MODEL QUESTION PAPER

FIRST SEMESTER BA/B Sc. /B Com DEGREE EXAMINATION

MODEL QUESTION PAPER
(CBCSSUG)
Common Course-English - ENGIA01-
LITMOSPHERE: THE WORLD OF LITERATURE

Time: 2 Hours Maximum Marks: 60

I. Answer the following questions in two or three sentences: (2 marks each)

1. What is the theme of the poem, ‘To Posterity’?

The theme of the poem is MacNeice’s concern about the future of books. What will happen to
the books, when the new media has replaced reading and speaking, is his concern.

2. What was the constant whisper in the house in the short story, ‘The Rocking Horse Winner’?
"There must be more money!" was the constant whisper that haunted the house.

3. Why did Flaubert decide to write the memoir?

Flaubert says it is foolish to ask people the reason for their actions or their writings. All that he
did was to put on paper whatever entered his mind, like a madman.

4. What is the tone of the poem, ‘The Thought Fox’?

The tone of ‘The Thought Fox’ is pensive with a tinge of loneliness.

5. What is the irony in the poem, ‘Poetry’ by Marianne Moore?

The poem begins with the expression, "I too dislike it", i.e., the poet too dislikes poetry. But
she mainly talks about the value of poetry, what to look for in good poetry, and how to appreciate it.

6. How did working in the dispensary motivate Agatha Christie to write a detective story?
In the dispensary, there were slack or busy periods. Sometimes Agatha Christie would have
nothing to do. Thus, it provided a favourable opportunity to think about writing a detective story.

7. What is the nationality of the writer Naguib Mahfouz?

Naguib Mahfouz is a Nobel Prize winning Egyptian writer.

8. What does the drum symbolise in the poem, ‘To a Reason’?

The drum symbolises a clarion call for a revolution, i.e., change.

9. Who is a Colourman in Arthur Conan Doyle's story?

The old colourman is Josiah Amberley.

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10. What is meant by the title of the play, ‘Trifles’?
‘Trifles’ means ‘something of little value or importance’. The title is ironic. It refers to the
small clues that the men in the play fail to notice but that the women are able to use to reconstruct the
crime.

11. What is missing in the bo'y in Justice Ameer's poem?

‘d’ is missing in the bo’y in Justice Ameer’s poem.

12. What is the metaphor for women used in the short film, ‘Purl’?
A pink ball of yarn is the metaphor used for women in the short film, ‘Purl’.

(Ceiling 20 marks)
II. Answer the following questions in a paragraph: (5 marks each)

13. What, according to Limbale, is the purpose of Dalit literature?

Limbale says that Dalit Literature is writing about Dalits by Dalit writers with a Dalit
consciousness. The purpose of Dalit literature is to inform Dalit society of its slavery, and narrate its
pain and suffering to upper caste Hindus. It cannot be properly evaluated by using the traditional
standards. It requires a different yardstick for the literary evaluation of their work. Its literary value is
embedded in its social value. Dalit literature will be analysed according to the role of Dalit writers.

14. What does it mean to be the dreamer in Suniti Namjoshi's poem?

‘The Sleeping Fool’ by Suniti Namjoshi portrays the concepts of dream and the dreamer. The
dreamer is the husband, the subject in a patriarchal society. He is the doer of an action. The dream is
the wife –the object that suffers the action. The dreamer tries to do many things to make his bride
happy. However, she refuses them all. She tells him what she wants. She wants that which he will not
grant. She wants to be the subject, not just the object. She wants to be the dreamer and not just the
dream.

15. Explain the symbolic elements in the play, ‘Trifles’.

In Susan Glaspell’s play, ‘Trifles’, symbolism plays an important role. The playwright uses a
series of symbols to explain what is going on in Mrs. Wright's mind. The “canary” symbolizes her
spirit and personality. The “quilt” symbolizes her life and her marriage, the choices she had to make
relating to her husband's murder. The “dead canary” symbolizes the missing piece of evidence as to
why she killed her husband. Glaspell uses symbols to explain how the emotional abuse and neglect
infiltrate on Mrs. Wright. The story symbolizes her oppression under her husband’s domination.
16. How did Agatha Christie plan her work?
Agatha Christie planned her work in a meticulous way. First, she thought about the kind of
detective story. Since she was surrounded by poisons, she fixed writing about death by poisoning.
Then she thought about characters. She created all her characters for herself through careful
observation. In a tram, she saw a man with a black beard, sitting next to an elderly lady who was
chattering like a magpie. A good model for a detective she saw among the Belgian refugees. Hercules,
changed to Hercule, with a last name, Poirot; Hercule Poirot was her detective.

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17. Describe the analytical skills of Sherlock Holmes in Doyle's short story.
Holmes observes the dress and attitude of his clients and suspects. He notes skin marks,
contamination, emotional state, and physical condition in order to deduce their origins and recent
history. His intellectual detection method is deductive reasoning. Holmes is also famed for his
reasoning capabilities. His investigative technique relies heavily on the acquisition of hard evidence.
Holmes is skilled in the analysis of evidence such as footprints, handwriting, among other things. He
also displays a strong aptitude for acting and disguise. Holmes employs agents in his job. He often
carries pistols to confront criminals.
18. Write about the shifting female perspective in the short film, ‘Purl’.
‘Purl’ is a computer animated short film directed by Kristen Lester. The film focuses on the
shifting female perspective. A ball of yarn named Purl gets a job in a male-dominant company. She is
ignored by her fellow employees. After much effort, she changes herself and gets accepted. At the end,
Purl realises her own self-worth. She feels that this acceptance by the male group is not worth enough.
She empathises with another ball of yarn, Lacy, which has newly come to the office. Lacy is also
alienated.
19. How do you explain Paul's fixation on the idea of 'luck'.
Paul learns from his mother that it is luck that brings money. His father does not make money
because he is not lucky. His mother Hester is always in debt. To get his mother’s love, Paul should
somehow get luck and bring money to the family. He knows he can get money by winning in horse
races. For that, you should know the winning horse. Paul rides his rocking horse at great speed. In a
moment of trance, the name of the winning horse gets revealed. This is how Paul seeks his luck.

(Ceiling 30 marks)
III. Answer any ONE out of the two questions in an essay of 200 words:

20. How does Limbale challenge the notions of `Satyam, Shivam and Sundaram' and declare them as
a foolish aesthetic concept in the essay, ‘About Dalit Literature’?

Sharankumar Limbale is an Indian Dalit writer from Maharashtra. In the essay, ‘About Dalit
Literature’, the writer challenges the notions of `Satyam, Shivam and Sundaram'. He says that it is a
foolish aesthetic concept.
By Dalit literature, Limbale means writing about Dalits by Dalit writers with a Dalit
consciousness. Its purpose is to inform Dalit society of its slavery. It also intends to narrate its pain
and suffering to the rest of the society.
The writer says that in a literature that is meant for awareness, one should not expect pleasure
or beauty; instead, one should expect inspiration for social change. Such literature has to be appreciated
and analysed on the basis of social values, not on traditional aesthetics. It requires a different yardstick,
a new aesthetic that is realistic.
Satyam, Shivam and Sundaram are the three aspects of the Indian aesthetic concept. The caste
people use fabricated stories to exploit the Dalits and the Adivasis. They claim that they were born
from the mouth of Brahma whereas the Shudras, the Dalits and Adivasis came from his feet. Limbale
says that “Satyam, Shivam and Sundaram” is a foolish aesthetic concept. He redefines them as follows:

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human beings are first and foremost human – this is satyam. The liberation of human beings is shivam.
The humanity of human beings is sundaram.
It is in this way that Limbale challenges the notions of `Satyam, Shivam and Sundaram'. Any
aesthetic consideration of Dalit literature must be based on Ambedkar's thought.

21. Attempt a critical analysis of the short story, ‘The Cockroach’.

Luis Fernando Verissimo is a Brazilian writer. His story, ‘The Cockroach’ is a political satire
on democracy. It tells us how an innocent meal becomes a bureaucratic nightmare. The story shows
how a simple incident gets complicated.
At a restaurant, a customer notices a cockroach in a "salade nicoise" that he bought. He angrily
tells the head waiter about it. The head waiter tries to cool him down, and offers to get another salad.
The customer refuses, and demands an explanation. The head waiter explains that it is only an accident
which is not acceptable to him.
The head waiter calls the manager who, in turn, alerts the owner. Then everyone in the
bureaucratic ladder comes there one after another - the municipal health secretary, the health minister,
the President and the army general. The president apologizes and offers compensation. The man rejects
it. The army general looks at the salad, and says it is an olive, and swallows it. Then, the customer is
arrested and sued for falsely accusing the restaurant.
The story tells us how a simple incident worsens a situation. It satirises democracy as seen in
some nations where all men are equal, but some men are more equal. This is what makes matters
worse. The story also shows how easily the responsibility shifts from one person to another in a
bureaucracy. There is always somebody to blame. The story is an excellent political satire.

(1 x 10=10 marks)

Prepared by:
Prof. Murukan Babu C.R.,
Principal, Nirmala College of Arts and Science, Chalakudy,
(formerly) Associate Professor of English, Panampilly Memorial Govt. College, Chalakudy

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