B.A. 4th Semester (Major) Examination
COMPREHENSIVE SUGGESTION BANK (MJC-7)
Course: British Literature: 19th Century (NEP)
Course ID: 40313
Code: A/ENG-403/MJC-7
Full Marks: 40
PART I: LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS
Unit I: 19th Century Fiction
10 Important Long Questions (Jane Austen & Charles Dickens)
10 Marks Each- Discuss Jane Austen's Emma as a novel that tracks the growth of a flawed protagonist from self-delusion to self-discovery. Emma
- Examine the structural and thematic utility of the collection of subplots (Harriet-Martin, Jane-Frank) in Emma. Emma
- Evaluate how Jane Austen utilizes social spaces like Highbury, Donwell Abbey, and Box Hill to expose class consciousness. Emma
- Analyze the function of irony in Emma, focusing on how it dictates the narrative voice and character dynamics. Emma
- "Emma Woodhouse is a heroine whom no one but herself will much like." In the light of this statement, critically explore her character arc. Emma
- Examine A Tale of Two Cities as a historical novel that captures the psychological and social environment of the French Revolution. Two Cities
- Critically evaluate the character of Sydney Carton as a classic Dickensian tragic hero driven by redemption and sacrifice. Two Cities
- How does Charles Dickens utilize structural dualism, doubles, and parallel setups across London and Paris in A Tale of Two Cities? Two Cities
- Analyze the symbolic and thematic significance of Madame Defarge and her knitting in the unfolding of revolutionary terror. Two Cities
- Discuss the treatment of imprisonment and liberation—both physical and spiritual—in Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities. Two Cities
Unit II: Victorian Poetry
10 Important Long Questions (Tennyson, Browning, & Rossetti)
10 Marks Each- Analyze Alfred Tennyson's "Ulysses" as a quintessential voice of the Victorian spirit of active inquiry, adventure, and unrest. Ulysses
- Critically explore "The Lady of Shalott" as an aesthetic commentary on the tragic tension between artistic isolation and real-world involvement. Shalott
- How does Robert Browning develop the psychology of his speaker in "The Last Ride Together" to achieve philosophical consolation? Browning
- Examine "Caliban Upon Setebos" as Browning’s critique of natural theology and standard anthropomorphic constructions of God. Browning
- Evaluate D.G. Rossetti's "The Blessed Damozel" as a textbook illustration of Pre-Raphaelite sensuous detail and painterly texture. Rossetti
- Contrast the conceptualization of time, mortality, and eternity in Tennyson's "Ulysses" and Browning's "The Last Ride Together". Poetry
- Discuss how Browning uses the dramatic monologue form in "Caliban Upon Setebos" to comment on primitive human instincts. Browning
- Explore the symbols of the loom, the mirror, and the river in Tennyson's "The Lady of Shalott". Shalott
- Analyze the interplay of sacred spiritual longing and physical, erotic desire in Rossetti's "The Blessed Damozel". Rossetti
- Assess the specific stylistic elements that classify the selected poems of Tennyson and Browning as distinctively "Victorian". Poetry
Unit III: History of English Literature
10 Important Long / Descriptive Movements (Victorian Period)
10 Marks / 5 Marks Context- Elaborate comprehensively on the origin, features, and literary impact of the Pre-Raphaelite Movement in Victorian poetry.
- Discuss the evolution of the Victorian Novel with specific reference to social realism and the "Condition-of-England" question.
- Examine how the collision between traditional Christian faith and emerging scientific inquiry shaped Victorian literature.
- Trace the development and characteristics of the Dramatic Monologue as the definitive poetic innovation of the Victorian Era.
- Evaluate the contribution of major women novelists (The Brontë Sisters and George Eliot) to the 19th-century psychological novel.
- Analyze the features of the Oxford Movement and its subsequent influence on the ecclesiastical writing of the period.
- Discuss the Industrial Revolution as a disruptive background thematic engine in the works of Charles Dickens and Elizabeth Gaskell.
- Critically estimate Lord Alfred Tennyson as the true poetic mirror reflecting both the triumphs and anxieties of the Victorian Age.
- Examine the Late-Victorian transition into Decadence and Aestheticism, focusing on the principle of "Art for Art's Sake".
- Define the concept of the "Victorian Compromise" and evaluate how writers of the age tried to negotiate between class divides.
PART II: SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS (UNITS I & II)
Unit I: Short Questions (2 Marks Each)
Topic A: Emma (Jane Austen) — 10 Targeted Short Questions
2 Marks Each- With what famous description of Emma Woodhouse's character attributes and situation does the novel open?
- Why does Emma decide to discourage Harriet Smith's natural interest in the farmer Robert Martin?
- What piece of news concerning Miss Taylor (Mrs. Weston) sets Emma's matchmaking impulses in motion?
- State Mr. Knightley’s perspective on Emma’s dynamic with Harriet Smith.
- What specific social insult does Emma commit against Miss Bates during the excursion to Box Hill?
- How does the mysterious arrival of a pianoforte create romantic speculation in Highbury?
- What secret engagement between Frank Churchill and another character structure much of the novel’s irony?
- Why does Emma think Mr. Elton is attracted to Harriet, and who is he actually courting?
- Briefly explain the structural significance of Donwell Abbey in representing traditional English rural values.
- What realization forces Emma to look inside her heart and declare: "Emma fool'd!"?
Topic B: A Tale of Two Cities (Charles Dickens) — 10 Targeted Short Questions
2 Marks Each- What does the spilling of the red wine outside Defarge's wine shop in Saint Antoine symbolically foreshadow?
- What is the significance of the phrase "Recalled to Life" in relation to Dr. Alexandre Manette?
- Why is Charles Darnay put on trial for treason at the Old Bailey in London early in the novel?
- Explain the dynamic of the "double" or physical resemblance shared by Sydney Carton and Charles Darnay.
- What grim purpose does Madame Defarge’s intricate knitting serve for the revolutionary underground?
- Who is Jarvis Lorry, and what specific institution does he passionately claim to represent?
- What does the architectural symbol of "The Bastille" represent to the French populace in the text?
- How does Sydney Carton manage to secure Darnay's escape from his final death sentence in the French prison?
- What are the legendary, closing prophetic thoughts attributed to Sydney Carton at the foot of the guillotine?
- Identify Miss Pross and state her definitive role in protecting Lucie Manette.
Unit II: Short Questions (2 Marks Each)
Topic A: Alfred Tennyson ("Ulysses" & "The Lady of Shalott") — 10 Short Questions
2 Marks Each- Why does Ulysses feel restless and dynamic when describing his position as an "idle king" by his hearth?
- What does Ulysses mean by the line: "I am a part of all that I have met"?
- How does Ulysses characterize his son Telemachus's capacity and duty in the poem?
- Explain the famous phrase: "To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield."
- What curse hangs over the Lady of Shalott, and what are its precise conditions?
- How does the Lady of Shalott view the outside world passing by her isolated tower?
- What specific event prompts the Lady to leave her loom and look out directly toward Camelot?
- What happens to the mirror and the loom web when she looks out the window?
- What action does Sir Lancelot take when he finds the dead body of the Lady floating in the boat?
- Contrast the island of Shalott with the city of Camelot as dual spaces in Tennyson’s imagery.
Topic B: Robert Browning ("The Last Ride Together" & "Caliban Upon Setebos") — 10 Short Questions
2 Marks Each- What favor does the dejected lover request from his mistress upon receiving her final rejection?
- How does the speaker evaluate his failure in comparison to the efforts of statesmen, artists, and poets?
- Explain the lover’s unique philosophical claim that "The instant made eternity" during the ride.
- What hope does the speaker project about the afterlife/heaven regarding his unrequited love?
- Where is Caliban physically situated while he speaks his thoughts about his deity?
- Who or what is "Setebos" according to Caliban's primitive worldview?
- How does Caliban describe Setebos’s motivations for creating the world and its creatures?
- What or who is the "Quiet", and how does it differ from Setebos in Caliban's theology?
- Why does Caliban suddenly stop speaking in the third person and begin to cower at the end of the poem?
- What makes "The Last Ride Together" a classic illustration of Browning's psychological optimism?
Topic C: D.G. Rossetti ("The Blessed Damozel") — 10 Short Questions
2 Marks Each- Where is the Damozel standing, and how long has she been separated from her earthly lover?
- Describe the physical details of her clothing and hair as depicted in the opening stanzas.
- What do the three lilies in her hand and the seven stars in her hair symbolically represent?
- How does Rossetti convey the immense, dizzying distance between Heaven and Earth in the poem?
- What is the core yearning or desire that the Damozel articulates while in paradise?
- How do the parenthetical stanzas function to bring the reader back to the earthly lover's perspective?
- What does the Damozel plan to do once her lover arrives in Heaven to join her?
- Describe the behavior and motion of the souls ascending to God past her position.
- What is the final emotional reaction of the Damozel in the closing lines of the poem?
- Identify two explicit painterly or sensory images that show the Pre-Raphaelite nature of this poem.
B.A. 4th Semester (Major) Examination
SUGGESTION BANK (MJC-7)
Course: British Literature: 19th Century (NEP)
Course ID: 40313
Code: A/ENG-403/MJC-7
FM: 40 Marks
💡 Syllabus Distribution Overview
Unit I: Emma (Jane Austen), A Tale of Two Cities (Charles Dickens)
Unit II: Tennyson, Browning, D.G. Rossetti (Poetry)
Unit III: History of English Literature (Victorian Period)
I. Long Answer Type Questions (Unit I & Unit II)
10 Marks EachPrepare these 10 major descriptive questions covering novels and critical poetry frameworks:
- Examine Jane Austen's Emma as a novel that deals with the theme of self-discovery and visual blindness. Emma
- Critically evaluate the structural and thematic significance of the relationship between Emma Woodhouse and Mr. Knightley. Emma
- Analyze A Tale of Two Cities as a historical novel depicting the socio-political turmoil of the French Revolution. Two Cities
- Discuss the thematic conflict between tyranny and sacrifice in Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities. Two Cities
- How does Alfred Tennyson address the conflict between Victorian faith and scientific doubt in "Ulysses"? Ulysses
- Critically analyze Tennyson's "The Lady of Shalott" as an allegory of the artist's isolation from the real world. Shalott
- Evaluate Robert Browning's "The Last Ride Together" as a supreme celebration of unrequited love and philosophical optimism. Browning
- Examine Robert Browning's "Caliban Upon Setebos" as a profound theological critique and satire on anthropomorphic religion. Browning
- Discuss D.G. Rossetti's "The Blessed Damozel" as a perfect expression of Pre-Raphaelite pictorial and sensual qualities. Rossetti
- Compare and contrast the representation of the desire for escape in Tennyson's "Ulysses" and Browning's "The Last Ride Together". Poetry
II. Short Notes / Critical Commentary (Unit III)
5 Marks EachFocus items tracking key movements, trends, and iconic authors from the Victorian Literary History:
- The Oxford Movement (Tractarian Movement) and its impact on literature.
- The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood (PRB) and its core poetic principles.
- The Victorian Compromise: Bridging industrial progress and social suffering.
- Major features and themes of the Victorian Industrial Novel (Condition-of-England novels).
- The impact of Charles Darwin's Origin of Species on Victorian faith and poetry.
- Characteristics of the Victorian Dramatic Monologue.
- Matthew Arnold as a critic of Victorian societal culture.
- The Bronte Sisters and their unique contribution to 19th-century gothic fiction.
- Charles Dickens' treatment of childhood and social institutions.
- The aesthetic movement and "Art for Art's Sake" toward the late Victorian era.
III. Short Answer Questions (Unit I & Unit II)
2 Marks EachTargeted textual queries requiring concise, context-heavy responses:
- What classic blunder does Emma commit regarding Harriet Smith and Mr. Elton? Emma
- Identify the location and significance of "Donwell Abbey" in Austen's novel. Emma
- What are the names of the two fictional cities featured in Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities? Two Cities
- What specific message does Jerry Cruncher deliver to Jarvis Lorry at the beginning of the novel? Two Cities
- Interpret the line: "To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield." Ulysses
- What transpires immediately when the Lady of Shalott glances out directly toward Camelot? Shalott
- What structural metaphor does Browning deploy by framing "The Last Ride Together" around an instant of time? Browning
- Who or what is "Quiet" in Caliban's theological hierarchy, and how does it relate to Setebos? Browning
- Describe the physical appearance of the golden bar and the lilies held by the Blessed Damozel. Rossetti
- What specific role does the "Echo" or the weeping of the lover below play in the terminal lines of Rossetti's poem? Rossetti
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