Table of Contents
- Question 21: Anglo-Irish Novels of the 20th Century
- Question 22: Consumerism as a Major Theme
- Question 23: Match Authors to Campus/Post-War Novels
- Question 24: Identifying Poet Laureates of England
- Question 25: The Tractarian (Oxford) Movement
- Question 26: The "Fleshly School of Poetry"
- Question 27: The Angry Young Men Movement
- Question 28: Forms of Flash Fiction
- Question 29: Identifying Non-Recipients of the Nobel Prize
Question 21
Which of the following novels have represented anglo-Irish relations in the 20th Century?
A. Elizabeth Bowen - The Last September
B. May Sinclair - The Divine Fire
C. J G Farrell - Troubles
D. J G Farrell - The Siege of Krishnapur
E. Jeffery Farnol - Black Bartlemy's Treasure
Choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below :
The novels explicitly dealing with Anglo-Irish relations (specifically the Irish War of Independence) are:
- (A) The Last September (1929) by Elizabeth Bowen: Set in a country mansion during the Irish War of Independence.
- (C) Troubles (1970) by J.G. Farrell: Concerns the dilapidation of a grand Irish hotel (the Majestic) during the political upheaval of 1919–1921.
Why the others are wrong: The Divine Fire (B) is about the lives of artists in England/US. The Siege of Krishnapur (D) deals with the 1857 Indian Rebellion. Black Bartlemy's Treasure (E) is a pirate adventure novel.
Question 22
Consumerism is a major theme in which of the following works?
A. Loyalties
B. Saint Joan of the Stockyards
C. Death of a Salesman
D. Candida
E. Waiting for Godot
Choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below :
The plays that explicitly critique capitalism, the American Dream, and material consumerism are:
- (B) Saint Joan of the Stockyards (1929-31) by Bertolt Brecht: A Marxist critique of capitalism set in the meatpacking plants of Chicago.
- (C) Death of a Salesman (1949) by Arthur Miller: A tragedy dissecting the hollow, consumerist pursuit of the American Dream through the character Willy Loman.
Other Explanations: Galsworthy's Loyalties deals with anti-Semitism and class loyalty. Shaw's Candida critiques Victorian marriage. Beckett's Waiting for Godot is an existentialist/absurdist play.
Question 23
Match List I with List II:
| List I (Author) | List II (Work) |
|---|---|
| A. Malcolm Bradbury | I. The Masters |
| B. David Lodge | II. Lucky Jim |
| C. Kingsley Amis | III. The History Man |
| D. C.P. Snow | IV. Changing Places |
Choose the correct answer from the options given below: (Note: There is a typo in the official keys where II is assigned twice. The correct mapping is provided below)
This question aligns mid-to-late 20th-century British authors with their famous "campus novels":
A. Malcolm Bradbury — (III) The History Man (1975). A satire of academic life in "glass and steel" 1960s universities.
B. David Lodge — (IV) Changing Places (1975). A campus novel subtitled "A Tale of Two Campuses."
C. Kingsley Amis — (II) Lucky Jim (1954). His famous debut following the reluctant lecturer Jim Dixon.
D. C.P. Snow — (I) The Masters (1951). Part of the Strangers and Brothers series, detailing the election of a new Master at Cambridge.
Question 24
Who among the following were poet Laureates of England?
A. Alfred Austin
B. Robert Bridges
C. Watts-Dunton
D. Oscar Wilde
Choose the correct answer from the options given below :
The historical Poet Laureates of England from this list are:
- (A) Alfred Austin: Appointed in 1896 (following Tennyson's death).
- (B) Robert Bridges: Appointed in 1913, serving until 1930.
Why C and D are wrong: Theodore Watts-Dunton was an English poetry critic. Oscar Wilde was a highly controversial Irish poet and playwright who was never granted a royal laureateship.
Question 25
Which among the following is true about the Tractarian Movement?
A. It was widespread across the world
B. The other leaders of the movement were Paul Newman and R.H. Froude
C. The movement began with a sermon by John Keble in 1833
D. Pusey gave the movement cohesion, fame and a name
E. The ideal of the Christian Church was praised by Oxford Convocation
Choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below :
The Tractarian Movement (also known as the Oxford Movement) began in the 1830s, seeking to reinstate older, High Church Christian faith traditions into Anglican liturgy.
(C) True: It formally began with a sermon by John Keble titled "National Apostasy" in 1833.
(D) True: Edward Pusey (along with Keble and Newman) was a core leader who gave the movement profound theological cohesion and influence.
Statement B is factually incorrect because the leader was John Henry Newman (who later converted and became a Cardinal), not "Paul Newman."
Question 26
Who among the following in the article “Fleshly School of Poetry” attacked the Pre-Raphaelites, especially D.G. Rossetti?
"The Fleshly School of Poetry" was a notorious article published in The Contemporary Review in October 1871 by the Scottish poet and critic Robert Buchanan (using the pseudonym Thomas Maitland).
He fiercely attacked the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood—specifically Dante Gabriel Rossetti, William Morris, and Algernon Charles Swinburne—accusing their poetry of being morbid, sensual, and immoral. D.G. Rossetti famously replied with an essay titled The Stealthy School of Criticism.
Question 27
Which writer does not belong to the Angry Young Men Movement?
The "Angry Young Men" were a group of working/middle-class British writers prominent in the 1950s known for their disillusionment with traditional British society (e.g., John Osborne, Kingsley Amis, John Braine).
Seamus Heaney (3) is an Irish poet (Nobel laureate, 1995) who is entirely unconnected to the 1950s Angry Young Men movement.
(Note: Philip Larkin was central to "The Movement" poets. While "The Movement" and "The Angry Young Men" overlapped significantly in the 1950s—Amis and Wain belonged to both—Larkin is strictly considered a Movement poet. However, Heaney is universally excluded from both).
Question 28
Which of these are not forms of flash fiction?
A. Drabble
B. Postcard fiction
C. Novelette
D. Short Story
E. Nanofiction
Choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below :
Flash fiction refers to extremely brief works of narrative fiction (often under 1,000 words). Varieties include "Drabble" (exactly 100 words), "Nanofiction," and "Postcard fiction."
Therefore, (C) Novelette (typically 7,500–17,500 words) and (D) Short Story (typically 1,000–7,500 words) are NOT forms of flash fiction because they are too long. None of the options perfectly align with just C and D.
Question 29
Who among the following is not a recipient of the Nobel Prize for Literature?
Marie (Madam) Curie was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, but she won in Physics (1903) and Chemistry (1911), not Literature.
W.H. Auden, despite being one of the greatest poets of the 20th century, never won the Nobel Prize in Literature.
Other Explanations: Winston Churchill surprisingly won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1953 for his historical writings and brilliant oratory. T.S. Eliot won it in 1948.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the "Campus Novel"?
A subgenre of fiction whose main action is set in and around the campus of a university. It became highly popular in the UK in the 1950s and 70s, with authors like Kingsley Amis (Lucky Jim), David Lodge (Changing Places), and Malcolm Bradbury (The History Man) satirizing academic life.
What was the Tractarian (Oxford) Movement?
A 19th-century religious movement within the Church of England led by John Keble, Edward Pusey, and John Henry Newman. They published "Tracts for the Times," advocating for a return to older, High Church, Catholic traditions within Anglicanism.
Why did Winston Churchill win the Nobel Prize in Literature?
Churchill won the prize in 1953 "for his mastery of historical and biographical description as well as for brilliant oratory in defending exalted human values." He was an incredibly prolific author of historical volumes (like The Second World War).
What defines the "Angry Young Men"?
They were a group of British working and middle-class playwrights and novelists in the 1950s (e.g., John Osborne, John Braine) who expressed profound, abrasive dissatisfaction with the rigid, hypocritical class structure of post-war British society.
