English Literature

E.M. Forster as a Novelist Edward Morgan Forster is popularly known as E.M. Forster. He is a British novelist, essayist and critic of modern period. His popularity rests on his novels. His best known novels are A Room with a View , Howards End , and A Passage to India . E.M. Forster was a writer of great sensitivity and insight. His compositions explored the golden threads of kinship. His greatest success is A Passage to India which was written in 1924. The relationship between East and West has been taken as its major subject. E.M. Forster was born on January 1, 1879 in London, England. He was the member of a very cultured family. His father was an architect who died when the author was a baby. As a boy he attended Tonbridge School. After completing school education at Tonbridge, he went on to King’s College, Cambridge, in 1897. He is ranked among the most cosmopolitan men of his day. As a modern novelist he received fantastic popularity for his five novels - Where Angels Fe...

A Passage to India: A Summary and Analysis A Passage to India is the best novel of E.M. Forster. It was written in 1924. It is author’s most successful work. It earned fantastic popularity for him. E.M. Forster’s A Passage to India is matchless in English fiction in its presentation. The relationship between East and West has been taken as its major subject. In this novel the author has presented the live picture of Indian society under the British rule of second decade of twentieth century. The plot of this novel is very interesting. Here the novelist has created live characters. In this novel Forster appears as an advocate of culture, tolerance, and civilization. The short story of this novel is as follows: Mrs. Moore is a mature English lady. She visits Chandrapore with Adela Quested, A young lady. Chandrapore is situated in India. The purpose of her visit is to see her son named Ronny Heaslop. Ronny is the British city magistrate of Chandrapore which is situated on the bank...

V.S. Naipaul: A Great Novelist Introduction: Naipaul is one of the best known English novelists of the modern times. His popularity reached its zenith when he received the Nobel Prize for literature in 2001. He is regarded a prophet, a soothsayer, a doom-watcher and a teller of unpalatable truths. Critics generally agree that A House for Mr. Biswas is his finest work. His Half a Life is also a piece of literary craftsmanship. Career: Sir Vidiadhar Surajprasad Naipaul is popularly known as V.S. Naipaul. This British writer is a very prestigious member of Indian Diaspora. He was born on August 17, 1932, in Trinidad. At that time Trinidad was British colony. Naipaul attained a scholarship and went to Oxford to study. His time in Oxford was not pleasant at all. There he suffered from isolation and despair. He completed his graduation in 1953. In the same year his father died. After this Naipaul lived rest of his life in England. Naipaul’s prolific writing career includes works such ...

A House for Mr. Biswas: An Analysis INTRODUCTION: Naipaul is one of the best known English novelists of the modern times. He is a very prestigious literary member of Indian Diaspora. His popularity reached its zenith when he received the Nobel Prize for literature in 2001. He is regarded a prophet, a soothsayer, a doom-watcher and a teller of unpalatable truths. Critics generally agree that A House for Mr. Biswas is his finest work. It brought him international attention. THE TIME AND PLACE The novel takes place over a period of almost fifty years- the lifetime of Mr. Biswas- during the first half of the twentieth century. The setting is the Caribbean island of Trinidad. These years of transition serve as a backdrop for Mr. Biswas’s story. Mr. Biswas and most of the other characters in the novel are East Indian. Like Naipaul’s family, they are descendants of people who emigrated from India during the 1800s. THEMES: Naipaul has a special affection for A House for Mr. Biswas . Onc...

Where the Mind is Without Fear - Rabindranath Tagore Q.01. In the poem ‘Where the Mind is Without Fear’, Tagore prays to God for uplifting: (a) His compatriots (b) Citizens of the world (c) The readers of the poem (d) Freedom fighters of his time Ans: (a) His compatriots Q.02. The poem ‘Where the mind is Without Fear’ is written by: (a) Rabindranath Tagore (b) Sarojini Naidu (c) William Wordsworth (d) Toru Dutt Ans: (a) Rabindranath Tagore Q.03. Rabindranath Tagore is a well-known poet from: (a) Odisha (b) West Bengal (c) Bihar (d) Kerala Ans: (b) West Bengal Q.04. Rabindranath Tagore was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in the year: (a) 1931 (b) 1921 (c) 1913 (d) 1945 Ans: (c) 1913 Q.05. Which of the following is an incredibly famous work by Tagore: (a) Shradhanjali (b) Gitanjali (c) Geetmala (d) Savitri Ans: (b) Gitanjali Q.06. What is meant by the sub-clause ‘Where the Mind is without Fear and head is held high’ (a) To be fearless and self-respecting (b) To be proud ...

National Education - M.K. Gandhi Q.01. Gandhi wanted that all schools of India should teach the technique of cloth production as: (a) It will pay for the education of our students (b) It will teach them an occupation on which they can fall back in after-life (c) It will make them self-reliant (d) All the above Ans: (d) All the above Q.02. Gandhi condemns the textbooks for: (a) Text books do not teach students what is right and what is wrong in the home life (b) Text books do not teach students to have any pride of their surroundings. (c) At the end of education students become estranged from their surroundings. (d) All the above Ans: (d) All the above Q.03. According to Gandhi, our children should be taught to: (a) Despise labour (b) Dignity of labour (c) Look upon manual labour with disfavour (d) Look with contempt to manual labour Ans: (b) Dignity of labour Q.04. Which Universal labour Gandhi wanted to promote? (a) Agriculture (b) Hand spinning (c) Hand weaving (d) All the abo...

The Axe - R.K. Narayan Q.01. Who foretold that Velan would live in a big house? (a) Father (b) Villagers (c) An astrologer (d) A friend Ans: (c) An astrologer Q.02. At what age did Velan leave home? (a) Sixteen (b) Seventeen (c) Eighteen (d) Twenty Ans: (c) Eighteen Q.03. In Velan’s opinion, big mansion existed only in: (a) Heaven (b) Hell (c) Swarg Loka (d) Big cities Ans: (c) Swarg Loka Q.04. Which tree was most dear to Velan? (a) Banyan (b) Pipal (c) Margosa (d) Asoka Ans: (c) Margosa Q.05. R.K. Narayan was a novelist, an essayist and a: (a) Short story writer (b) Poet (c) Historian (d) Dramatist Ans: (a) Short story writer Q.06. Name the fictitious town of R.K. Narayan: (a) Wessex (b) Malgudi (c) Hogwarts (d) Xanadu Ans: (b) Malgudi Q.07. Kumar Baugh was called as: (a) Palatial home (b) Old home (c) Lonely mansion (d) Ghost house Ans: (d) Ghost house Q.08. Who says, ‘Don’t cut yet. I am still within hearing.’: (a) Owner of the house (b) Labourer (c) Velan (d) Villager Ans: ...

The Seafarer: An Analysis The Seafarer is a significant work of Old English literature. It is a poem. It's an anonymous work. It is a part of the Exeter Book, a collection of Anglo-Saxon poetry compiled around 950 AD. It is said that the Exeter Book was likely written by a single scribe. It is believed that the poems within it have been composed earlier and passed down through oral tradition. That is why the author of The Seafarer remains a mystery. It depicts the harsh realities of life at sea, contrasting it with the comforts of land. The speaker expresses a longing for the hardships of the sea despite its dangers and loneliness. This longingness suggests a spiritual journey beyond earthly existence. The central theme of this poem is the hardship of seafaring life. The speaker contrasts the comforts of land with the sea's dangers, yet feels an irresistible pull towards the ocean. This leads to the theme of exile and wandering, both physical and spiritual. Ultimately, the...

The Wanderer: An Analysis The Wanderer is an Old English poem from the Anglo-Saxon period. The author of this poem is unknown. It is an alliterative poem in the Old English language. It is preserved in The Exeter Book , a manuscript from the late 10th century. The Exeter Book was created by a single scribe around 950 AD. It also contains religious verse, riddles, and a heroic narrative. In the poem The Wanderer , the narrator is typically considered to be a wise man. It is he who is recounting the story of a lone, exiled warrior. This warrior is often referred to as the 'Wanderer'. It means that the speaker is not directly the wanderer himself. Scholars are of the view that the speaker is an another person who is telling wanderer's tale. The wandering warrior of this poem has lost everything that gave his life meaning – his lord, his comrades, his home, and his place in society. This loss has left him adrift, both physically and emotionally. The Wanderer tell...

The Wonder that was India - A.L. Basham (An Excerpt) Q.01. Hindu civilization will, we believe, retain its: (a) Future (b) Continuity (c) Past (d) Glory Ans: (b) Continuity Q.02. Much that was useless in ancient Indian culture has already: (a) Flourished (b) Decayed (c) Perished (d) Sacrificed Ans: (c) Perished Q.03. The whole South-East Asia received most of its culture from: (a) China (b) India (c) Indonesia (d) Ceylon Ans: (b) India Q.04. Colonists from Western India settled in Ceylon in: (a) 5th century B.C. (b) 5th century A.D. (c) 4th century A.D. (d) 4th century B.C. Ans: (a) 5th century B.C. Q.05. Who found their way to Malaya, Sumatra and other parts of South-East Asia: (a) Chinese merchants (b) People of Cambodia (c) Indian merchants (d) Buddhist monks Ans: (c) Indian merchants Q.06. Northward Indian culture influence spread through: (a) China and India (b) Central Asia to China (c) South-East Asia (d) Korea, Japan and Tibet Ans: (b) Central Asia to China Q.07. The h...

Preface to the Mahabharata - C. Rajagopalachari Q.01. Who seized Draupadi by her hair and dragged her into the court? (a) Vidura (b) Duhshasna (c) Drushtadyumna (d) Duryodhana Ans: (b) Duhshasna Q.02. Great hero from the Mahabharata who lived a life such a way that he is another name for generosity and loyalty today: (a) Bhishma (b) Arjuna (c) Nakula (d) Karna Ans: (d) Karna Q.03. Bhishma’s mother was: (a) Saraswati (b) Ganga (c) Laxmi (d) Satyavati Ans: (b) Ganga Q.04. Free India’s first Indian Governor-General was: (a) Lala Lajpat Rai (b) Motilal Nahru (c) C. Rajagopalachari (d) Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel Ans: (c) C. Rajagopalachari Q.05. Dhritarashtra’s wife was: (a) Uttara (b) Gandhari (c) Madri (d) Kunti Ans: (b) Gandhari Q.06. Place where the Mahabharata war took place: (a) Hastinapur (b) Kurukshetra (c) Panipat (d) Indraprasth Ans: (b) Kurukshetra Q.07. How many days did the Mahabharata war last? (a) 18 (b) 17 (c) 19 (d) 20 Ans: (a) 18 Q.08. Rishi who cursed Pandu was: (a) ...

Wulfstan: An Introduction Anglo-Saxon literature is a treasure of epic poems, riddles and prose. It offers a fascinating glimpse into the world of early medieval England. Many works of this Anglo-Saxon literature remain anonymous. But several key figures stand out as significant contributors to this rich literary landscape. Wulfstan is one of them. He stands as a significant figure in Anglo-Saxon literature and history. Wulfstan's life spanned a period of significant change and turmoil in English history. He served as Bishop of London, Bishop of Worcester, and finally as Archbishop of York from 1002 to 1023 AD. He was a close advisor to King Æthelred the Unready and later to King Cnut in ecclesiastical and political affairs. Wulfstan was a renowned preacher. He offered a stark and compelling commentary on the anxieties and challenges of his time. His primary contribution to Anglo-Saxon literature lies in his homilies, powerful sermons delivered to congregations. Sermo Lupi ad...

Such A Long Journey, no doubt, is an interesting novel. It has been written by Rohinton Mistry who is appreciated as one of the prestigious members of Indian Diaspora. What a fascinating novel it is! This fantastic piece of work deals with India and its culture. It is closely linked with social and political environment of our motherland India. It beautifully portrays the life of an Indian city, Bombay. As we know that the year 1971 is a sensitive point in contemporary Indian history. It was a time of domestic turmoil. It was the time of politics of partiality and aggression. This period also saw the increase of communal politics. Such A Long Journey presents an effective picture of that 1971 of India. Such A Long Journey is a story of Gustad Noble, a kind hearted Parsi bank clerk. It tells the tale of his family and his friends, his hope and his despair and his success and his failure. The entire tale of this fantastic fiction revolves round Gustad’s character. The plot of this ...

Such A Long Journey निस्संदेह एक दिलचस्प उपन्यास है। यह रोहिंटन मिस्त्री द्वारा लिखा गया है, जिन्हें भारतीय डायस्पोरा के प्रतिष्ठित सदस्यों में से एक के रूप में सराहा जाता है। यह एक बहुत ही आकर्षक उपन्यास है। यह शानदार कृति भारत और इसकी संस्कृति से संबंधित है। यह हमारी मातृभूमि भारत के सामाजिक और राजनीतिक वातावरण से निकटता से जुड़ा हुआ है। यह एक भारतीय शहर बॉम्बे के जीवन को खूबसूरती से चित्रित करता है। जैसा कि हम जानते हैं कि वर्ष 1971 समकालीन भारतीय इतिहास का एक संवेदनशील बिंदु है। यह घरेलू उथल-पुथल का समय है। यह पक्षपात और आक्रामकता की राजनीति का समय है। इस काल की राजनीति में साम्प्रदायिकता में भी वृद्धि देखी गई है। Such A Long Journey भारत के उसी 1971 की प्रभावी तस्वीर पेश करता है। Such A Long Journey एक दयालु पारसी बैंक क्लर्क गुस्ताद नोबल की कहानी है। यह उपन्यास उसके परिवार और उसके दोस्तों, उसकी आशा और उसकी निराशा और उसकी सफलता और उसकी विफलता की कहानी कहता है। इस शानदार उपन्यास की पूरी कहानी गुस्ताद के चरित्र के इर्द-गिर्द घूमती है। इस उपन्यास का कथानक बहुत प्रभावशाली है। यह...