream?

a) The eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg

b) The green light

c) The Valley of Ashes

d) The Plaza Hotel

Answer: b) The green light

Reasoning: Gatsby's impossible dream of reuniting with his ex-lover is symbolized by the green light he sees at Daisy's house across the water.


  1. In the poem "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock," what is the main theme?

a) Love

b) Self-doubt

c) Loneliness

d) All of the above

Answer: d) All of the above

Reasoning: T.S. Eliot explores themes of love, self-doubt, and loneliness in "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock."


  1. In the novel "The Sound and the Fury," what is the main theme?

a) Time

b) Memory

c) Family dynamics

d) All of the above

Answer: d) All of the above

Reasoning: Time, memory, and family dynamics are all explored throughout William Faulkner's novel "The Sound and the Fury."


  1. I In Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness," what is the significance of the portrayal of Kurtz and his descent into madness?

a) Kurtz's descent into madness represents the corruption and moral decay that results from the pursuit of power and wealth.

b) Kurtz's descent into madness represents the psychological impact of imperialism and the dehumanization of colonized peoples.

c) Kurtz's descent into madness represents the loss of humanity and civilization in the face of the primal wilderness.

d) Kurtz's descent into madness represents the futility of the European colonial enterprise in Africa


Correct answer: b) Kurtz's descent into madness represents the psychological impact of imperialism and the dehumanization of colonized peoples.

Reasoning: Kurtz is initially depicted in "Heart of Darkness" as a highly accomplished and respected European trader working in the Congo. As the plot develops, it becomes clear that Kurtz has fallen into madness and has turned into a despot who brutally oppresses the native population and engages in heinous acts of violence. The psychological effects of imperialism and the dehumanization that results from the exploitation of colonized peoples are represented by Kurtz's descent into madness. Conrad illustrates the moral decay and degradation that can happen when people or societies abuse their power over others without any moral restraint through the character of Kurtz. As they indulge in their brutal treatment of the colonized peoples, the colonizers themselves suffer as they grow more savage and less human.


  1. In the play "Death of a Salesman," what is the main theme?

a) The American Dream

b) The impact of capitalism on family

c) The failure of the American Dream

d) All of the above

Answer: d) All of the above

Reasoning: Arthur Miller's play "Death of a Salesman" explores themes of the American Dream, how capitalism affects families, and how the American Dream fails throughout the narrative.


  1. In the novel "The Handmaid's Tale," what is the main theme?

a) Oppression

b) Loss of freedom

c) Control of reproductive rights

d) All of the above

Answer: d) All of the above

Reasoning: The themes of oppression, loss of freedom, and control over reproductive rights are all explored in Margaret Atwood's novel "The Handmaid's Tale" throughout the course of the narrative.


  1. In the poem "Ode to a Nightingale," what is the main theme?

a) The power of imagination

b) The fleeting nature of life

c) The search for transcendence

d) All of the above

Answer: d) All of the above

Reasoning: John Keats' "Ode to a Nightingale" is a poem that explores the importance of imagination, the transient nature of life, and the quest for transcendence.



  1. In T.S. Eliot's poem "The Waste Land," what is the significance of the Fisher King character and the wasteland he represents?

a) The Fisher King represents the spiritual emptiness of modern society, and the wasteland symbolizes the destruction of traditional values and beliefs.

b) The Fisher King represents the failure of leadership, and the wasteland symbolizes the consequences of war and political corruption.

c) The Fisher King represents the loss of culture   and the wasteland symbolizes the fragmentation and disunity of modern society.

d) The Fisher King represents the despair of the individual, and the wasteland symbolizes the isolation and alienation of the modern human condition.


Correct answer: a) The Fisher King represents the spiritual emptiness of modern society and the wasteland symbolizes the destruction of traditional values and beliefs.

Reasoning: The Fisher King is a recurring character in T.S. Eliot's poem "The Waste Land," and he stands for the spiritual and cultural decay of contemporary society. He is related to the Arthurian mythology's Fisher King legend, in which the king is wounded and unable to have children, which causes him to be unable to rule effectively and causes the land to become a wasteland. The wasteland in the poem stands in for the destruction of conventional values and beliefs, while the Fisher King symbolizes the spiritual emptiness of contemporary society. The poem makes extensive use of literary and cultural allusions to imply that society is experiencing a spiritual crisis, with the Fisher King and the wasteland acting as potent symbols of this crisis.


 Read More A to Z (Objective Questions)    

 Ardhendu De


Ref: 1. ALBERT. (2000). History of English Literature. Edward Albert- History of English Literature. Retrieved January 24, 2023, from https://www.unife.it/letterefilosofia/lm.lingue/insegnamenti/letteratura-inglese-ii/materiale-didattico-2019-2020/Edward%20Albert-%20History%20of%20English%20Literature-%20OUP-%202000.pdf    

2. The Concise Cambridge History of English Literature | English literature: general interest. (n.d.). Cambridge University Press. Retrieved January 24, 2023, from https://www.cambridge.org/9780521095815

3. UGC NET OLD QUESTION PAPERS

4. Baugh, A.C and Cable T (2001). A History of the English Language. 5th ed. London: Routledge



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