Questions for MA English (Part 1)

Paper 1 - Classical Poetry

1.
Chaucer - The Prologue to the Canterbury Tales
i.Chaucers Humour / Satire / Ironyii.Chaucers art of
C h a r a c t e r i z a t i o n i i i. Ch a uc e r as a mod e rn po et (h u mou r,
s ec ul a ri s m et c .) iv.Chaucers ecclesiastical characters
(Churchs hypocrisy, Comparison &contrast between the characters)v . C h a u c e r s
f e m a l e c h a r a c t e r s 2.
Alexander Pope Rape of the Lock
i . R a p e o f t h e L o c k a s s o c i a l s a t i r e ii.Rape of
the Lock as comic
e p i c / m o c k e p i c ii i .U s e o f ma c hi n er y ( S u pe rn at ur a l e l e me n ts e t c. )i v.P op e s
a t t it ud e to w a rd s w o men (B el i nd a s c ha r ac t e r, S oc i a l s a t ir e) v . M o r a l o f
t h e R a p e o f t h e L o c k 3.
Milton Paradise Lost
i . M i l t o n s g r a n d s t y l e ii.Portrayal of Satan in Paradise
Losti i i . W h o i s t h e h e r o o f P a r a d i s e L o s t ?
iv.Character sketch of Adamv.C h a r a c t e r s k e t c h o f E v e
4.Surrey & Wyatt
i .S ur re y & Wya t t s co nt r ib ut i on of E ng l is h P o et r yi i . S u rr e y & Wya t t as S on ne t
w r i te rs (C o mp a ri s o n a nd C on tr as t) i i i . C r i t i c a l a p p r e c i a t i o n o f t h e i r
Sonnets
Paper 2 Drama
1 .S op h oc le s Oe d i p u s R e x
i.Concept of Fate & Free will / Fate & Character ii.Oedipus as a
tragic Hero / Oedipus
Hamartiai i i . I r o n y i n O e d i p u s i v . R o l e o f C h o r u s
2 .M ar l ow D r. Fa u s t u s
i.Dr. Faustus as a renaissance playii.Dr. Faustus as morality
p l a y ii i . D r. F a us t us as a mod e rn tr ag e d y / S p ir i tu a l C on fl i ct s i n th e mi nd
o f Dr. Faustusi v . M a r l o w s c o n t r i b u t i o n t o E n g l i s h D r a m a v.Dr. Faustus
Character sketch (as a typical Marlows hero, qualities of Marlows hero)3.
Shakespeare Othello
i.Othellos character
s k e t c h i i . I a g o s c h a r a c t e r s k e t c h ii i . O th e ll o a s a s o ci a l Trag ed y
( ra c e & c o lo ur an i mp or t a nt fa c to r i n Othellos tragedy)iv.R o le of C ha nc e
& M is un de rs ta nd i ng (C ha nc e H a pp en in g)
4.Oscar Wilde Importance of Being Earnest
i . I mp or t an c e o f Be in g E ar n es t as a co me d y (s at i re , s t yl e
e t c. ) i i . I m p o r t a n c e o f B e i n g E a r n e s t a s a s o c i a l s a t i r e i i i . U s e o f w i t &
paradoxical statements

(Iron y) i v . A l g e r n o n s C h a r a c t e r s k e t c h v . J a c k s C h a r a c t e r
sketch
Paper 3 - Novel
1. Jane Austin - "Pride and Prejudice"
i .J an e Au s t i n a s a no ve l is t ( it w i l l b e a g en er a l q ue s t io n o n J a ne
A u s t in encompassing all her writing techniques e.g. Limited Range, Irony etc).
ii.Jane Austin's Limited Range
iii.Jane Austin's Irony
iv.The mes of Marriage, Mone y and Manners.
v . C h a r a c t e r s k e t c h o f E l i z a b e t h vi.Lack of Passion in Jane Austin's
novelsvii.Jane Austens art of Characterization
2. George Eliot - "Adam Bede"
i .G eo rge E l io t a s a ps yc ho l og i ca l / mo d er n n ov el i s t
ii.Character sketch of Adam Bede
iii.Character sketch of Hetty Sorrel
iv.Character sketch of Dinnah Morris
v . R e l a t i o n s h i p b e t w e e n A d a m a n d D i n n a h vi.Theme of Hardness
(Adam doesnt show politeness. He judges everyoneaccording to morality so he cant develop
relationships)
3. Charles Dickens - "A Tale of Two Cities"
i . " A Tal e o f Two C i t i e s " a s a n h i s t o r i c a l n o v e l i i . D i c k e n s a t t i t u d e
towards French Revo lution i i i . S y m b o l i s m i n t h e n o v e l iv.The me of
r e s u r r e c t i o n & r e n u n c i a t i o n v.H ow p ub li c ev en t s an d pr iv a te l iv es ar e
i nt e r li nk e d i n th e no ve l?
4. Thomas Hardy - "Return of the Native"
i .C ha r ac t er ske t ch of C l ym ii.Character sketch of Eustaciaiii.R
o l e o f E g d o n H e a t h / n a t u r e iv.Ro le of chan ce and coincid ence /
Role of fatev . H a r d y a s a p e s s i m i s t v i . H a r d y a s a n
ameliorist
Paper 4 Prose
1.Francis Bacon - Essays
i .B a co n s S t yl e (p ro ve rb i al s t yl e, ap ho r is ms , pi th y s t yl e
e t c. ) i i . B a c o n s W o r l d l y W i s d o m i i i . R e n a i s s a n c e e l e m e n t i n B a c o
n
2.Jonathan Swift Gullivers Travels
i . S w i f t a s a s a t i r i s t ii.Swift as a
m i s a n t h r o p e iii.Element of Utopia in Gullivers
T r a v e l s i v . I r o n y i n G u l l i v e r s T r a v e l s 3.
Bertrand Russell Unpopular Essays
i .B er t ra nd Rus s e l l as p ro s e w r i te r / Be rt r an d R us s e l l s s t yl e i i . A g e n e r a l
n o t e o n h i s e s s a y s c a n b e a s k e d . 4.
Seamus Heaney Redress of Poetry

i.Hean e y as a Prose Wri ter / Heane ys St yle ii.Hean e ys argu men ts in

favour of poetry
Paper 5 American Literature
A.Poetry
1.Sylvia Plath
i . C r i t i c a l a p p r e c i a t i o n o f p o e m s ii.Psychological problems of Sylvia
Plath i i i . A m b i v a l e n c e i n S y l v i a P l a t h iv.Genera l
Question on American Ps yche
2.John Ashbery
i.Critical appreciation of poems
3.Adrienne Rich
i.Critical appreciation of poems
4.Richard Wilbur
i.Critical appreciation of poems
B.Drama
1.Arthur Miller The Crucible
i.Theme of individual & societyii.Character sketch of Proctor iii
.Character sketch of Abigalei v . P u r i t a n i s m i n t h e p l a y
2.Eugene ONeil Mourning Becomes Electra
i.ONeils Tragic Vision ii.Character sketch of Electra
C.Novel
1.
Ernest Hemingway For Whom the Bell Tolls
i . R o b e r t J o r d a n a s a T r a g i c H e r o ii .I s F o r Wh o m t h e B el l Tol ls a
p ol i t ic a l n ov e l? (A n s w e r: N o) i i i . H e m i n g w a y a s a n o v e l i s t / H e m i n g w a y s
st yle iv.Discuss Jordan - Maria Rel ationshipv.Con cept of ritua l
& morality in the novelv i . M o t i v e s b e h i n d J o r d a n s S a c r i f i c e