English Literature MCQ (Multiple Choice Questions) - Schoolingaxis.com

English Literature MCQ (Multiple Choice Questions)

 Que- Which of the following are well-known Post-Modern theoreticians ? 

a. Linda Hutcheon  

b. Jean Baudrillard  

c. Thomas Hobbes  

d. Both A and B 


Answer- Both A and B


Que- Fill in the blank. The novel "Things Fall Apart" explores ____________ society and its encounter with European colonialism? 

a. Ibo  

b. Russian  

c. Irish  

d. Indian 


Answer- Ibo


Que- Which of the following sentences is the famous first line of Nabokov's "Lolita" ? 

a. Lolita, light of my life, fire of my loins. My sin, my soul.  

b. Lolita, look at this tangle of thorns.  

c. Lolita, all at once we were madly, clumsily, shamelessly, agonizingly in love with each other.  

d. Lolita, a cluster of stars palely glowed above us. 


Answer- Lolita, light of my life, fire of my loins. My sin, my soul.


Que- Who wrote the following statement: "When you asked me to speak about women and fiction I sat down on the banks of a river and began to wonder what the words meant" ? 

a. Amy Lowell  

b. Gertrude Stein  

c. Virginia Woolf  

d. Alice Walker 


Answer- Virginia Woolf


Que- According to Walter Benjamin in "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction," which of the following is true ? 

a. Even the most perfect reproduction of a work of art is lacking in one element: its presence in time and space, its unique existence at the place where it happens to be.  

b. The feeling of strangeness that overcomes the actor before the camera, as Pirandello describes it, is basically of the same kind as the estrangement felt before one's own image in the mirror.  

c. All art work, even mass produced art, clearly links to an original referent that has a stable and knowable meaning.  

d. Both A and B 


Answer- Both A and B


Que- Jorge Luis Borges was born the same year as what other famous modern author ? 

a. James Joyce  

b. Vladimir Nabokov  

c. T.S. Eliot  

d. Joseph Conrad 


Answer- Vladimir Nabokov


Que- Which of the following is true of symbolism ? 

a. Symbolism began as a French literary movement in the late 19th century.  

b. Paul Gauguin is an example of symbolism in painting.  

c. Symbolism adheres to an objective view of reality and a rational and realistic depiction of the natural world.  

d. Both A and B 


Answer- Both A and B


Que- E.M. Forster wrote which of the following novels ? 

a. Pale Fire  

b. A Passage to India  

c. Daniel Deronda  

d. On the Road 


Answer- A Passage to India


Que- Fill in the blank. According to Sigmund Freud, psychological "transference" helps to understand the nature of ________________? 

a. Incest  

b. Trauma  

c. Taboo  

d. Love 


Answer- Trauma


Que- According to Max Simon Nordau in his work "Degeneration," which of the following best describes the term "Fin de Siècle" ? 

a. The impotent despair of a sick man, who feels himself dying by inches in the midst of an eternally living nature blooming insolently forever  

b. A term that means nothing except for the signification given to it by the user  

c. A confession and a complaint  

d. All of the above 


Answer- All of the above


Que- Which of the following statements best describes the "Bloomsbury Group" ? 

a. The "Bloomsbury Group" consists of a group of English writers, thinkers, and artists who met in the Bloomsbury district of London.  

b. The group consisted of survivors of World War II.  

c. The Bloomsbury group included E.M. Forster, Clive Bell, John Maynard Keynes, and Virginia Woolf.  

d. A and C only 


Answer- A and C only


Que- Which of the following is NOT a tenet of F.T. Marinetti's "Futurist Manifesto" ? 

a. We want to sing the love of danger, the habit of danger and of temerity.  

b. The essential elements of our poetry will be courage, daring, and revolt.  

c. We want to sing the man who holds the steering wheel, whose ideal stem pierces the Earth, itself launched on the circuit of its orbit.  

d. We want never to glorify war, the scourge of the planet. 


Answer- We want never to glorify war, the scourge of the planet.


Que- Which of the following best describes "stream of consciousness" narrative in the modern period ? 

a. Stream of consciousness often relies upon "free association" of ideas.  

b. Stream of consciousness is the capturing of the interior monologue of the narrator.  

c. Stream of consciousness attempts to accurately capture the external dialogue of various characters in a realistic setting by an objective observer.  

d. A and B only 


Answer- A and B only


Que- The development of cubism, with its geometric and abstract concerns, can be attributed largely to which of the following two artists ? 

a. Pablo Picasso and Claude Monet  

b. T.S. Eliot and Wyndham Lewis  

c. Claude Monet and édouard Manet  

d. George Braque and Pablo Picasso 


Answer- George Braque and Pablo Picasso


Que- Which of the following Post-Modern theoreticians explores the contradictions of colonial discourse and the ambivalence that the colonizer feels towards the colonized "other" in works such as "Nation and Narration" ? 

a. Linda Hutcheon  

b. Homi Bhabha  

c. Jacques Derrida  

d. Fredric Jameson 


Answer- Homi Bhabha


Que- According to Dr. Michael Webster in his essay, "Poetic Modes in the late 19th and early 20th Century," which of the following is NOT a poetic mode of this time period ? 

a. Genteel  

b. Symbolist  

c. Impressionist  

d. Decadent 


Answer- Impressionist


Que- Which of the following is NOT one of Pablo Picasso's periods of artistic production ? 

a. Dadaist period  

b. Blue period  

c. Synthetic cubism  

d. Rose period 


Answer- Dadaist period


Que- What are the differences between conservative modernism and progressive modernism ? 

a. Conservative modernism came to look to the past for inspiration and hope, while progressive modernism looked to the future.  

b. Conservative modernism supported the status quo, while progressive modernism was deeply engaged in political and social amelioration.  

c. Conservative modernism celebrated aesthetic formalism, while progressive modernism celebrated innovation and attacked aesthetic formalism.  

d. All of the above 


Answer- All of the above


Que- Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of "Modernism" ? 

a. A radical project of experimentation with literary and artistic form  

b. A belief in the power of the natural world to communicate transcendent truth  

c. The use of irony and parody  

d. Both A and B 


Answer- A belief in the power of the natural world to communicate transcendent truth


Que- Which of the following best describes Samuel Beckett's play "Waiting for Godot" ? 

a. Beckett's work expresses a certain frustration with the inability of language to fully capture the human condition.  

b. Beckett's play explores how language helps to form one's notion of self.  

c. Beckett's work captures an almost transcendent melancholy as it explores human desires for a redemption that may or may not ever materialize.  

d. All of the above 


Answer- All of the above


Que- Which of the following best describes James Joyce's "Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man" ? 

a. It begins with the famous line: "Once upon a time and a very good time it was there was a moocow coming down along the road and this moocow that was coming down along the road met a nicens little boy named baby tuckoo…"?  

b. It is a semi-autobiographical account of Joyce's "coming of age" as an artist.  

c. It captures the conflict that Stephen Dedalus has with his Irish and Catholic heritage.  

d. All of the above 


Answer- All of the above


Que- According to Tristan Tzara's "Manifesto on Dadaism," which of the following does NOT define Dadaism ? 

a. Every product of disgust capable of becoming a negation of the family  

b. A protest with the fists of its whole being engaged in destructive action  

c. Absolute and unquestionable faith in every god that is the immediate product of spontaneity  

d. A tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing 


Answer- A tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing


Que- Fill in the blank. Written over the course of his life, Ezra Pound's ….. is an examination of the human desire for knowledge and understanding in an inchoate modern landscape ? 

a. The Sun Also Rises  

b. Hugh Selwyn Mauberley  

c. The Cantos  

d. To the Lighthouse 


Answer- The Cantos


Que- What is "Imagism" ? 

a. A poetic movement which hoped to offer clear expression of ideas and feelings through the use of specific visual images  

b. An attempt to use the "exact word" instead of flowery, excessive descriptive language in poetry  

c. A and B only  

d. B and C only 


Answer- A and B only


Que- Which of the following characterize(s) a lay ? 

a. geographical unity  

b. episodic content  

c. octosyllabic couplets  

d. All of the Above 


Answer- All of the Above


Que- In the Middle Ages, how did society treat prostitution ? 

a. prostitution was considered problematic but legal  

b. the Church opposed prostitution on moral grounds  

c. prostitution was considered a solution to epidemics of rape  

d. All of the Above 


Answer- All of the Above


Que- When did the Roman Empire formally legalize Christianity ? 

a. The 3rd century  

b. The 4th century  

c. The 7th century  

d. The 8th century 


Answer- The 4th century


Que- In the Middle Ages, how did divorce laws differ for the sexes ? 

a. both sexes could legally divorce  

b. only women could legally divorce  

c. only men could legally divorce  

d. both sexes could divorce only with the other's consent 


Answer- only men could legally divorce


Que- What does the term "monasticism" mean ? 

a. it describes the importance of communication with others in order to reach salvation  

b. it describes a form of worship based on praying to devotional art  

c. it describes a way of life that became popular after the Middle Ages  

d. Non of these 


Answer- it describes the importance of communication with others in order to reach salvation


Que- In Medieval times, who were "femme soles" ? 

a. anchorites who lived in seclusion  

b. women who operated their own businesses without men  

c. women who were villains in stories of courtly love  

d. educated women 


Answer- women who operated their own businesses without men


Que- What is affective piety ? 

a. a term associated with oral transmission  

b. an important trait of the medieval lay  

c. a literary device used in estates satire  

d. a dramatic demonstration of faith 


Answer- a dramatic demonstration of faith


Que- Which best describes the work of a mystic ? 

a. the mystic is primarily tasked with intellectual work within monasteries  

b. the mystic is a visionary who experiences divine insight  

c. the mystic uses a religious platform to promote equal rights for women  

d. the mystic usually works as a scribe 


Answer- the mystic is a visionary who experiences divine insight


Que- Identify the speaker of these lines: "sweet Jesus, Jesus love" ? 

a. Julian of Norwich  

b. Margery Kempe  

c. Catherine of Siena  

d. Christine de Pizan 


Answer- Catherine of Siena


Que- Which of the following is an example of female hagiography ? 

a. Revelations of Divine Love  

b. Acts of Thecla  

c. The Wooing of Our Lord  

d. Orison to an Almighty God 


Answer- Acts of Thecla


Que- How did lay literacy affect traditional devotional practices ? 

a. people stopped reading the Bible  

b. people increasingly turned to visual art in order to learn about religion  

c. people could be religious without the help of a clergy  

d. interest in the Church history declined rapidly 


Answer- people could be religious without the help of a clergy


Que- Which text(s) is/are associated with mysticism ? 

a. The Canterbury Tales  

b. Revelations of Divine Love  

c. Book of Hours  

d. The Romance of the Rose 


Answer- Revelations of Divine Love


Que- How would you describe the phrase "oralformulaic," as you learned it in this course ? 

a. As a term associated only with religious written literature  

b. As a device used to describe the flaws in the oral tradition  

c. As a technique that became popular after the invention of the printing press  

d. As a method of composing stories in the oral tradition 


Answer- As a method of composing stories in the oral tradition


Que- In The Romance of the Rose, which text does Guillaume de Lorris cite as his inspiration ? 

a. The Book of Margery Kempe  

b. Revelations of Divine Love  

c. The Wooing of Our Lord  

d. The Art of Courtly Love 


Answer- The Art of Courtly Love


Que- In the medieval Church, devotional acts _______________? 

a. cancelled out punishment due to sin  

b. depended entirely on literacy  

c. were considered "unimportant" by mystics  

d. were only performed by men 


Answer- cancelled out punishment due to sin


Que- Which is true of childbirth in the Middle Ages ? 

a. it was normally supervised by a midwife  

b. it was typically dangerous for mother and infant  

c. it was normally done without medical equipment  

d. All of the Above 


Answer- All of the Above


Que- In what centuries did mystical women writers primarily work ? 

a. 8th and 9th centuries  

b. 9th and 10th centuries  

c. 10th and 11th centuries  

d. 14th and 15th centuries 


Answer- 14th and 15th centuries


Que- Which of the following is an alternative name for the Middle Ages ? 

a. Age of Enlightenment  

b. Age of Reason  

c. Platonic Period  

d. Dark Ages 


Answer- Dark Ages


Que- Kempe's acts of devotion included_________________? 

a. meditation  

b. wearing white clothing  

c. weeping  

d. All of the Above 


Answer- All of the Above


Que- Which topic(s) is/are explored in The Lais of Marie de France ? 

a. superstition  

b. adultery  

c. jealous fathers  

d. All of the Above 


Answer- All of the Above


Que- How did the increase in universities affect most middle-class women ? 

a. they were exposed to new opportunitiesto learn in universities  

b. they were not able to attend so they were virtually unaffected  

c. they were not able to attend so their education levels declined, compared to men  

d. most of them were unable to read, so they were not admitted 


Answer- they were not able to attend so their education levels declined, compared to men


Que- Which of the following typify the oralformulaic ? 

a. The repetition of words  

b. The use of epithets with character's names  

c. An episodic structure  

d. All of the Above 


Answer- All of the Above


Que- What are "books of hours ?" 

a. popular books before the invention of the printing press  

b. books of prayers used at Christian Mass  

c. books of information about the history of the Church  

d. private books of prayers to be recited throughout the day 


Answer- private books of prayers to be recited throughout the day


Que- From which lay is the quote "she had no equal in the kingdom" taken ? 

a. Lanval  

b. La Fresne  

c. Bisclavert  

d. Equitan 


Answer- Equitan


Que- Why do most historians think monasticism appealed to medieval women ? 

a. it provided women with the opportunity to protect their own property  

b. it provided women with a place to nourish their intellectual growth  

c. it allowed women to exercise political authority in their communities  

d. All of the Above 


Answer- All of the Above


Que- In the Middle Ages, how did religious and secular concepts of virginity differ ? 

a. secular authorities said that virginity was unimportant, while the Church highly valued it  

b. the Church said that virginity was unimportant, while the secular authorities highly valued it  

c. secular authorities said that virginity was an ethereal treasure, while religious doctrines said it was spendable  

d. religious doctrines said that virginity was an ethereal treasure, while secular authorities said it was spendable 


Answer- religious doctrines said that virginity was an ethereal treasure, while secular authorities said it was spendable

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