Questions

UNIT 1

1. Define literary criticism and discuss the functions and importance of literary criticism for
students of literature.
2. What do you mean by biographical approach and how is it different from historical
approach?
3. “The formalist approach deals with the form of literature.” Examine this statement
4. and explain with literary examples.
5. “There are two levels that concern the Philosophical approach.” Elucidate with examples.
6. Write a detailed note on Freud’s principal ideas that are essential in the Psychological
approach.
7. Discuss, in brief, the principal ideas of Freud, Adler, Rogers, Maslow and Skinner and explain
the primary focus of the psychological approach.
8. What is sociological approach and how are Marxist criticism and Gender approach the sub-
categories of sociological approach? Explain with one literary example each.
9. ” The Archetypal approach to literature evolved from studies in anthropology and
psychology.” Discuss this statement with the help of any one principal archetype.
10. Drawing on your study of literary approaches, do you think these approaches can be applied
to non-fiction? Justify your answer with one example.

UNIT 2

1. Drawing on your reading of the short stories from unit 2, which story appeals to you the
most and why?
2. Discuss the symbols used in Edgar Allan Poe’s short story ‘The Tell-Tale Heart’
3. Drawing on your reading of the short stories from unit 2, discuss any one story that uses
gothic element.
4. Discuss the theme of powerlessness of humanity in the age of machinery as depicted in
Charles Dickens’ short story ‘The Signal Man’.
5. Evaluate Charles Dickens’ short story ‘The Signal Man’ as a story about uncertainty of life.
6. Give a critical analysis of the theme of H G Wells’ short story ‘The Magic Shop’
7. Evaluate H G Wells’ short story ‘The Magic Shop’ as a story about the fusion of imagination
and realty.
8. Drawing on your reading of the short stories from unit 2, which character appeals to you the
most and why?
9. Discuss the use of irony in Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s short story ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’.
10. Offer a critical estimate of Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s short story ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’.
11. Draw a character sketch of John the husband in Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s ‘The Yellow
Wallpaper’.
12. Give a critical analysis of the themes of Isaac Asimov’s short story ‘Robbie’.

UNIT III

1. Drawing on your reading of Rabindranath Tagore’s My Boyhood Days offer a critical analysis
of any one incident from Tagore’s childhood that touched your heart.
2. Critically comment on Tagore’s world of imagination in his work My Boyhood Days.
3. Write short critical notes on:
a) Depiction of ‘servocracy’ in Rabindranath Tagore’s My Boyhood Days
 b) Tagore’s relationship with Bouthakarun as depicted in Rabindranath Tagore’s My
Boyhood Days
c) Tagore’s relationship with Jyotidada as depicted in Rabindranath Tagore’s My Boyhood
Days
d) Tagore’s stay in Ahmedabad as portrayed in Rabindranath Tagore’s My Boyhood Days
e) Two incidents you find humorous in Rabindranath Tagore’s My Boyhood Days
f) Tagore and the palanquin in Rabindranath Tagore’s My Boyhood Days
4. “From morning till night the mills of learning went on grinding.” Critically analyse Tagore’s
viewpoints on the education system as depicted in Rabindranath Tagore’s My Boyhood Days
5. Offer a critical commentary on how Tagore interweaves the past and the present world to
offer a contrast of the two in Rabindranath Tagore’s My Boyhood Days. Give at least two
examples of the same.

UNIT IV

1. Offer a critical analysis of G B Shaw’s essay ‘Freedom’.

2. Drawing on your reading of the essays in Unit IV which essay you liked the most and why?
3. Analyse how Charles Lamb’s essay ‘Dream Children: A Reverie’ as an essay about
unfulfilled dreams.
4. Analyse A G Gardiner’s essay as an essay about loyalty and companionship.
5. Offer a critical analysis of the use of humour in E V Lucas’ essay ‘Bores’.
6. ‘Critically analyse the theme of E M Forster’s essay ‘Tolerance’.
7. How does E M Forster draw a comparison between ‘love’ and ‘tolerance’ as a desirable
state of mind in his essay ‘Tolerance’? What arguments does he put forth?
8. What is George Orwell’s message in ‘Shooting an Elephant’?
9. Discuss the central theme of George Orwell’s essay ‘Shooting an Elephant’.
10. Explain the line “We are nothing; less than nothing, and dreams” in Charles Lamb’s essay
‘Dream Children: A Reverie’
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