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

English Literature MCQ (Multiple Choice Questions)

 Que- What is the significance of "the Other" in Gothic novels ? 

a. They are almost always the subjects of omens and curses.  

b. They are typically heroes.  

c. They always express deviant sexual tendencies.  

d. They are perceived as dangerous because they are unknown. 


Answer- They are perceived as dangerous because they are unknown.


Que- All of the following define the Gothic EXCEPT________________? 

a. The unknown  

b. Transgression  

c. Reason  

d. The grotesque 


Answer- Reason


Que- What is the significance of the "bloody bedchamber" in Gothic fiction ? 

a. It represents male sexuality.  

b. It suggests female complicity in sexual deviance.  

c. It refers to the location of murder in Gothic novels.  

d. It symbolizes the forced sequestration of women both before and after marriage. 


Answer- It symbolizes the forced sequestration of women both before and after marriage.


Que- What is the origin of the vampire myth ? 

a. Stoker's "Dracula"  

b. Beckford's "Vathek"  

c. Ancient civilizations worldwide  

d. Walpole's "The Castle of Otranto" 


Answer- Ancient civilizations worldwide


Que- According to Radcliffe, what is the difference between terror and horror ? 

a. Horror is only a sense of the sublime.  

b. Terror contracts the soul.  

c. Terror involves uncertainty and obscurity.  

d. Horror fails to awaken and expand the soul. 


Answer- Horror fails to awaken and expand the soul.


Que- Which one of the following events inspired the trend of body transformation in Gothic novels ? 

a. The decline in animal dissections  

b. The increase in scientific experimentation  

c. The end of absolute monarchy  

d. The end of the Vitalist Controversy 


Answer- The increase in scientific experimentation


Que- In what way does Thornfield Hall differ from the Castle of Otranto, Udolpho, and the Convent of St. Clare ? 

a. It is the scene of violence.  

b. It is the scene of sexual transgression.  

c. It is the scene of redemption for the Byronic hero.  

d. It serves as a kind of prison. 


Answer- It is the scene of redemption for the Byronic hero.


Que- In what way does Radcliffe depart from Walpole's earlier tradition ? 

a. She creates a strong male hero to rescue Emily.  

b. She is not concerned with issues of rightful inheritance.  

c. She sets the novel in present day.  

d. She resolves the appearance of supernatural phenomena. 


Answer- She resolves the appearance of supernatural phenomena.


Que- How do theorists suggest that the Gothic novel resembles queer and camp ? 

a. The body is represented in abnormal ways.  

b. Women's issues are interrogated.  

c. Gender issues are often overlooked.  

d. Many protagonists' mothers are absent. 


Answer- The body is represented in abnormal ways.


Que- How did the term "Gothic" become associated with the literary phenomenon known as the Gothic novel ? 

a. The excessive violence found in the Gothic novel  

b. The barbarians that populate the Gothic novel  

c. The use of the word in the subtitle of Walpole's novel  

d. The style of architecture found in the Gothic novel 


Answer- The use of the word in the subtitle of Walpole's novel


Que- Why is the concept of the sublime important in Gothic literature ? 

a. It leads the reader to overlook the beauty of nature.  

b. It reminds readers of their civic duties.  

c. It causes an experience of elestasis, or transport.  

d. It creates a sense of contentment. 


Answer- It causes an experience of elestasis, or transport.


Que- What literary convention is used pervasively in "The Mysteries of Udolpho" ? 

a. Satire  

b. First-person narration  

c. Realism  

d. The uncanny doubling of characters 


Answer- The uncanny doubling of characters


Que- For what historical event did the Gothic serve as a metaphor ? 

a. The American Revolution  

b. The French Revolution  

c. The Battle of Waterloo  

d. The Industrial Revolution 


Answer- The French Revolution


Que- Which of the following best describes how the novel "Frankenstein" is understood by critics ? 

a. As a commentary on Victorian England  

b. As an apolitical horror story  

c. As a novel ghostwritten by Perce Shelley  

d. As an exploration on the effects of science on humanity 


Answer- As an exploration on the effects of science on humanity


Que- What constitutes a "monstrous Other" in "The Yellow Wallpaper" ? 

a. Cousin Henry and Julia  

b. Reading  

c. Writing  

d. John 


Answer- John


Que- All of the following are ways Dracula represents the "monstrous Other" EXCEPT_______________? 

a. Dracula as foreign invader  

b. Dracula as sexual predator  

c. Dracula as usurper of the British class system  

d. Dracula as transgressor of God's order 


Answer- Dracula as usurper of the British class system


Que- In what way does the Gothic novel of the 18th century differ from the modern English novel that began to emerge in the 17th century and flourished in the 18th century ? 

a. The focus on the middle and working classes  

b. The consideration of the sensibilities of the protagonists  

c. Plots taken from everyday life  

d. The exploration of cultural taboos 


Answer- The exploration of cultural taboos


Que- All of the following are associated with Gothic architecture EXCEPT_______________? 

a. Vaulted ceilings  

b. The Middle Ages  

c. Complicated floor plans  

d. Neo-classicism 


Answer- Neo-classicism


Que- Which of the following is NOT a theme of "The Castle of Otranto" ? 

a. Unnatural forces overwhelming human endeavor  

b. The rupture of the everyday by acts of violence  

c. The destruction of humanity through scientific experimentation  

d. The return of the past to the present 


Answer- The destruction of humanity through scientific experimentation


Que- All of the following are ways in which "The Mysteries of Udolpho" reflects the values of England the 1790s EXCEPT_____________? 

a. The triumph of reason over passion  

b. The rise of individual responsibility  

c. The social and fiscal independence of women  

d. The negative critique of Catholicism 


Answer- The social and fiscal independence of women


Que- How is "Jane Eyre" different from the novels of the first wave of English Gothic novels ? 

a. Its protagonist is at risk for sexual transgression.  

b. It is a Bildungsroman.  

c. It explains strange phenomena.  

d. The theme of imprisonment is prominent. 


Answer- It is a Bildungsroman.


Que- How does the character Dracula unsettle the Victorian patriarchy ? 

a. He threatens to spread his madness to women.  

b. His sexuality appeals to women.  

c. He protects women's chastity and virginity.  

d. He provides a way for Victorian men to blame their actions on women. 


Answer- His sexuality appeals to women.


Que- Why do most scholars assume that Radcliffe favored "explained supernaturalism" ? 

a. Her sense of morality and decorum  

b. Her defiance of contemporary culture  

c. Her lack of imagination  

d. Her full embrace of the Gothic vision of Walpole, Beckford, and Lewis 


Answer- Her sense of morality and decorum


Que- What is the original meaning of the word "Gothic" ? 

a. Of or relating to anything Medieval  

b. Of or relating to anything rude, uncivilized, or ignorant; devoid of culture and taste  

c. Of or relating to the Germanic tribes that invaded and established kingdoms in Europe in the first millennium  

d. Of or relating to a particular style of architecture 


Answer- Of or relating to the Germanic tribes that invaded and established kingdoms in Europe in the first millennium


Que- What did the novelists of the first wave of Gothic literature think of religion ? 

a. Roman Catholicism was wrongfully dismantled in England by Henry VIII in the 16th century.  

b. Jews represent sympathetic literary heroes.  

c. Religion is race-neutral.  

d. The Spanish Inquisition and the legend of the wandering Jew confirm the superiority of England. 


Answer- The Spanish Inquisition and the legend of the wandering Jew confirm the superiority of England.


Que- How does the uncanny function in "Frankenstein" ? 

a. The normal activity of vivisection is represented as horrible.  

b. Seemingly normal characters are actually terrifying.  

c. The dramatic landscape provides an alternative to the usual world.  

d. The monster's grotesque body is actually made of human parts. 


Answer- The monster's grotesque body is actually made of human parts.


Que- Which of the following terms is traditionally associated with the male Gothic ? 

a. Body transformation  

b. Horror  

c. Terror  

d. The uncanny 


Answer- Horror


Que- Who should NOT be viewed as Prometheus in Shelley's "Frankenstein" ? 

a. Frankenstein's monster  

b. Mary Shelley  

c. Robert Walton  

d. Frankenstein 


Answer- Frankenstein's monster


Que- In "The Castle of Otranto" what "monstrous Other" does Manfred embody ? 

a. The undead  

b. The outcast  

c. The cursed  

d. The transgendered 


Answer- The cursed


Que- What is distinctive about Emily's bedchamber at Udolpho ? 

a. It is lavishly furnished.  

b. It is haunted.  

c. It contains a secret passageway.  

d. It does not lock from the inside. 


Answer- It does not lock from the inside.


Que- In what way is "The Monk" a reaction to the French Revolution ? 

a. It includes apocalyptic themes.  

b. It represents society as relatively stable.  

c. It condemns the misuse of power.  

d. It predicts the upheaval of society. 


Answer- It condemns the misuse of power.


Que- How does the motif of the wandering Jew figure in "The Monk" ? 

a. It introduces one of several supernatural elements into the plot.  

b. It dispels the anti-Semitism associated with the Gothic novel.  

c. It offers a positive alternative to the excesses of the Catholic Church.  

d. It suggests that redemption is possible through penitence. 


Answer- It introduces one of several supernatural elements into the plot.


Que- According to Ellen Moers, how does Radcliffe's heroine differ from the typical Gothic woman ? 

a. Emily ends up happily married.  

b. Emily's sense of decorum seems to falter late in the novel.  

c. Emily is a sensible rather than defenseless woman.  

d. Emily provides a unique example of a weak woman. 


Answer- Emily is a sensible rather than defenseless woman.


Que- In "The Monk" what event does NO represent the theme of entrapment of women ? 

a. Antonia's death  

b. Matilda's dressing as Rosario  

c. Agnes's admittance to the convent  

d. The magic mirror 


Answer- Matilda's dressing as Rosario


Que- In "The Gothic Sublime" how does Mishra characterize the labyrinth motif ? 

a. As a plot structure that diminishes the Gothic novel's intensity  

b. As the reader's inward turn to examine his or her own tangled consciousness  

c. As a means for characters to directly confront unconscious problems  

d. As a place for the distressed heroine to hide 


Answer- As the reader's inward turn to examine his or her own tangled consciousness


Que- What role does Rosario play in the Gothic atmosphere of "The Monk" ? 

a. Queer provocateur  

b. Heroine in distress  

c. Angel in the house  

d. Pursued protagonist 


Answer- Queer provocateur


Que- What is the significance of the "wandering Jew" motif ? 

a. Religious upheaval  

b. The presence of omens  

c. The curse of immorality  

d. Insanity 


Answer- The curse of immorality


Que- Although at least one critic has likened Thornfield to Bridewell, in what way are the two structures different ? 

a. Each owner upends the prevailing law of the land.  

b. Both are former palaces.  

c. The owners of each had mistresses.  

d. On the outside they look like homes, but on the inside they are prisons 


Answer- Both are former palaces.


Que- All of the following are labyrinthine in "The Mysteries of Udolpho" EXCEPT______________? 

a. Valancourt's character  

b. Emily's misfortunes  

c. The plot  

d. Emily's mind 


Answer- Valancourt's character


Que- How does Stoker's "Dracula" challenge contemporary sexual taboos ? 

a. Mina and Jonathan decide to live together without being married.  

b. Lucy becomes a sexual predator.  

c. Van Helsing is a bachelor.  

d. John Seward remains devoted to Lucy. 


Answer- Lucy becomes a sexual predator.


Que- Why do critics see Frankenstein's monster as equivalent to the Biblical Adam ? 

a. His habitat is equivalent to the Garden of Eden.  

b. He is a mistake.  

c. He is the first of his kind.  

d. He is responsible for the burden of original sin. 


Answer- He is the first of his kind.


Que- In "Jane Eyre" how does Bertha NOT trouble the patriarchy ? 

a. She is sexually deviant.  

b. She exemplifies unfeminine anger.  

c. She is not submissive.  

d. She is understood to be mad. 


Answer- She is understood to be mad.


Que- In what way does Gothic-style architecture complement the themes of the Gothic novel ? 

a. The ethereal quality of the interior space of Gothic architecture  

b. The scientific advancement of the ribbed vault and flying buttress associated with Gothic architecture  

c. The reduction in width of the stone masonry in Gothic architecture  

d. The immense scale typical of Gothic structures 


Answer- The immense scale typical of Gothic structures


Que- All of the following refer to "the uncanny" EXCEPT________________? 

a. A psychoanalytic term that explains terror  

b. The supernatural  

c. Unheimlich  

d. A sense of uncomfortable strangeness 


Answer- A psychoanalytic term that explains terror


Que- All of the following are ways in which "The Castle of Otranto" reflects the values of Enlightenment England EXCEPT_________________? 

a. The concern for the sanctity of legal inheritance  

b. The interest in the lessons and values of the Middle Ages for England in the 18th century  

c. The support for the British class system  

d. The belief in British superiority to foreign countries 


Answer- The interest in the lessons and values of the Middle Ages for England in the 18th century


Que- What Gothic literary convention did NOT originate with Horace Walpole's "The Castle of Otranto" ? 

a. The ancestral castle  

b. Psychological terror  

c. The supernatural  

d. Physical violence 


Answer- Psychological terror


Que- What does the term "angel in the house" signify ? 

a. The idea that women should advise men  

b. The idea that the Victorian woman represents "the new woman"  

c. The idea that women are pure and morally superior to men  

d. The idea that confinement in the home may induce madness 


Answer- The idea that women are pure and morally superior to men


Que- How does Frankenstein's monster learn about the Garden of Eden ? 

a. He reads the Bible.  

b. He is taught by Victor about the Bible.  

c. He reads Milton's "Paradise Lost."  

d. He listens outside church services. 


Answer- He reads Milton's "Paradise Lost."


Que- Why does one scholar suggest that "The Monk" represents literary transvestism ? 

a. The habited nuns  

b. Ambrosio's rape and murder of his sister  

c. Lewis's use of a female pseudonym in the original edition  

d. Lewis's choiceof a feminine literary genre 


Answer- The habited nuns


Que- Why do scholars consider the first wave of the English Gothic novel an aspect of Romanticism ? 

a. The use of poetic prose in the Gothic novel  

b. The Gothic novel's interest in the apocalyptic prophecies found in Hebrew and Christian Scriptures  

c. The ascendency of human reason in the Gothic novel  

d. The representation of contemporary life in the Gothic novel 


Answer- The Gothic novel's interest in the apocalyptic prophecies found in Hebrew and Christian Scriptures

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