A TO Z Literary Principles from History of English Literature: Note 108 (Literary Criticism)

A Set of 26 Objective Questions & Answers

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UGC NET English model question (Multiple choice questions from English Literature (Literary Criticism) with reasoning) 

1. What is the main focus of Aristotle's Poetics?

a) The nature of tragedy

b) The nature of comedy

c) The nature of epic poetry

d) The nature of all forms of poetry

Answer: a) The nature of tragedy

Reasoning: Poetics by Aristotle is largely concerned with the essence of tragedy and the ingredients that comprise a tragic play or tale. Aristotle stated in the Poetics, his seminal study on the foundations of drama, that tragedy so provokes the feelings of pity and dread, which he regarded morbid and unhealthful, that the audience is cleansed of them by the end of the play. This catharsis improves the audience's psychological health, making them happier. Since the 17th century, Aristotle's Poetics has had a strong impact on Neoclassical play. The French dramatists Jean Baptiste Racine, Pierre Corneille, and Molière, in particular, espouse the idea of three unities: time, location, and action. Until the nineteenth century, this notion dominated literary theory.

2. What is the main goal of New Criticism?

a) To analyze the social and historical context of a literary work

b) To examine the psychological motivations of a literary work's characters

c) To focus on the intrinsic literary value of a work, rather than its historical or biographical context

d) To analyze the influence of a literary work on popular culture

Answer: c) To focus on the intrinsic literary value of a work, rather than its historical or biographical context

Reasoning: In order to appreciate a literary text's essential meaning and worth, New Criticism stresses attentive reading and examination of its formal components, such as imagery, metaphor, and symbolism. A critical method known as New Criticism emerged between the late 1930s and 1945. It took its name from a 1941 article by John Crowe Ransom and prioritised close textual and structural research above social or biographical background analysis. Cleanth Brooks, Kenneth Burke, Ransom, Allen Tate, and Robert Penn Warren were among those who criticised this method.

3. What is the main goal of Structuralism?

a) To analyze the social and historical context of a literary work

b) To examine the psychological motivations of a literary work's characters

c) To study the underlying structures that shape literary works and other cultural phenomena

d) To analyze the influence of a literary work on popular culture

Answer: c) To study the underlying structures that shape literary works and other cultural phenomena

4. What is the main focus of Feminist literary criticism?

a) To examine the representation of women in literature

b) To study the use of symbolism in literature

c) To analyze the historical and cultural context of a literary work

d) To focus on the intrinsic literary value of a work

Answer: a) To examine the representation of women in literature

Reasoning: Feminist literary criticism is an approach that focuses on how women are represented in literature and how gender impacts the literary canon, literary genres, and literary language. Feminist critique investigates topics pertinent to women as authors, readers, and literary characters, as well as the contentious matter of the existence of uniquely feminine writing—language that is distinguishably different from speech influenced by masculine patterns of thought. The gender-conscious essays of English author Virginia Woolf and The Second Sex (1949), a book-length protest by French thinker and novelist Simone de Beauvoir against the second-class status of women, have also impacted contemporary feminist literature.

5. What is the main focus of Marxist literary criticism?

a) To examine the representation of class in literature

b) To study the use of symbolism in literature

c) To analyze the historical and cultural context of a literary work

d) To focus on the intrinsic literary value of a work

Answer: a) To examine the representation of class in literature

Reasoning: Marxist literary criticism is an approach that focuses on how class is represented in literature and how economic and social conditions determine literary forms, literary language, and literary canon. Before World War II, German critic Walter Benjamin conducted influential research on the social and economic bases of culture, as did Welsh critic Raymond Williams between the late 1950s and the early 1980s.

6. What is the main focus of Deconstruction?

a) The examination of language and its relationship to meaning in a literary text

b) The exploration of the psychological motivations of a literary work's characters

c) The study of the historical context of a literary work

d) The focus on the intrinsic literary value of a work

Answer: a) The examination of language and its relationship to meaning in a literary text

Reasoning: The deconstruction theoretical approach emphasizes the instability and multiplicity of meaning as well as the ways that language undermines the stability of meaning in a literary text. Deconstruction (literature) is an approach to literary analysis that aims to reveal the author's intentions as well as additional meanings derived from previous uses of the same words, images, or concepts. Jacques Derrida founded the deconstruction movement. 

7. What is the main focus of Psychological literary criticism?

a) The examination of the psychological motivations and emotions of a literary work's characters

b) The study of the historical context of a literary work

c) The focus on the intrinsic literary value of a work

d) The examination of the representation of women in literature

Answer: a) The examination of the psychological motivations and emotions of a literary work's characters

Reasoning: Psychological literary criticism focuses on the analysis of the psychological motivations and emotions of a literary work's characters, how these motivations and emotions are revealed through the actions and interactions of the characters, and how they affect the work's overall meaning and themes.

8. What is the main focus of Ecological literary criticism?

a) The examination of the representation of nature and the environment in literature

b) The study of the historical context of a literary work

c) The focus on the intrinsic literary value of a work

d) The examination of the representation of women in literature

Answer: a) The examination of the representation of nature and the environment in literature

Reasoning: Ecological literary criticism is a method that focuses on analyzing how nature and the environment are depicted in literature, how they relate to human culture and society, and how they affect the overall meaning and themes of the work.

9. What is the main focus of Queer literary criticism?

a) The examination of the representation of LGBTQ+ people and themes in literature

b) The study of the historical context of a literary work

c) The focus on the intrinsic literary value of a work

d) The examination of the representation of women in literature

Answer: a) The examination of the representation of LGBTQ+ people and themes in literature

Reasoning: Queer literary criticism is a method that focuses on analyzing how LGBTQ+ characters and themes are depicted in literature, how they relate to human culture and society, and how they affect the work's overall themes and meaning.

10. What is the main focus of New Historicism?

a) To analyze the social and historical context of a literary work

b) To examine the psychological motivations of a literary work's characters

c) To focus on the intrinsic literary value of a work, rather than its historical or biographical context

d) To analyze the influence of a literary work on popular culture

Answer: a) To analyze the social and historical context of a literary work

Reasoning: Considering the cultural, social, economic, and political factors that affect the work, its meaning, and its reception, New Historicism is a literary critical approach that emphasizes the historical context's influence on literary works.

11. What is the main focus of Postcolonial literary criticism?

a) To analyze the social and historical context of a literary work produced by colonized people.

b) To examine the psychological motivations of a literary work's characters

c) To focus on the intrinsic literary value of a work, rather than its historical or biographical context

d) To analyze the influence of a literary work on popular culture

Answer: a) To analyze the social and historical context of a literary work produced by colonized people.

Reasoning: Postcolonial literary criticism is a method that focuses on analyzing how colonialism has affected literature and culture, as well as how representations of colonized people relate to issues of power, cultural identity, and resistance.

12. What is the main focus of Reader-response literary criticism?

a) The examination of the reader's experience, interpretation, and personal response to a literary text

b) The study of the historical context of a literary work

c) The focus on the intrinsic literary value of a work

d) The examination of the representation of nature and the environment in literature

Answer: a) The examination of the reader's experience, interpretation, and personal response to a literary text

Reasoning: Reader-response Literary criticism emphasizes the reader's role in meaning creation and the significance of the reader's background, culture, and context in influencing their interpretation of the text. It focuses on the examination of the reader's experience, interpretation, and personal response to a literary text and how they influence the meaning of the text.

13. What is the main focus of Cultural literary criticism?

a) To analyze the cultural context of a literary work.

b) To examine the psychological motivations of a literary work's characters

c) To focus on the intrinsic literary value of a work, rather than its historical or biographical context

d) To analyze the influence of a literary work on popular culture

Answer: a) To analyze the cultural context of a literary work.

Reasoning: By examining how various cultural groups are represented, how it upholds or undermines cultural norms, beliefs, and values, and how it contributes to the formation of a cultural identity, cultural literary criticism examines how a literary work reflects and shapes its cultural context.

14. What is the main focus of Postmodern literary criticism?

a) To analyze the social and historical context of a literary work

b) To examine the psychological motivations of a literary work's characters

c) To focus on the intrinsic literary value of a work, rather than its historical or biographical context

d) To analyze the influence of a literary work on popular culture

Answer: d) To analyze the influence of a literary work on popular culture

Reasoning: By examining the representation of popular culture, the use of pastiche and parody, the challenging of conventional narrative forms, and the blurring of lines between high and low culture, postmodern literary criticism focuses on the ways in which a literary work challenges and reflects the cultural and societal changes of the postmodern era.

15. What is the main focus of Cognitive literary criticism?

a) The examination of the cognitive processes that underlie the reading and interpretation of literary texts.

b) The study of the historical context of a literary work

c) The focus on the intrinsic literary value of a work

d) The examination of the representation of nature and the environment in literature

Answer: a) The examination of the cognitive processes that underlie the reading and interpretation of literary texts.

Reasoning: Using insights from cognitive psychology, neuroscience, and other cognitive sciences, cognitive literary criticism seeks to understand how readers process and derive meaning from literary texts by examining the cognitive processes that underlie reading and interpreting literary texts, such as attention, memory, and emotion.

16. What is the main focus of Reception literary criticism?

a) The examination of the ways in which readers and audiences respond to and interpret literary texts.

b) The study of the historical context of a literary work

c) The focus on the intrinsic literary value of a work

d) The examination of the representation of nature and the environment in literature

Answer: a) The examination of the ways in which readers and audiences respond to and interpret literary texts.

Reasoning: Reception Literary criticism is a method that looks at how readers and audiences react to and interpret literary texts. It also looks at how readers' interpretive techniques, cultural contexts, and historical settings affect how they understand the text, as well as how the reception of the text evolves over time.

17. What is the main focus of Trauma literary criticism?

a) The examination of the representation of traumatic experiences in literature

b) The study of the historical context of a literary work

c) The focus on the intrinsic literary value of a work

d) The examination of the representation of nature and the environment in literature

Answer: a) The examination of the representation of traumatic experiences in literature

Reasoning: Trauma literary criticism is a method that looks at how traumatic experiences are represented in literature and how that affects the story, characters, and themes. It also considers how literature can be used to cope with, process, and comprehend trauma.

18. What is the main focus of Digital literary criticism?

a) The examination of the ways digital technology has changed the ways we read, create and share literature

b) The study of the historical context of a literary work

c) The focus on the intrinsic literary value of a work

d) The examination of the representation of nature and the environment in literature

Answer: a) The examination of the ways digital technology has changed the ways we read, create and share literature

Reasoning: By examining the effects of digital media on literary forms, literary culture, and literary study, digital literary criticism seeks to understand how technology has altered how we read, produce, and share literature. It also examines the novel literary genres that have developed in the digital era, including interactive narratives, digital poetry, and hypertext fiction.

19. What is the main focus of Psychological literary criticism?

a) The examination of the psychological motivations and emotions of a literary work's characters

b) The study of the historical context of a literary work

c) The focus on the intrinsic literary value of a work

d) The examination of the representation of women in literature

Answer: a) The examination of the psychological motivations and emotions of a literary work's characters

Reasoning: Psychological literary criticism focuses on the analysis of the psychological motivations and emotions of a literary work's characters, how these motivations and emotions are revealed through the actions and interactions of the characters, and how they affect the work's overall meaning and themes

20. What is the main focus of Formalist literary criticism?

a) To analyze the social and historical context of a literary work

b) To examine the psychological motivations of a literary work's characters

c) To focus on the intrinsic literary value of a work, by analyzing the work's formal elements such as structure, style, and language

d) To analyze the influence of a literary work on popular culture

Answer: c) To focus on the intrinsic literary value of a work, by analyzing the work's formal elements such as structure, style, and language

Reasoning: Formalist literary criticism is an approach that focuses on the intrinsic literary value of a work, by analyzing its formal elements such as structure, style, and language. It emphasizes close reading of the text and the exploration of its formal elements, such as imagery, metaphor, and symbolism, in order to understand its intrinsic meaning and value.

21. What is the main focus of Cognitive literary criticism?

a) The examination of the cognitive processes that underlie the reading and interpretation of literary texts.

b) The study of the historical context of a literary work

c) The focus on the intrinsic literary value of a work

d) The examination of the representation of nature and the environment in literature

Answer: a) The examination of the cognitive processes that underlie the reading and interpretation of literary texts.

Reasoning: Cognitive literary criticism is an approach that examines the cognitive processes that underlie the reading and interpretation of literary texts, such as attention, memory, and emotion, by applying insights from cognitive psychology, neuroscience, and other cognitive sciences to understand how readers process and make meaning from literary texts.

22. What is the main focus of Ecocriticism?

a) The examination of the representation of nature and the environment in literature

b) The study of the historical context of a literary work

c) The focus on the intrinsic literary value of a work

d) The examination of the representation of women in literature

Answer: a) The examination of the representation of nature and the environment in literature

Reasoning: Ecocriticism is an approach that focuses on the examination of the representation of nature and the environment in literature, the relationship between literature and the natural world, and the ways in which literature can help us understand and respond to environmental issues.

23. What is the main focus of Comparative literary criticism?

a) The examination of the similarities and differences between literary works from different cultures or time periods

b) The study of the historical context of a literary work

c) The focus on the intrinsic literary value of a work

d) The examination of the representation of nature and the environment in literature

Answer: a) The examination of the similarities and differences between literary works from different cultures or time periods

Reasoning: By contrasting literary works from various cultures or eras in terms of themes, motifs, narrative devices, and cultural influences, comparative literary criticism analyzes the similarities and differences between them. It seeks to comprehend the interactions and influences between various literary traditions and cultures.

24. Which of the following best describes formalism as a critical approach?

A) An evaluation of a work of art based on its content and meaning

B) An evaluation of a work of art based on its technical elements, such as composition and rhythm

C) An evaluation of a work of art based on its historical and social context

D) An evaluation of a work of art based on its popularity and commercial success

Answer B) An evaluation of a work of art based on its technical elements, such as composition and rhythm

Reasoning: Formalism is a critical theory that assesses an artistic creation based more on its form and structure than on its content or meaning. Instead of emphasizing the work's message or subject matter, the technical aspects of composition, rhythm, and balance are highlighted.

25. According to formalism, which of the following is the most important aspect of a work of art?

A) The subject matter

B) The message or meaning

C) The technical elements, such as composition and rhythm

D) The artist's personal beliefs and values

Answer: C) The technical elements, such as composition and rhythm

Reasoning: Rather than focusing on the content or message of a piece of art, formalism emphasizes its inherent qualities, such as the technical aspects of composition, rhythm, and balance. In a formalist approach, this is the most significant component of the artwork.

26. A formalist critic would be most likely to analyze a work of art in terms of:

A) Its historical context

B) Its social significance

C) Its technical elements, such as composition and rhythm

D) Its emotional impact on the viewer

Answer C) Its technical elements, such as composition and rhythm

Reasoning: Formalism is a critical perspective that assesses an artistic creation based on its formal and structural qualities, such as its technical compositional, rhythmic, and balancing elements, rather than its content or message. A formalist critic would therefore be more likely to evaluate a work of art in terms of its technical components than in terms of its historical setting, social significance, or audience response.

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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