UGC NET Paper 2 English Mock Test - 3 - UGC NET MCQ

The correct answer is '2. Metaphor.'

 Key Points

• The poem extensively uses metaphors to convey complex emotions and experiences.
• The "old playhouse" serves as a metaphor for the speaker's marital life.
• Describing herself as a "doll-wife" employs metaphorical language to depict her sense of objectification.
• The metaphor of the "old playhouse" extends to represent societal expectations and traditional gender roles.
• The use of metaphors adds layers of meaning, allowing for a nuanced exploration of the speaker's feelings.
• Kamala Das skillfully employs metaphor to create a vivid and evocative portrayal of the speaker's internal struggles.

Therefore, the correct answer is 'Option 2.'

 Additional Information

• Symbolism (Option 1) is present, but the overarching literary device is metaphor.
• Enjambment (Option 3) is a structural element and not the primary literary device used for conveying emotions.
• Anaphora (Option 4) involves repetition, which is not the dominant feature; metaphor takes precedence.

The correct answer is 'The Glass Menagerie'.

Key Points

• "The Glass Menagerie" is a notable play written by Tennessee Williams in 1944. 
• The play centres around the Wingfield family, consisting of Amanda, Tom, and Laura.
• Laura Wingfield is one of the main characters in the play.
• She is portrayed as a fragile and shy young woman who escapes from reality by immersing herself in a collection of glass animal figurines, the "menagerie."
• Laura's character reflects the theme of fragility and the delicate nature of dreams.
• Throughout the play, her brother Tom struggles with the responsibility of caring for his family and ultimately leaves to pursue his own dreams.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option B.

The correct answer is ‘Terence Rattigan’.

Key Points 

• The Browning Version is a play by Terence Rattigan, performed for the first time on 8 September 1948 at Phoenix Theatre, London.
• The events in the play take place in a boy’s public school.
• The play was originally composed of two short plays, titled Playbill and Harlequinade.
• The main characters in the play are Taplow, Frank, Andrew Crocker-Harris and Mrs Crocker-Harris.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option B.

Important Points 

• Terence Rattigan (1911-1977) was a twentieth-century English playwright.
• Some of his best known plays are The Winslow Boy (1946), The Browning Version (1948), The Deep Blue Sea (1952), In Praise of Love (1973).

Additional Information 

• John Osborne (1929-1994) was an English playwright, best known for his 1956 play Look Back In Anger.
• Harold Pinter (1930-2008) was an influential English playwright, awarded the 2005 Nobel Prize in Literature.
• Caryl Churchill (1938-present) is a British playwright who is known for her plays on feminist themes like Top Girls (1982), Serious Money (1987), and Far Away (2000).

The correct answer is 'the mimetic theory of literature'.

 Key Points

• Abrams uses the metaphor of the "mirror" to represent the mimetic theory of literature.
• The mimetic theory holds that literature imitates or reflects reality.
• Abrams argues that the mimetic theory has been dominant in Western literary criticism since Aristotle.
• Abrams's discussion of the mimetic theory is one of the most influential parts of The Mirror and the Lamp.

Therefore, the correct answer is 'Option B'.

The correct answer is 'Rasa Theory.'

 Key Points

• "Abhijanashakuntalam" utilizes the classical Indian dramatic technique of Rasa Theory.
• Rasa Theory involves invoking emotions in the audience through the portrayal of specific sentiments or flavors (rasas).
• Shakuntala's character is designed to evoke the audience's emotions, primarily the rasa of shringara (romantic love).
• The play carefully weaves elements of the rasa theory into Shakuntala's dialogues, actions, and interactions.
• Rasa Theory enhances the emotional depth of Shakuntala's character, making her a captivating and relatable figure.

Therefore, the correct answer is 'Option 1.'

 Additional Information

• Avadhana: Avadhana is a form of literary and cultural performance but is not the primary technique enhancing Shakuntala's character.
• Sanskrit Slokas: While Sanskrit slokas are used in the play, the emotional depth is more enriched through Rasa Theory.
• Nataka Style: The play may incorporate elements of the Nataka style, but Rasa Theory is the specific technique enhancing Shakuntala's character emotionally.

The correct answer is ‘A, B, C, D, E.’

 Key Points

• Wollstonecraft's A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (A) was published in 1792.
• Gilman's Herland (B) was published in 1915.
• Woolf's A Room of One's Own (C) was published in 1929.
• Showalter's A Literature of Their Own (D) was published in 1977.
• Gilbert and Gubar's The Madwoman in the Attic (E) was published in 1979.
• These works are seminal works in the field of feminist literary criticism.
• They have helped to shape our understanding of the relationship between gender and literature.
• These works have also inspired and influenced other feminist scholars and writers.

Therefore, the correct answer is ‘Option A.’

The correct answer is 'French'.

Key Points

• After the Norman Conquest in 1066, French became the dominant language in the courts, in legal proceedings, and in literature.
• French was the native language of the new rulers, the Normans, who were originally from Normandy, a region in France. As a result, it became the language of the aristocracy and the educated classes.
• Latin continued to be used in the church and in scholarly contexts, but the use of Old English decreased significantly.
• Middle English, which was significantly influenced by French, would not become the dominant language until later.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 3.

The correct answer is 'Don Quixote' by Miguel de Cervantes.

Key Points

• In his work, Mikhail Bakhtin uses "Don Quixote" as a key text to illustrate his theory of dialogism and the carnivalesque.
• Bakhtin's theory of dialogism argues that meaning in a text is not fixed but constructed through the interaction and conflict of different voices.
• His concept of the carnivalesque is a subversion and liberation of the dominant style or atmosphere through humor and chaos. "Don Quixote" with its interplay of high and low characters, serious and comic scenarios, embodies this idea.
• Bakhtin's theories offer a different way of reading and interpreting texts, emphasizing the importance of context, plurality, and heteroglossia.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 4.

The correct answer is 'A sudden shift in tone from the profound to the ridiculous'.

Key Points

• Bathos is a Greek term that translates to "depth", and in literature, it is used to describe an abrupt transition in style from the elevated to the ordinary or ridiculous.
• This rhetorical device is often used intentionally for comic effect, but can also be the result of failed attempts at pathos or sublimity.
• Bathos can highlight the absurdity or irony of a situation, or undermine expectations in order to challenge conventional sentiments and ideas.
• Notable practitioners of bathos include Alexander Pope, who used the term in his essay "Peri Bathous", and satirical writers such as Jonathan Swift and Mark Twain.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 1.

The correct answer is 'Long John Silver.'

 Key Points

• Long John Silver is a central character in "Treasure Island," a classic adventure novel by Robert Louis Stevenson, first published in 1883.
• Silver is the ship's cook and one of the primary antagonists. His complex character is known for his charm, cunning, and ability to manipulate situations.
• He is associated with the pirate crew and plays a significant role in the search for Captain Flint's buried treasure.
• Long John Silver's moral ambiguity and shifting allegiances add depth to the novel's exploration of themes such as greed, loyalty, and the consequences of pursuing wealth.
• "Treasure Island" is a seminal work in the pirate adventure genre and has influenced countless subsequent works in literature and popular culture.

Therefore, the correct answer is 'Option 2'.

 Additional Information

• Option 1 is incorrect. Captain Hook is a character from J.M. Barrie's "Peter Pan," not Robert Louis Stevenson's "Treasure Island."
• Option 3 is incorrect. Captain Nemo is a character from Jules Verne's "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea," not "Treasure Island."
• Option 4 is incorrect. Ishmael is the narrator of Herman Melville's "Moby-Dick," not a character in "Treasure Island."

The correct answer is 'Giving Due Credit to Authors.'

Key Points 

• Proper citation practices in research methodology serve the purpose of giving due credit to the authors of the original works referenced in a research paper.
• Citations acknowledge the sources of information, ideas, and theories that contribute to the research, demonstrating academic integrity.
• Citing sources allows readers to trace the information back to its origin, facilitating further exploration and verification.
• It also helps in avoiding plagiarism by clearly distinguishing between the researcher's original work and borrowed ideas.
• Citations contribute to the scholarly conversation by acknowledging the intellectual contributions of other researchers in the field.

Therefore, the correct option is ‘Option 1.’

Additional Information 

• Option 2 is incorrect. Enhancing word count is not the purpose of proper citation practices; it is about acknowledging sources.
• Option 3 is incorrect. Avoiding citations altogether is not a responsible or ethical approach in academic writing.
• Option 4 is incorrect. Reducing the impact of references contradicts the purpose of giving credit and acknowledging intellectual contributions.

- Old English was spoken from around 450 to 1150 AD and had four main dialects: Northumbrian, Mercian, Kentish, and West Saxon.
- Northumbrian, Mercian, and Kentish are all recognized dialects of Old English.
- Irish is not a dialect of Old English; it is a separate Celtic language.
- Therefore, Irish does not belong to the Old English dialect group, making it the correct answer to the question.

Option A is the correct answer.

“Memorial Verses” (1850) by Matthew Arnold (1822- 1888) is “an elegy of praise or lament” or a tribute to the English Romantic poet William Wordsworth. However, in his poem, Arnold talks about Byron and Goethe (German poet) as well. Arnold implies that the three great poets of the Romantic era were Byron, Goethe, and Wordsworth. Byron and Goethe were the contemporaries of Wordsworth. In general, Arnold talks about the Romantic period, the era preceding that of the Arnold’s (the Victorian Age). He also presents his fears about the Victorian era (to which he belongs) in the poem.

Drilling is a technique that us foreign language learning classrooms. It used to be an important feature of audio-lingual method approaches to language teaching, which emphasized on repeating structural patterns through oral practice.

Drilling means listening to a model, provided by the teacher, or a tape or another student and repeating what is heard. Harmer states that drilling is mechanical ways if getting students to demonstrate and practice their ability to use specific language items in a controlled manner. Also, comprehension of the item by the learners is not required in Drilling.

The Grammar-Translation method, also known as the classical method of Language Teaching, is one of the oldest or traditional methods of teaching English. In this method, the excessive importance given to accuracy and competence in written rather than oral language. The emphasis is mainly on translation of English words, phrases, and passages into and from the mother tongue of a learner.

It does not help in achieving fluency in target language as little or no attention is given to pronunciation. It never help the learner to achieve competency in appropriateness of language according to situation as there is no activities of using target language in real life situation in this method.

The mariner killed the Albatross as he thought it to be the reason for the wind to die, although the other sailors thought that the bird was associated with good luck.

This line was written by Tennyson in his poem "Milton" composed in 1863.

The correct answer is 'The concept of an ideal, imaginary island society'.

Key Points

• Origin of the term "Utopia": More coined the term "Utopia" from Greek origins, meaning "no place" or "nowhere," to describe an imaginary island with a perfect socio-political and legal system.
• Critique of Contemporary Society: Through his description of Utopia, More indirectly critiques the social, political, and economic issues of 16th-century Europe, offering a conceptual alternative that challenges the status quo.
• Social and Political Organization: The society on the island of Utopia is characterized by communal ownership of property, a welfare state, religious tolerance, and a system that prioritizes the welfare of the community above individual wealth or power.
• Influence on Later Utopian and Dystopian Literature: "Utopia" laid the groundwork for subsequent utopian and dystopian literature, inspiring centuries of writers to explore ideal societies and the implications of attempting to realize such societies.
• Philosophical Reflections: More's work blurs the lines between reality and fiction, encouraging readers to reflect on the nature of happiness, justice, and the possibility of an ideal society in a flawed world.

Therefore, the correct answer is 'Option 3'.

Additional Information

• Option 1: While "Utopia" offers a critique of many aspects of European society, it is not specifically focused on colonization.
• Option 2: Although it depicts a society with socialist features, the term "socialist" was not used by More and is anachronistic in this context.
• Option 4: There is no exploration of deep-sea civilizations in "Utopia"; the focus is on the fictional island society.

The correct answer is "The Prelude"

Key Points

• "The Prelude" is a long autobiographical poem written by William Wordsworth, not Alexander Pope.
• Alexander Pope (1688-1744) was an English poet best known for his satirical and philosophical works during the 18th century.
• "The Rape of the Lock," "The Dunciad," and "An Essay on Criticism" are among Pope's major works.
• "The Rape of the Lock" satirizes the frivolous society of the time, "The Dunciad" targets dullness in literature, and "An Essay on Criticism" is a poetic essay offering literary criticism.

Therefore, the correct answer is "Option 4".

Additional Information

• Option 1: "The Rape of the Lock" is one of Alexander Pope's satirical masterpieces.
• Option 2: "The Dunciad" is a satirical work by Alexander Pope, focusing on the foolishness in literature.
• Option 3: "An Essay on Criticism" is a work by Alexander Pope providing literary criticism.

• "O Captain! My Captain!" was written by Walt Whitman in 1865, shortly after the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln.
• The poem is an elegy, a poem of mourning, that expresses Whitman's grief over Lincoln's death.
• In the poem, Whitman compares Lincoln to a ship's captain who has successfully guided his ship through a perilous journey, only to die just as the ship reaches its destination.

• Option 1 is incorrect because "O Captain! My Captain!" was not composed in 1765.
• Option 3 is incorrect because "O Captain! My Captain!" was not composed in 1885.
• Option 4 is incorrect because "O Captain! My Captain!" was not composed in 1895.

The correct answer is 'Exploration of the victim's mother contributing to gender injustice.'

Key Points

• "Tara" breaks from tradition by highlighting the victim's mother's role in perpetuating gender injustice.
• The play nuancedly explores the complexity of gender dynamics, challenging the simplistic attribution of blame solely to men.
• Dattani's narrative invites reflection on the multifaceted nature of gender discrimination, involving both men and women in its perpetuation.

The correct answer is 'Of Grammatology'.

Key Points

• Jacques Derrida introduces the concept of "Deconstruction" in "Of Grammatology" (1967), a foundational text in the field of post-structuralism.
• Deconstruction is a critical approach that seeks to uncover and unravel the complexities, contradictions, and assumptions underlying our understanding of language, texts, and meaning.
• Derrida argues that language is inherently unstable and that meaning is always deferred, challenging the notion of fixed, binary opposites (e.g., presence/absence, speech/writing).
• "Of Grammatology" critiques the Western philosophical tradition of logocentrism—the privileging of speech over writing—and introduces the idea of differánce, a key concept in deconstructive theory.
• Through deconstruction, Derrida seeks to expose and dismantle the hierarchies and dualisms that structure Western thought, advocating for a more nuanced, open-ended approach to reading and interpretation.
• This work has had profound implications not only for literary theory but also for philosophy, cultural studies, and critical theory more broadly, influencing numerous disciplines and areas of study.

Therefore, the correct answer is 'Option 1'.

Additional Information

• "Writing and Difference" and "The Post Card: From Socrates to Freud and Beyond" are also significant works by Derrida that further explore deconstructive themes, but the concept is introduced in "Of Grammatology."
• "Archive Fever: A Freudian Impression" delves into the concept of the archive and its implications for history, memory, and identity but does not introduce deconstruction.

The correct answer is 'Masochism.'

Key Points

• The Underground Man, Dostoevsky's protagonist in "Notes from Underground," exhibits a deeply ingrained masochistic streak, which is evident in his self-destructive behavior and negative outlook on life.
• His suffering is self-inflicted, as seen in his interactions with others and his internal monologues where he relishes in his pain and alienation as evidence of his consciousness and complexity.
• This masochism is not only physical but also psychological; he continuously sabotages his happiness and social connections, driven by a perverse enjoyment of his degradation and suffering.
• The masochistic nature of the Underground Man acts as a critique of the rational egoism of the 19th-century intellectual movements, suggesting that human beings might derive satisfaction from their suffering, contrary to the utilitarian pursuit of happiness.
• His complex relationship with suffering allows Dostoevsky to explore themes of freedom, dignity, and the paradoxes of human psyche, questioning whether true consciousness inevitably leads to self-inflicted pain.
• The Underground Man's masochism symbolizes a deep-seated conflict between intellectual pride and emotional vulnerability, showcasing Dostoevsky's insight into the darker aspects of human nature.

Therefore, the correct answer is 'Option 2'.

Additional Information

• Option 1, optimism, directly contradicts the character's disposition and the overall tone of the narrative.
• Options 3, narcissism, while present, is not as fundamentally influential as masochism in shaping his worldview.
• Option 4, paranoia, is a trait exhibited by the Underground Man, but it's secondary to the masochistic aspect of his character

The correct answer is 'The difference in the roads is negligible'.

Key Points

• Similarity in wear: Despite initially seeing one path as less traveled, the speaker notes that both paths have been worn about the same by travelers.
• Metaphor for life choices: This observation reflects on how, upon closer inspection, different life choices may lead to similar outcomes or experiences.
• Illusion of difference: The speaker's initial distinction between the paths may symbolize how people perceive their choices as vastly different when, in reality, those differences might be minor.
• Human perception and reality: The line speaks to the theme of perception versus reality in the decision-making process.
• Reflection and reconsideration: It suggests the speaker's process of reflecting and reconsidering the decision, highlighting the complexity of choice.

Therefore, the correct answer is 'Option 3'.

Additional Information

• Option 1 is too literal and ignores the metaphorical implications of the lines.
• Option 2 is contradicted by the text which suggests both paths are equally worn.
• Option 4 is incorrect; the speaker only chooses one path, and the line is about perception rather than literal experience.

The correct answer is 'Life's choices and paths'.

Key Points

• The theme of choices: The "yellow wood" serves as a metaphor for the myriad of choices one encounters in life.
• Symbolism: The autumn setting (implied by the yellow leaves) symbolizes change, decision-making, and the transitions in life.
• Color imagery: The color yellow is often associated with caution and uncertainty, which can relate to the apprehension felt when making important decisions.
• Starting point of journey: The wood is where the journey (or decision-making) begins, representing life's crossroads.
• Universal experience: The setting encapsulates a universal human experience of choosing between different paths in life.

Therefore, the correct answer is 'Option 4'.

Additional Information

• Option 1 is incorrect because it takes the description too literally without considering the metaphorical significance.
• Option 2 is incorrect as there's no direct indication of danger, merely of choice and consequence.
• Option 3 is incorrect as the poem deals more with realistic themes of choice and reflection rather than fantasy.

- The lines "Blow, blow, thou winter wind, / Thou art not so unkind / As man's ingratitude;" are from William Shakespeare's play "As You Like It."
- These lines are part of a song sung by the character Amiens in Act II, Scene 7.
- The song reflects on human nature, comparing the harshness of winter to the even greater harshness of human ingratitude.
- "As You Like It" is a pastoral comedy that explores themes of love, nature, and society.

Cleanth Brooks outlines the use of reading poems through paradox as a method of critical interpretation in his essay “The Language of Paradox”,

• William Empson has given the theory of Ambiguity in his seminal work of criticism Seven Types of Ambiguity. The book discuss types of ambiguity that Empson finds in the poetry he criticizes.
• Mark Schorer, an American writer, critic gave the theory of “Technique as Discovery” published in 1947 and became a critical hallmark for its claim that fiction deserved the close scrutiny, attention, and consideration.
• Maud Bodkin was an English classical scholar, and literary critic. She is best known for her 1934 book Archetypal Patterns in Poetry.

Imagism was a poetic vogue that flourished in England, and even more vigorously in America, approximately between the years 1912 and 1917. It was planned by a group of writers, under the influence of the poetic theory of T. E. Hulme.

Ezra Pound was the first leader of the movement and succeeded by Amy Lowell, another famous leader of the Imagism. Imagism sometimes referred as Amygism by Pound. Other leading participants of the movement were H. D. (Hilda Doolittle), D. H. Lawrence, William Carlos Williams, John Gould Fletcher, and Richard Aldington. W. B. Yeats was not associated with the movement and was not an Imagist.

The above quote is an example of Run-on line or enjambment as the meaning runs over from one line to the next, without terminal punctuation. The break comes in the middle of a phrase or line (“My lute, ) and idea moves on to the next line without any comma or full stop.

End-stopped rhyme is opposite of Run-on line as a pause comes at the end of a sentence, clause or phrase such as a colon, semi-colon, period or full stop. For example:

Bright Star, would I were as stedfast as thou art—

Not in lone splendor hung aloft the night,

A Tercet is a poetic unit of three lines, rhymed or unrhymed. If rhymed it follows the same rhyme scheme in three lines such as aaa. Haiku is an example of a tercet.

Alliteration is a literary stylistic device and occurs when a series of words in a line have the same first consonant sound. For Example:

Fred’s friends fried Fritos for Friday’s food.

• The Alchemist” is a comic play by Ben Jonson. Lovewit is the owner of the house where the whole play staged, as well as the employer of Jeremy, the butler or Face. It come to know through Face in the first act that due to Plague in the London Lovewit left his house for the country under the sole charge of him.
• He also informed the subtle that his master will not come back till the plague went out of London so they have safe two weeks to hitch their illegal plan of making money by conning people.