B.A.
English -2020-21
EG
-06
Prose
and Fiction-III
Max
Marks: 30
Note:
The Question paper is divided into three sections A, B, and C. Write Answer as
per the given instruction.
Section-A
(Very Short Answer
Type Questions)
Note: Answer all questions. As per the
nature of the question you delimit your answer in one word, one sentence or
maximum up to 30 words. Each question carries 1 mark.
6x1=06
1
i.
Whose
first novel is Watch and Ward (1871)?
-
Watch
and Ward is a short novel by Henry James, first published as a serial in The
Atlantic Monthly in 1871 and later as a book in 1878.
ii.
Who
coined the phrase “stream of consciousness”?
-
The
term was first used by the psychologist William James in The Principles of
Psychology (1890).
iii.
Name
the writer who writes about Igbo society and name the text prescribed in your
syllabus
-
Chinua
Achebe writes about Igbo society and the text in our syllabus is ‘Why I
write in English’.
iv.
What
is the occasion for which “A Tryst with Destiny” was written for?
-
"Tryst
with Destiny" was an English Speech delivered by Jawaharlal Nehru, to the
Indian Constituent Assembly in the Parliament, on the eve of India's
Independence, towards midnight on 14 August 1947.
v.
Where
were George and Lennie going and what for?
-
They
are going to ranch hands in search of work.
vi.
Who
is the writer of “A Room of One's Own”?
-
Virginia
Woolf is the writer of ‘A Room of One's Own’.
Section-B
(Short Answer Questions)
Note: Answer any 4 questions. Each
answer should not exceed 100 words. Each question carries 3 marks.
4x3=12
2. Montresor says, “A wrong is
unredressed when retribution overtakes its unredresser’. Discuss.
- Montresor needs to punish Fortunato
in a way that will not cause Montresor to be punished, himself. "A wrong
is unredressed when retribution overtakes its redresser." Montresor is
saying that he needs to keep his wits about him and avoid being overcome by
emotion, or by the manner in which he conducts his revenge - otherwise, being
punished for what he's going to do to Fortunato will make it look as though the
justice of his actions is not complete. The person who committed the crime
needs to know that his actions have brought revenge upon him, and that revenge
is what is taking place, rather than some sort of accident or unrelated
offense.
3. What is the vision drawn for India
for 2020 by APJ Abdul Kalam? Elucidate.
- Vision for 2020 is dedicated to a
ten-year-old girl whom Kalam met during one of his talks and asked her about
her ambitions, to which the young girl replied, "I want to live in a
developed India."
In his book, Kalam regards his nation
as a knowledge superpower and developed nation. The book describes the present
and future scenario in India and developed countries. It compares the various
statistical data and explains how India can improve it. Kalam explains the
importance of science and technology for the development of India. Kalam had
also said that it should be the dream of all the citizens to see India as a
developed country.
4. What does the first chapter in “Of
Mice and Men” explain the relationship between George and Lennie?
- George takes care of Lennie,
constantly giving him advice and instructions. George also realizes that Lennie
cannot remember or follow the simple instructions. George seems to be of two
minds when it comes to Lennie. George gets quickly angry when Lennie forgets to
get the firewood. On the other hand, George's anger is quickly under control,
and he blames himself for scolding Lennie. George looks out for Lennie and
genuinely cares for him. George acts as a parent toward Lennie: He treats
Lennie as one would treat a child; he laughs a great deal at Lennie's words.
5. Discuss the main themes with
suitable examples from “Split at the Root”.
In the essay, Split at the Root,
Adrienne Rich talks about the anti-Semitism she faced and how she struggled to
identify herself. Rich is at loss with who she is. She was born from two
different backgrounds. She was born from a Jewish father and a gentile mother.
She is perceived as a Jew to the world, but according to the Jewish law, she is
not a Jew. She also identifies herself a lesbian, who are not accepted by
society or by Jews.
This text relates back to “Homosexual
in America” because, much like the Jews, Homosexuals were not able to fully
come to terms with their identity.
6. Describe why Fortunato is led
through the catacombs.
- In the story, Montresor announces,
that Fortunato has injured him repeatedly and has recently insulted him.
Montresor vows revenge upon Fortunato. One evening during carnival time,
Montresor set his fiendish plan into motion. He tantalized Fortunato with a rare
liquor. Montresor wants to keep the victim alive long enough to get him to the
niche where he will be buried alive. At one of the catacombs, Montresor led
Fortunato into a small crypt. Montresor told Fortunato that the Amontillado was
inside. When Fortunato stepped inside, he ran into the granite wall, and
Montresor quickly locked him to the wall with a chain and buried him there.
Section ‘C’
(Long Answer Questions)
Note: Answer any two questions. You
have to delimit each answer maximum up to 400 words. Each question carries 6
marks.
7. Discuss the Postmodernist element in
“Split at the Root”.
- This essay titled “Split at the Root:
An Essay on Jewish Identity” was written by Adrienne Rich in 1928 for Evelyn
Torton Beck’s Nice Jewish Girls: A Lesbian Anthology. Later it was reprinted in
Fathers, an anthology edited by Ursula Owen for Virago Ltd. in London, and
published in the United States by Pantheon. This essay on the Jewish identity
depicts certain historical facts in the life of the writer in chronological
way. She has time and again given autobiographical details of her life, her parents,
her in laws and the various encounters with people of various Jewish identity.
It discusses various issues like the controversy between the gentile and the
Jews , anti-Semitism , the various religious traditions of the Hebrews, the
Jews, the Holocaust, the injustice met by the Jews as well as the Blacks at the
hands of the Whites. The writer herself as a post-modernist personality suffers
to find originated had disconnected from various angles namely the white,
Jewish, anti-Semite, racist, anti-racist, once-married, lesbian, middle class,
feminist, expatriate, southern-split at the root itself. If she looks at one
reality, the other disappears. The various movements of the era namely the
Civil Rights movements, the Women’s Liberation and the Lesbian movement are
reflected in the essay as the writer has been an active advocate of freedom
from oppression. Rich has expressed her ideas as a radical visionary and
activist for Jewish social identity.
Adrienne Rich, in her essay “Split at
the Root: An Essay on Jewish Identity”, writes about her experiences growing up
in a predominately gentile society as a half-Jewish, half-Gentile being. She illuminates
the ideas that there are certain assemblages of people in the world that are
forced to veil their true identity in order to be accepted in the social order.
She engages in enlightening the reader about the different methods that some
undergo to suppress who they really are, through faith, race, and social
attributes, and also about the harms and persecutions these people endure. In
this piece though it is portrayed that perhaps her most predominate theme is
that a person becomes an element of his/her society and that people, no matter
what their faith, race, or social standing, should begin applying new standards
toward acceptance.
8. What is the relevance of the title
Native Son?
- The title “Native Son” refers to the
multitude of young men represented by Bigger Thomas, men who have grown up in a
society that constantly pushes them down and tells them they are trash. Growing
up without a father figure Bigger has literally been raised by the streets and
society that surrounds him, which is reflected in his view of the world. Bigger
Thomas has been shaped by the norms of American society and has grown to
believe that white men are naturally oppressive his people. His views of whites
are similar to white’s view of blacks, in that he judges them as a whole and
assumes all of them are the same. As we see, not all whites are the same. Mary
Dalton is far different from her parents and most other white people because
she attempts to treat Bigger as just another human, although her actions
completely freak him out and lead to her death.
In reference to blindness in the story,
only Max is not blind. We see that Jan, Mary, and Mr. and Mrs. Dalton are all
blind to the reality that is life for a black man. For Mr. Dalton the blindness
is his refusal to admit how much he profits from exploiting the black
community, and he alleviates his guilt by donating some of the profits to black
schools and programs. Bigger’s girlfriend, Bessie, drinks alcohol to maintain
blindness to her pain. Even Bigger himself is blinded to the world by his own
hatred of whites, for he is confused and somewhat angered by Mary and Jan’s
attempts to make him their friend, even admitting to Max that part of his
motivation to kill Mary was a subconscious fear of befriending a white girl.
Bigger Thomas is just as blind as the Daltons, and his blindness leads him to
violence. Max, however, understands the perspectives of both sides and can see
how society is shaping young black men into the exact stereotype they are
hoping to escape. Although Jan and Mary are somewhat progressive characters,
Max is by the far the most forward thinking. At this point in Bigger’s life, it
is nearly too late to change his outlook on the world, the result of which is
Mary’s failed attempt at friendship and her death. And, as Max points out,
continued oppression of the blacks will someday result in another Civil War in
America, which made me think of Looking Backward and the danger of economic
oppression.
9. Discuss the title and themes of The
Ghosts of Vasu Master.
- The novel relates to multiple
narratives and multiple voices. There are fable-stories about animals with a
moral tucked in them, then there are grandmother’s and mother’s stories. There
are speeches by Vasu’s father, who plays a larger role as a village elder. The
novel explores multiple truth, multiple traditions and processes.
The text is an exploration of the very
important relationship of the teacher and the taught. It is a journey from
ignorance to self-awareness, from vacuum to meaning. The narrative technique
uses notebook entries, folk tales narrated by Vasu’s grandmother and mother,
fables and parables. There is a very significant dimension of absent figures in
the novel. Vasu is alone, but he is surrounded by memories, his ghosts are his
memories.
Dreams are another form of the
narrative. Dreams not only bring in the past, they also open the world of
fantasy, of fables, where animals, birds and bees converse. There is a thread
of continuity in the main narrative, the story of Vasu and Mani and the
secondary or sub narrative, the fables. The progress of one narrative is linked
to the progress in the other. The interest of the reader is always sustained. The
different narrative strategies bring a freshness to the novel. The novel
unfolds the layers of teaching and learning methodologies. As the narrative
flows it raises the question of student’s intelligence, his receptiveness, the
quality of the human brain.
The novel sensitizes us on a lot of
issues. The teacher is not a superman/superwoman. Ordinary people become
extraordinary with their kindness, patience and determination. The novel talks
about hope, about faith, about the power of love in its healing both the mind
and the body and strengthening the soul in its resolve to goodness.
The title of the novel- The Ghosts of
Vasu Master is very important. Vasu’s many ailments, his fears, his doubts, his
past and all his memories are his ghosts. From his ghosts he learns to move
ahead, nor to lose courage. He is able to overcome his ghosts- his fears his
loneliness with his own agency- his own efforts.
We can see the working of the Gandhian
ideal of education in the novel. The ideal that education must reach each and
every one, it must be in the language of the people, not just the rich and the elite,
not just in English or foreign language.
10. What is the theme of the novel Of
Mice and Men? Write a note on Steinbeck’s technique of writing.
- Of Mice and Men teaches a grim lesson
about the nature of human existence. Nearly all of the characters, including
George, Lennie, Candy, Crooks, and Curley’s wife, admit, at one time or
another, to having a profound sense of loneliness and isolation. The novella
suggests that the most visible kind of strength is itself born of weakness.
One of the reasons, that the tragic end
of George and Lennie’s friendship has such a profound impact is, that one
senses that the friends have lost a dream larger than themselves. The men in Of
Mice and Men desire to come together in a way that would allow them to be like
brothers to one another. Before the action of the story begins, circumstances
have robbed most of the characters of these wishes.
Drawing on the biblical story of the
Fall in which Adam and Eve sin in the Garden of Eden, Of Mice and Men argues
that the social and economic world in which its characters live is
fundamentally flawed. The novella opens by an Eden-like pool that is presented
as a natural paradise. People visit, but they do not own the land and they
share its resources amongst themselves, like the giant sycamore whose low
branch is “worn smooth by men who have sat on it.” The purity of this world in
the opening scene proves to be unsustainable as the story continues.
The style of the novel is objective and
factual, reflecting Steinbeck’s intention that the story could either be read
as a novella or performed as a play. The descriptive passages are as concrete
as stage directions: “The bunkhouse was a long, rectangular building. Inside,
the walls were whitewashed and the floor unpainted.” Like a play, Of Mice and
Men features no passages of writing that tell us directly what characters are
thinking and feeling. Instead, characters’ thoughts and feelings are conveyed
through descriptions of their mannerisms and facial expressions, and through
dialogue. By excluding opinionated commentary on the events of the novella,
Steinbeck allows readers to judge for themselves who is really to blame for the
tragic conclusion.
Of Mice and Men is structured around
dialogue written in the slang of migrant laborers during the Great Depression.
George and Lennie embody the American struggle Steinbeck encountered among
ranch workers in California, and their conversations mirror the uneducated
language Steinbeck actually heard.
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