MH SET Paper 2 Mock Test - 6 (English) - MAHA TET MCQ

The correct answer is Leo Tolstoy. Key Points

• "The Three Questions" is a short story by author Leo Tolstoy.
• It is a parable which tells the story of a king who is in search of answers to three philosophical questions in life. 
• The moral of the story is to live in the present moment, rather than grumbling about the past and being anxious about tomorrow.

          Hence, 'option 1' is the correct answer.​ Additional Information

• Leo Tolstoy was a 19th century Russian writer known for his famous novels and short stories.

The correct answer is Hélène Cixous.

Key Points

• Hélène Cixous, a French feminist theorist, is known for her work on the relationship between language, gender, and writing.
• In her essay "The Laugh of the Medusa," Cixous argued that traditional language and literature are dominated by a male-centric perspective, reinforcing patriarchal power structures.
• She advocated for a feminine écriture (writing) that would allow women to express their experiences authentically and challenge established norms.
• According to Cixous, women should embrace their sexuality, desires, and bodily experiences in their writing as a means of reclaiming their voices and identities.
• Her notion of "writing the body" emphasizes the importance of a fluid, non-linear style that breaks free from traditional patriarchal constraints.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 1.

A limerick is a form of poetry, especially one in five-line anapestic meter with a strict rhyme scheme (aabba), which is sometimes obscene with humorous intent. The first, second and fifth lines are usually longer than the third and fourth.

The correct answer is 'A spirit-child (abiku)'.

Key Points

• "The Famished Road" is a novel by Nigerian author Ben Okri, recognized for its magical realism.
• The protagonist, Azaro, is an abiku, a spirit-child who exists between the living and the spiritual worlds, according to Yoruba mythology.
• Azaro's role in the novel involves navigating the challenges of the physical world while being tempted by the lure of the spiritual realm, which promises peace and tranquility.
• His experiences reflect the struggles and complexities of life in a Nigerian slum, blending the harsh realities with the fantastical elements of African folklore.
• Azaro's unique perspective as an abiku allows the reader to explore themes of poverty, political corruption, and the endurance of the human spirit through the lens of mystical realism.
• His character brings to light the continual cycle of life and death, and the impact of choices that bridge worlds and realities.

Therefore, the correct answer is 'Option 2'.

Additional Information

• A mischievous ghost, a fearless soldier, and a cunning magician do not accurately describe Azaro's nature or role in the novel. These options reflect different archetypes unrelated to the specific themes and narrative structure of "The Famished Road".

Had we but world enough and time, 

This coyness, lady, were no crime. 

We would sit down, and think which way 

To walk, and pass our long love’s day. 

Thou by the Indian Ganges’ side 

Shouldst rubies find; I by the tide 

Of Humber would complain. I would 

Love you ten years before the flood, 

And you should, if you please, refuse 

Till the conversion of the Jews. 

My vegetable love should grow 

Vaster than empires and more slow; 

An hundred years should go to praise 

Thine eyes, and on thy forehead gaze; 

Two hundred to adore each breast, 

But thirty thousand to the rest; 

An age at least to every part, 

And the last age should show your heart. 

For, lady, you deserve this state, 

Nor would I love at lower rate. 

       But at my back I always hear 

Time’s wingèd chariot hurrying near; 

And yonder all before us lie 

Deserts of vast eternity. 

Thy beauty shall no more be found; 

Nor, in thy marble vault, shall sound 

My echoing song; then worms shall try 

That long-preserved virginity, 

And your quaint honour turn to dust, 

And into ashes all my lust; 

The grave’s a fine and private place, 

But none, I think, do there embrace. 

       Now therefore, while the youthful hue 

Sits on thy skin like morning dew, 

And while thy willing soul transpires 

At every pore with instant fires, 

Now let us sport us while we may, 

And now, like amorous birds of prey, 

Rather at once our time devour 

Than languish in his slow-chapped power. 

Let us roll all our strength and all 

Our sweetness up into one ball, 

And tear our pleasures with rough strife 

Through the iron gates of life: 

Thus, though we cannot make our sun 

Stand still, yet we will make him run.

The passage is from “A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man” (1916) is the first novel by Irish writer James Joyce. It is a story of Stephen Dedalus, a boy growing up in Ireland at the conclusion of the nineteenth century. He gradually decides to drop all his social, familial, and religious inhibitions to live a life devoted to the art of writing.

The correct answer is 'Augustan Age, Neo-Classical Age, Victorian Age, Modern Age'.

Key Points

• The Augustan Age, often included within the broader Neo-Classical Age, refers to the early part of the 18th century, specifically under the reign of Queen Anne and the early years of George I, roughly from 1700 to 1740. This period is marked by an emphasis on clarity, order, and elegance, inspired by classical models.
• The Neo-Classical Age follows the Restoration Era, which saw a revival of interest in classical antiquity and its principles, stretching from the late 17th century through the mid-18th century. It fundamentally embraced the same ideals as the Augustan Age but is often considered to extend up to the late 18th century, leading into the Romantic Age.
• The Victorian Age follows after the Romantic Period, beginning with the reign of Queen Victoria in 1837 and lasting until her death in 1901. It is characterized by a complex society, industrial advancements, moral strictness, and a flourishing of literature and arts influenced by both Romantic and realist characteristics.
• The Modern Age in literature is marked by a break from the conventional writing styles of the Victorian era, ushering in new forms of narrative such as stream of consciousness and multiple narratives. This period is generally considered to start around the early 20th century (circa 1910) and include the interwar period, up until the late 20th century.

Therefore, the correct answer is 'Option 2'.

Additional Information

• Options 1 and 3 reverse the chronological order of these ages, mixing up the placement of the Victorian and the Neo-Classical/Augustan Ages.
• Option 4 places the Modern Age incorrectly before all other options, which contradicts the historical progression of English literature.

The correct answer is 'Marxism'.

Key Points

• Marxism as a literary theory is derived from the philosophical and economic theories of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, focusing on the dialectical materialist understanding of society and history.
• It examines literature through the lens of class struggle, looking at how texts reveal, reinforce, or challenge existing power structures and class divisions.
• Marxist criticism often explores how literature reflects the ideologies of its time, examining the ways in which texts might serve the interests of the ruling class or bourgeois values.
• This theory pays close attention to the economic and material conditions of the production of literature, analyzing how these conditions influence the themes, forms, and purposes of literary works.
• Marxism sees literature as a social institution that can either support the status quo or contribute to revolutionary change, analyzing texts in the context of their socio-economic and historical conditions.
• By scrutinizing the representations of class conflict, work, and capitalism, Marxist criticism aims to uncover the underlying social messages and political agendas within literary works.

Therefore, the correct answer is 'Option 1'.

Additional Information

• Postcolonialism (Option 2) focuses on the effects of colonization on cultures and societies and how literature reflects and interrogates the legacy of colonialism.
• Psychoanalytic Criticism (Option 3) applies the theories of psychoanalysis, often those of Freud, to literature, exploring the psychological states of characters and authors.
• New Historicism (Option 4) examines literature in the context of the cultural and historical moments in which it was produced, considering the interplay between the text, the author, and the history.

The correct answer is '(i), (ii), and (iv)'.

Key Points

• Transcendentalism was a philosophical and social movement that developed in the late 1820s and 1830s in the eastern United States. It was rooted in the belief in the inherent goodness of people and nature, with a strong emphasis on self-reliance, independence, and the deep connection between the physical and spiritual realms.
• Ralph Waldo Emerson: Emerson was a central figure in the Transcendental movement; his essay “Nature” is considered a seminal work that laid the foundation for Transcendentalist philosophy. His advocacy for individualism and his critiques of societal pressures are hallmarks of Transcendentalism.
• Henry David Thoreau: A disciple of Emerson, Thoreau is best known for his book “Walden”, a reflection upon simple living in natural surroundings, and his essay “Civil Disobedience”, an argument for individual resistance to civil government in moral opposition to an unjust state. Both works encapsulate core Transcendentalist beliefs in personal conscience and the sacredness of the natural world.
• Walt Whitman: Though not originally considered a core member of the Transcendentalists, Whitman's poetry, especially “Leaves of Grass”, embodied the Transcendentalist spirit of unity with nature, the celebration of the self, and the democratic values. Whitman’s inclusion in this group underscores the broad influence of Transcendentalist ideas on American literature.

Therefore, the correct answer is 'Option 3'.

Additional Information

• Nathaniel Hawthorne was a contemporary of the Transcendentalists and interacted with figures like Emerson and Thoreau, but his works typically delved into darker themes of the human condition, exploring sin, guilt, and morality, which contrasts with the typical optimism of Transcendentalist works.

The correct answer is ‘Homi K. Bhabha’.

Key Points

• Homi K. Bhabha, a postcolonial theorist, introduced the concept of "mimicry" in his book "The Location of Culture" (1994).
• According to Bhabha, mimicry refers to the way colonized people imitate and mimic the culture and behavior of their colonizers.
• However, this mimicry is not a simple replication but involves a subversive element, as the colonized subject imitates the colonizer while retaining their own cultural identity.
• Bhabha argues that mimicry challenges and disrupts the authority and superiority of the colonizer.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 3.

The correct answer is 'Wanja'

 Key Points

• Wanja is a young woman from a poor Kikuyu family who is drawn into the Mau Mau rebellion against British colonial rule in Kenya.
• She is a complex and sympathetic character who is torn between her love for her family and her desire for a better life.
• Wanja's story is a powerful indictment of colonialism and its devastating impact on African societies.
• "Petals of Blood" is a sweeping historical novel that spans several decades and explores the complex social and political forces that shaped Kenya's struggle for independence.

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 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.

Both (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is not the correct explanation.

The correct answer is 'Deliberate and doubtful'.

Key Points

• Deliberation: The speaker spends considerable time choosing between the two paths, indicating a thoughtful and intentional decision.
• Doubt: Even after making a choice, the speaker expresses uncertainty about the path not taken and wonders about the consequences of the decision.
• Reflection: The speaker reflects on the decision-making process and its long-term significance, showing careful consideration rather than impulsiveness.
• Human nature: The poem captures a common human condition of hesitation and contemplation when faced with important life choices.
• Awareness of consequences: There's an awareness of the irreversibility of some decisions, as indicated by the speaker's doubt they will ever return to explore the other path.

Therefore, the correct answer is 'Option 3'.

Additional Information

• Option 1 is incorrect because the speaker's choice is not made with joy but with careful thought and a hint of regret.
• Option 2 is incorrect as the decision isn't made hastily but after careful consideration, and the regret is not immediate but reflective.
• Option 4 is incorrect as the decision is not made spontaneously; the speaker clearly deliberates the choice.

• Northanger Abbey is the first novel of the woman novelist, Jane Austen. It is a parody of Gothic Romance which were very popular during the time, the novel has written. Austen has created the character of Catherine, the heroine of the novel to satirize the life depicted in the Gothic novel.
• She lives an illusionary life under the influence of the novels she read, especially famous gothic novel by Anne Radcliffe named The Mysteries of Udolpho. As soon she encountered with the truth of life her deception broke down and she developed to be an ordinary woman. Austen used the conventions of the Gothic novel in Northanger Abbey all through.
• Note: Northanger Abbey can be placed under the category of Bildungsroman, a novel of education or moral development as Catherine, the heroine developed into a smart and sensible woman from a girl, deficient in experience and perception.

Philip Arthur Larkin was a modern English poet. Larkin’s Aubade first published in 1977. As most of Larkin’s poems explores death and sadness. It is also a moving and openly terrified anticipation of his own death.

The Old Fools was first published in 1973 in the collection, High Windows. The poem concerns Larkin’s fear of ageing and dying, a fear that pervades through the poems of High Windows.

The Amubulance used by Larkin as a symbol of fear which everyone experiences as they witness another death. The subject of the poem is the crystallization of the realities of life in the face of death, which is the prime reality of this world.

Faith Healing is a poem by Larkin founded on the fact that love and religion, both have flaws and he doesn’t believe in the healing power of love and religion.

"Structure, Sign and Play in the Discourse of the Human Sciences" by Jacques Derrida is a significant essay which begins the journey of Deconstruction in Western Critical theory.

The correct answer is 'Orientalism" by Edward Said'.

Key Points

• "Orientalism" (1978) by Edward Said is a seminal text that laid the groundwork for the field of Postcolonial Studies.
• Said introduces the concept of "Orientalism" to describe the West's patronizing representations of "The East"—the societies and people who inhabit the places of Asia, North Africa, and the Middle East.
• He argues that these Western depictions are not based on facts or reality but are constructed through literature, art, and academic study, serving to justify colonial and imperial ambitions.
• Said's work reveals how knowledge production is tied to power relations and contributes to the sustained dominance of the colonizer over the colonized.
• He emphasizes the importance of questioning and dismantling these constructed narratives in order to overcome the lingering effects of colonialism.
• "Orientalism" challenges readers to recognize and dissect the pervasive and deeply entrenched Eurocentric perspectives that shape Western views of non-Western societies.

Therefore, the correct answer is 'Option 1'.

Additional Information

• "The Wretched of the Earth" by Frantz Fanon focuses on the psychology of colonization and decolonization, important but distinct in focus from Said's work on Orientalism.
• "Culture and Imperialism" by Edward Said expands on the themes of "Orientalism," investigating how empire and colonialism have shaped Western culture, but it is not as foundational to Postcolonial Studies as "Orientalism."
• "The Empire Writes Back" explores theories and literatures of resistance in post-colonial societies, an important contribution but published later, in 1989, and thus not the foundational text in the field.

Antonin Artaud in 1930s put forth a theory for a Surrealist experimental theater called the Theater of Cruelty that shades a major influence on avant-grade 20th-century theater. This form of theater launches an attack on the spectators subconscious in an attempt to release deep-rooted fears and anxieties that are normally suppressed, forcing people to view themselves and their natures without the shield of civilization. By cruelty, he meant often a violent, physical determination to shatter the false reality.

Edmund Spenser was an English poet of Elizabethan age. He is recognized as one of the Homer like poet in telling stories of heroic confrontations, The Fairie Queene an epic poem and fantastical allegory is the best example of it. He is also known as premier craftsmen of the Modern English verse for employing a distinctive verse form, called the Spenserian stanza in several works, including The Faerie Queene.

The stanza consists of iambic pentameter with a final line in iambic hexameter (having six feet or stresses, known as an Alexandrine) with the rhyme scheme ababbcbcc. The stanza’s main meter is iambic pentameter with a final line in iambic hexameter (having six feet or stresses, known as an Alexandrine), and the rhyme scheme is ababbcbcc.

He is a Christian poet and follower of Anglican Church of Queen Elizabeth. He never England’s break with the Roman Catholic Church but describe Elizabethan church reform within the epic named The Fairie queen. Gloriana Who represent the Queen in the epic has godly English knights destroy Catholic continental power in Books I and V and many of his villains embodies with the superstitious Catholic reliance on deceptive images.

Romanticism originated in the 2nd half of the 18th century at the same time as the French Revolution. 

The French Revolution played a huge role in influencing Romantic writers. As the Revolution began to play out, the absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in only three years. This resulted in a complete transformation of society. A majority of the population was greatly in favor of this as the working class had been suffering oppression for many years. According to Albert Hancock, in his book The French Revolution and the English Poets: a study in historical criticism, "The French Revolution came, bringing with it the promise of a brighter day, the promise of a regenerated man and regenerated earth. It was hailed with joy and acclamation by the oppressed, by the ardent lovers of humanity, by the poets, whose task it is to voice the human spirit."

A common theme among some of the most widely known romantic poets is their acceptance and approval of the French Revolution. William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Lord Byron, and Percy Shelley all shared the same view of the French Revolution as it being the beginning of a change in the current ways of society and helping to improve the lives of the oppressed. As the French Revolution changed the lives of virtually everyone in the nation and even continent because of its drastic and immediate shift in social reformation, it greatly influenced many writers at the time. 

The correct answer is 'The purgation of emotions in the audience'.

Key Points

• In Aristotle's 'Poetics', he introduces the concept of 'catharsis' as part of his theory of tragedy.
• 'Catharsis' is the process through which a tragic drama arouses feelings of pity and fear in the audience, then purges or cleanses these emotions, leading to a state of emotional calm or relief.
• This emotional release was seen as an important part of the audience's experience of a tragic play.
• 'Catharsis' does not refer to the climax of the narrative, character development, or the use of rhetoric, but rather to the emotional response of the audience.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 3.

The correct answer is 'Ominous'.

Key Points

• The play opens with the presence of the witches amid thunder and lightning, suggesting a dark and foreboding atmosphere.
• The witches' dialogue about meeting Macbeth upon the heath further adds to the unsettling and sinister mood, indicating their malevolent intentions.
• Their famous line, "Fair is foul, and foul is fair," highlights the theme of moral confusion and the blurring of lines between good and evil, contributing to the ominous tone.
• The witches' connection to the supernatural and their role in predicting Macbeth's future establish an atmosphere of doom and gloom from the very beginning of the play.
• The overall setting and context in which the witches appear are designed to evoke feelings of unease and anticipation, setting the tone for the tragic events that unfold.

Therefore, the correct answer is 'Option 2'.

Additional Information

• Serene: Implies an atmosphere of peacefulness, which is the opposite of the play's opening scene.
• Joyful: Suggests happiness and contentment, not applicable to the dark and sinister mood of the opening scene.
• Idyllic: Describes an extremely happy, peaceful, or picturesque scene, which does not fit the context of the witches' meeting.

The correct answer is ‘He believes she loves him more than Edgar Linton.’

Key Points

• Heathcliff is convinced that Catherine loves him more than she loves Edgar Linton. 
• He believes that Catherine's love for him is deep and enduring, while her love for Edgar is superficial and fleeting.
• He bases this belief on his own passionate and intense feelings for Catherine, and as well as on her behavior towards him and Edgar.

Therefore, the correct answer is ‘Option 1.

The correct answer is Walt Whitman.

Key Points

• Temperance Novel is the term coined by Walt Whitman.
• He used this term in year 1842 for his novel "Franklin Evans".
• A Temperance Novel is the novel that shows moderation in actions and depict the harmful effects of alcohol.
• Temperance novel the term only used for this single novel.
• The novel is the struggle story of Franklin Evans who was poor and later became rich.
• He tries to abstain from alcohol but fails.
• Hence, Option 1 is the correct answer.

Additional Information

• Geoffrey Chaucer coined the term "Rhyme Royal". It a rhyming stanza of seven lines in iambic pentameter.
• Thomas Wyatt coined the term "Sonnet". It is a small poem of 14 lines.
• Charles Kristeva coined the term "Feminism". It is a belief that assert that women should be treated equal to men.

Laurence Sterne's Tristram Shandy contains. A) Six volumes. B) Nine volumes. C) Ten volumes. D) Four volumes. Correct Answer: B) Nine volumes ...

• "Third Space" is a concept in postcolonial theory that refers to the shared cultural space created through the interaction of different cultures.
• The term was coined by cultural theorist Homi K. Bhabha.
• Bhabha argues that the "Third Space" is a hybrid space where new and unique cultural identities are formed.
• The "Third Space" is often seen as a site of resistance to colonial power and hegemony.

• A geographical region between two colonized areas: This is not what the term "Third Space" refers to in postcolonial theory.
• The dominance of a single cultural identity in postcolonial societies: This is not what the term "Third Space" refers to in postcolonial theory.
• The replication of colonial ideologies in contemporary literature: This is not what the term "Third Space" refers to in postcolonial theory.

The correct answer is 'Margaret Fuller.'

Key Points

• "The Dial" was a significant Transcendentalist journal in 19th-century American literature.
• The journal was edited by Margaret Fuller, a prominent feminist and Transcendentalist.
• It published works by several significant figures of the era, including Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and Fuller herself.
• -While the other authors listed made substantial contributions to American literature, they did not edit "The Dial".

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 2.

Nineteen Eighty-Four, arguably the most famous English novel of the 20th century, is a zeitgeist book. Orwell's dystopian vision was deeply rooted both in its author's political morality and in its time, the postwar years of western Europe. Its themes (the threat of the totalitarian state, censorship and the manipulation of language) continue to reverberate, with prophetic menace, like distant gunfire, into the present