Contemporary Indian English Fiction (HSS F 237)

Test 1

1. ‘I didn’t know then how sorely that love would be tested, or how much it would cost both of us’ –
The literary technique used in The Palace of Illusions is:
a. Foreshadowing
b. Foregrounding
c. Fictional foraging

2.“When you emerged from the fire, our jaws dropped. It was so quiet, you could have heard a
housefly fart”- The Palace of Illusions
a. Satire
b. Personification
c. Bathos
d. Both b and c

3.The following passage is an example of:

I remembered my first experience of self-introduction in college. As my turn neared, I found a
thousand doubts emerging my mind. Will I be audible? Would people around me find out that I am
not from a convent. Will my classmates judge me for my clothes, accent or looks? I remembered my
dad’s words. First impression is the best impression. What if I made a spectacle of myself. I could
feel my hands going numb, I could suddenly feel a coldness enveloping me. A coldness which I was
akin to a winter in the open maidan. I wanted to just hide in the corner and not face anyone.
a. Anachronism
b. Stream of consciousness
c. Magic Realism

4. Samuel Richardson’s Pamela is also called

a. The book of character
b. Book of chivalric romance
c. Book of the west side aristocracy
d. Conduct book

5.Were the stories we told each other true? Who knows? At the best of times, story is a slippery
thing. The above line is a classic example of:
a. Modernism
b. Realism
c. Postmodernism

6. People kept their distance from Draupadi as depicted in The Palace of Illusions because of her:
a. Strange behaviour
b. Dark complexion
c. Strange birth

7. State whether the following statement is true or false: The Palace of illusions is an exemplification
of didactic literature
a. True
b. False
8.The Bhagvad Gita, is a spiritual discourse given by Lord Krishna to Arjuna amidst chaos and
turbulence whereas _____________ was given in the ambience of luxury and grandeur
a. Avadhuta Gita
b. Ashtavakra Gita
c. Gita Govinda

9.The chapter ‘Potrait is an example of ______________ taken by the author

a. Fictional Liberty
b. Fictional fallacy
c. Fictional empathy
d. Both a and c

10. Towards the end of the novel, Untouchable, Mulk Raj Anand presents how many options to
redeem the character from scavenging.
a. One
b. Two
c. Three
d. Four

11. R. K Narayan’s short stories reflect his fervour for the freedom struggle and highlights his dream
of a free India. State whether the following statement is true or false.
a. True
b. False

12. Which one of the following novels of the pre-independence Indian English writer Rajarao was
based on a famous philosophical concept
a. The Cat and the Shakespeare
b. The Serpent and the Rope
c. Kanthapura

13. Dhai Ma’s comparison of Arjuna’s scars “earthworm all over his shoulders” is an example of:
a. Satire
b. Alliteration
c. Parody

14. The stereotype of Bheema :

a. Gluttonous and powerful
b. Extremely sensitive towards others
c. Excellent with sword and maze
d. A loyal brother abiding by all rules as pronounced by the family.

15. Which of these women were empowered to take decisions of their life:
a. Kunti and Satyavati
b. Satyavati and Ganga
c. Ganga and Ambalika
d. Amba and Ambalika

16. How many arts were the royal princesses expected to know
a. 62
b. 47
c. 21
 d. 64

17. The ancient Gurukula system focused on the teaching-learning process comprised of two aspects
Shravana (hearing) and Manana (rote memorisation). State whether true or false.
a. True
b. False (all the three aspects were important Shravana (listening), Manana (rote
memorization) & Nidhidhyasana (application)

18. The plot of Frankenstein emerged as a result of challenge between:

a. Emily Bronte, Mary Shelley and Lord Byron
b. Mary Shelley, P. B Shelley and Wordsworth
c. Mary Shelley, Lord Byron and P.B Shelley

19. The French Lieutenant's Woman is an example of:

a. Gothic Fiction
b. Postmodern fiction
c. Pulp fiction
20. In Chitra Bannerjee Divakarunni's The Palace of Illusions, Arjuna is depicted as a character who is:
a. Benevolent and Compassionate
b. Filled with too much of self-pride
c. Extremely romantic

21.In the southern epics, like the Silapadikaram the _______ emerge as a very powerful character
who are capable of even destabilising power structures like the state machinery.
a. Court jesters
b. Virtuous women
c. Courtesans

22. In Chitra Bannerjee's The Palace of Illusions, Kunti regards Draupadi as her:
a. Adversary
b. Own daughter
c. Friend and Loyalist

23. __________trains/prepares Draupadi for the hardships that lie ahead in her life.
a. Krishna
b. Dhri
c. Sorceress

24. 'Your vulgarity never ceases to amuse me.’ Whose 'vulgarity' is referred to here:
a. Duryodhana
b. Dhai Ma
c. Dushasana

25. With each hardships that she faces after marriage, Draupadi remembers
a. Dhri
b. Krishna
c. Karna

26. In Rajmohan's Wife by Bankim Chandra, we find a lot of __________ words being used:
a. Bengali
b. Shakespearean words
 c. Colloquial/native

27. The Swayamvara as depicted in The Palace of Illusions, was an opportunity to/ for:
a. For Draupadi to choose her partner
b. Political strategy to further Drupad's vengenance
c. To show Drupad's political strength.

28. Transgression of the Varna code can be seen through:

a. Drona
b. Bheeshma
c. Kunti

29. In order to make Karna a social equal to the Pandavas, Duryodhana makes Karna, the king of:
a. Tripura
b. Magadh
c. Anga

30. In the novel Joseph Andrews, we see the use of:

a. Slapstick comedy
b. Black comedy
c. Grotesque comedy