MJC 5 Suggestion 2026 ,Bankura University B.A. 4th Semester (Major) Examination, 2026: British Literature: 18th Century (MJC-5) Question Paper
PKG English Study Centre
B.A. 4th Semester English (Major) Last Minute Suggestion Book 2026
Course Code: A/ENG-401/MJC-5 | Course ID: 40311
Paper: British Literature: 18th Century (NEP Syllabus)
Syllabus & Exam Pattern Notice: This suggestion guide is strictly curated according to the official marks distribution and question pattern illustrated in the syllabus file IMG_20260606_200243.jpg. Prepare these highly expected topics thoroughly to maximize your final score.
Official Question Pattern Breakdown
| Question Type | Syllabus Unit Target | Marks Allocation |
|---|---|---|
| 01 Long Question (Out of 4) | Unit I (Swift / Equiano) | 01 × 10 = 10 Marks |
| 01 Long Question (Out of 2) | Unit II (Johnson / Gray) | 01 × 10 = 10 Marks |
| 02 Short Notes (Out of 4) | Unit III (History of Lit.) | 02 × 05 = 10 Marks |
| 05 Short Questions (Out of 10) | Units I & II Combined | 05 × 02 = 10 Marks |
| Total Marks | 40 Marks | |
Topic A: Jonathan Swift — Gulliver's Travels (Books I & II)
- Discuss Jonathan Swift as a satirist with specific reference to Books I and II of Gulliver's Travels.
- Critically examine the character of Lemuel Gulliver as both a narrator and a structural device in Books I & II.
- Analyze the political satire in the depiction of the Lilliputian court, focusing on high heels, low heels, and rope-dancing.
- Contrast the physical and moral dimensions of Lilliput (Book I) with those of Brobdingnag (Book II).
- How does Swift use the physical scale of the Brobdingnagians to expose human pride, vanity, and political corruption?
Topic B: Olaudah Equiano — The Interesting Narrative...
- How does Olaudah Equiano construct his complex individual and collective African identity throughout his narrative?
- Critically evaluate The Interesting Narrative as a foundational text of the anti-slavery movement and abolitionist literature.
- Examine how Equiano balances the European Enlightenment ideas of "reason and progress" with his direct experience of slavery.
- Discuss the significance of spiritual conversion and literacy in Equiano’s journey from a captive slave to a free man.
- Analyze the depiction of the "Middle Passage" in Equiano's text and how it functions as a site of profound trauma and critique.
Part 1: 10-Mark Long Questions (Prepare 1 out of 2)
- Critically evaluate Samuel Johnson’s 'London' as an imitation of Juvenal's Third Satire. What features make it distinctly 18th-century English?
- Discuss the contrast between corrupt urban life and idealized rustic retirement in Samuel Johnson's poem 'London'.
- "Thomas Gray’s Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard glorifies the simple, ordinary, and commonplace life of the countrymen." Examine this statement carefully.
- Analyze Thomas Gray’s Elegy as a transitional poem that bridges the gap between Augustan classicism and emerging Romanticism.
- Examine the themes of human mortality, worldly ambition, and the leveling power of death as presented in Gray's Elegy.
Part 2: 2-Mark Short Questions (Highly Expected)
- What is the historical or thematic significance of Greenwich in Dr. Johnson's poem 'London'?
- Why does Thales decide to leave London, and where does he intend to settle down?
- What does Johnson mean by the line, "Slow rises worth by poverty depress'd"?
- Explain the context behind the phrase "consecrated earth" used in Dr. Johnson's 'London'.
- To whom does the "moping owl" complain in Gray's Elegy, and what is the nature of her grievance?
- What do the terms "The short and simple annals of the poor" imply in Gray's poem?
- Who was John Hampden, and what is meant by the phrase "some village Hampden"?
- Interpret the implication behind the line: "Some Cromwell guiltless of his country's blood."
- What role do the personified figures of "Ambition" and "Grandeur" play in Gray's Elegy?
- Explain the symbolic significance of the twilight setting at the opening of Gray's Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard.
Part 1: 5-Mark Short Notes (Prepare 2 out of 4)
- Examine the structural and thematic characteristics of the 18th-century Comedy of Manners with reference to Sheridan's The Rivals.
- Define the primary conventions, targets, and styles of Augustan Verse Satire.
- Assess the key poetic contributions of any one major Precursor of Romanticism (e.g., James Thomson, William Collins, or Thomas Gray).
- Discuss the rise and immense socio-cultural influence of periodic essays with special reference to The Tatler and The Spectator.
- Write a short note on the growth and characteristics of the 18th-Century Epistolary Novel.
Part 2: 2-Mark Conceptual Short Questions
- Who wrote The Rivals, and what is the comedic significance of the character Mrs. Malaprop?
- Name two major writers associated with the Scriblerus Club who championed Augustan satire.
- Why is the 18th century in English Literature frequently referred to as the 'Augustan Age' or 'Age of Reason'?
- Who were the primary founding editors of The Tatler and The Spectator?
- What was the primary moral and educational objective behind publishing 18th-century periodical essays?
- Define the term "Mock-Heroic poetry" and provide one celebrated example from the 18th century.
- Mention two essential literary traits that distinguish the Precursors of Romanticism from Neo-classical poets.
- What is the central theme of Richard Brinsley Sheridan's play The Rivals?
- Name two highly prominent English novelists of the 18th century and mention one major work by each.
- Briefly explain what Dr. Johnson's major literary achievement, A Dictionary of the English Language (1755), aimed to standardize.
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