UGC NET Paper 2 English Mock Test - 6 - UGC NET MCQ

The correct answer is 'C-D-E-A-B'.

 Key Points

• Madness and Civilization (C, 1961): Here, Foucault traces the evolving concept of madness in European society from the Middle Ages to the end of the 19th century, highlighting the social and cultural treatment of the mentally ill.
• The Order of Things (D, 1966): This work analyzes the structures of knowledge in sciences, suggesting a fundamental shift in the episteme (the underlying conditions of knowledge) during different historical periods, especially focusing on the human sciences.
• The Archaeology of Knowledge (E, 1969): Foucault presents a methodological treatise on his approach to the history of ideas, emphasizing the rules and structures underlying discursive formations.
• Discipline and Punish (A, 1975): Foucault examines the development of modern penal institutions, analyzing how discipline and punishment form a central part of societal control mechanisms.
• The History of Sexuality, Volume 3: The Care of the Self (B, 1984): The third volume in a series, focusing on the practices of self-care in ancient societies and how these practices were related to sexual ethics and morality.

Therefore, the correct answer is 'Option 3'.

The correct answer is 'The Unseen Menace.'

 Key Points

• Goldberg is a mysterious and ominous figure, representing an unseen menace throughout the play.
• His sudden arrival disrupts the seemingly mundane world of the boarding house.
• Goldberg's presence introduces an atmosphere of tension and uncertainty.
• The character embodies the theme of intrusion and external threat to the protagonist, Stanley.
• Goldberg's interactions with other characters reveal hidden agendas and ulterior motives.
• Pinter uses Goldberg as a tool to explore the themes of power, control, and the intrusion of the unknown.

 Additional Information

• The Comic Relief (Option 2) is not Goldberg's primary role; his character contributes to tension and suspense.
• The Voice of Reason (Option 3) is not applicable; Goldberg's actions and intentions are complex and ambiguous.
• The Symbol of Betrayal (Option 4) is not the primary role; Goldberg's menace is more symbolic of external threats.

Therefore, the correct answer is 'Option 1.'

The correct answer is "Belinda's dog".

Key Points

•  The Rape of the Lock is a mock-heroic narrative poem written by Alexander Pope.
• The poem  satirizes a minor incident of life, by comparing it to the epic world of the gods, and is based on an event recounted to Alexander Pope by his friend John Caryll. 
• Some of the prominent characters of "The Rape of Lock" are:
  • Belinda: Belinda is based on the historical Arabella Fermor
  • The Baron: This is the pseudonym for the historical Robert.
  • Caryl: The historical basis for the Caryl character is John Caryll, a friend of Pope .
  • Shock: Belinda’s lapdog
  • Ariel: Belinda’s guardian sylph

Therefore, the correct answer is option 2.

The correct answer is "Antonio Gramsci".

Key Points

• The word "hegemony" comes from the Greek word "hgemonia," which means "dominance over."
• This phrase was used to characterize interactions between city-states before.
• Antonio Gramsci, an Italian politician and Marxist philosopher used it in political analysis.
• Hegemony, according to Gramsci, was a kind of control used largely by a society's superstructure rather than its foundation or its social relations of production, which were primarily of an economic nature.

Therefore, the correct answer is option 4.

Additional Information

• Welsh socialist Raymond Henry Williams was a well-known author, professor, novelist, and critic on the New Left and in popular culture. His writings on literature, politics, culture and the media added to the Marxist critique of the arts and culture.
• Paul-Michel Foucault was a French philosopher, author, political activist, literary critic, and historian of ideas. The main focus of Foucault's theories is on how power and knowledge interact and how societal institutions employ them to exert social control.
• German philosopher Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel is regarded as one of the key figures in German idealism and a founder of contemporary Western philosophy. 

The correct answer is It is the scientific study of language.

Key Points

• Linguistics is the scientific study of language.
• Not only the verbal language but the gestures and sign system also comes under the purview of language.
• Linguistics at the beginning was a diachronic study i.e, historical.
• Linguistics is an interdisciplinary field, we have psycholinguistics, sociolinguistics etc.

Therefore the correct answer is Option 1. 

Additional Information 

• Semantics is the study of the meaning of words, phrases and sentences.
• Axiology is the philosophical study of value.
• Ethics is the philosophical study of the concepts of moral right and wrong and moral good and bad.​

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.

A. D. Hope is the most known poet and essayist of Australia. He is also acclaimed as a critic and academician. The Wandering Islands is the first published work of the poet in year 1955, although he attained recognition as a poet through publication in periodicals in earlier years.

Native Companions: Essays and Comments on Australian Literature, is a collection of essays of criticism published in the year 1974.

A Midsummer Eve’s Dream is also a work of criticism by Hope which published in the year 1970.

The Cave and the Spring are essays on poetry by the Australian writer published in the year 1965.

‘Account of the Augustan Age in England (1759)’ was written by Oliver Goldsmith (1730-1774), an important poet of the Augustan Age of English Literature. Oliver Goldsmith was an Anglo- Irish poet, playwright and novelist. Some of his important works include, ‘The Deserted Village’, ‘The Vicar of Wakefield’ and ‘She Stoops to Conquer’.

Mount Helicon is a mountain in the region of Thespiai in Boeotia, Greece, celebrated in Greek mythology. With an altitude of 1,749 metres (5,738 ft), it is located approximately 10 kilometres (6 mi) from the north coast of the Gulf of Corinth. Some researchers[who?] maintain that Helicon was also the Greek name of mount Rocca Salvatesta in Sicily as a river started from it was called also Helikon

The Vision of Judgment (1822) is a satirical poem in ottava rima by Lord Byron, which depicts a dispute in Heaven over the fate of George III's soul. It was written in response to the Poet Laureate Robert Southey's A Vision of Judgement (1821), which had imagined the soul of king George triumphantly entering Heaven to receive his due. Byron was provoked by the High Tory point of view from which the poem was written, and he took personally Southey's preface which had attacked those "Men of diseased hearts and depraved imaginations" who had set up a "Satanic school" of poetry, "characterized by a Satanic spirit of pride and audacious impiety". He responded in the preface to his own Vision of Judgment with an attack on "The gross flattery, the dull impudence, the renegado intolerance, and impious cant, of the poem", and mischievously referred to Southey as "the author of Wat Tyler", an anti-royalist work from Southey's firebrand revolutionary youth. His parody of A Vision of Judgement was so lastingly successful that, as the critic Geoffrey Carnall wrote, "Southey's reputation has never recovered from Byron's ridicule."

The correct answer is '(i) and (iii)'.

Key Points

• Langston Hughes is celebrated for his vivid, lyrical portraits of black life in America from the twenties through the sixties, and his work is emblematic of the Harlem Renaissance's exploration of African American identity and culture.
• Claude McKay, a Jamaican-American writer and poet, was a significant figure whose works articulated the racial and economic injustices that African Americans faced and were influential in spurring the Harlem Renaissance.
• The Harlem Renaissance was a cultural and intellectual explosion centered in Harlem, New York, during the 1920s and 1930s, showcasing the literary, artistic, and intellectual achievements of African Americans.
• Poetry of the era often focused on themes of racial pride, resistance to societal discrimination, and the celebration of African American culture.
• Hughes and McKay used their poetry to challenge stereotypes, advocate for racial justice, and express the complexities of black life in America.

Therefore, the correct answer is 'Option 2'.

Additional Information

• Option 1 incorrectly combines Langston Hughes with Zora Neale Hurston, who, while a significant figure in the Harlem Renaissance, is better known for her work in prose.
• Option 3 pairs Zora Neale Hurston with W.E.B. Du Bois, linking a novelist and an activist/scholar rather than focusing on poets.
• Option 4 incorrectly combines Claude McKay with W.E.B. Du Bois, overlooking Langston Hughes' pivotal contributions to Harlem Renaissance poetry.

The correct answer is 'Narrative analysis'.

Key Points

• Narrative analysis in autobiographical research focuses on how individuals construct their identities through the stories they tell about themselves, emphasizing the interplay between narrative and self-conception.
• This method pays particular attention to the structure, content, and style of the autobiographical narratives, analyzing how these elements contribute to the portrayal and construction of the narrator's identity.
• It examines how narrators position themselves in their stories, the roles they assign to themselves and others, and how they interpret and make sense of their life experiences through narrative.
• Narrative analysis also explores the coherence or fragmentation of the narrative, looking at how life events are sequenced, emphasized, or omitted, and what this reveals about the narrator's sense of self and identity development.
• Through this approach, researchers can assess the impact of cultural, social, and personal factors on the narrative construction of identity, understanding how individuals leverage narrative forms and tropes to articulate their sense of self.
• Narrative analysis thus provides a nuanced tool for exploring the complex ways in which identities are narrated, challenged, and renegotiated over time.

Therefore, the correct answer is ‘Option 3.’

Additional Information

• Quantitative content analysis (Option 1) focuses on objectively counting and analyzing the presence of certain words, themes, or concepts rather than the nuanced construction of identity in narratives.
• Psychoanalytic criticism (Option 2) applies theories of psychology to interpret texts, which might not directly address the relationship between narrative structure and identity.
• Sociological surveys (Option 4) collect data on populations through questionnaires and are less focused on the detailed interpretation of narrative forms and their impact on identity

The correct answer is 'The material conditions of society shape cultural phenomena.'

Key Points

• Cultural Materialism, coined by Raymond Williams, posits that the material conditions and economic structures of society play a crucial role in shaping cultural phenomena.
• Williams emphasized the interconnectedness of culture, economics, and social structures.
• Cultural Materialism challenges idealistic views that detach culture from its material and social context.
• According to Williams, understanding the material conditions helps unravel the meanings embedded in cultural practices and expressions.
• Cultural Materialism has influenced the study of literature, media, and popular culture by emphasizing the relationship between culture and socioeconomic factors.

Therefore, the correct answer is 'Option 1.'

Additional Information

• Option 2: Cultural Materialism does not assert that cultural artifacts have inherent value regardless of societal context.
• Option 3: Cultural Materialism does not emphasize that culture is primarily shaped by intellectual elites.
• Option 4: Cultural Materialism does not prioritize the spiritual and emotional aspects of culture as paramount.

• The name "Unoka" is derived from the Igbo word "uno", which means "village" or "home".
• In Igbo culture, the village is considered to be of utmost importance, as it is the center of community life and the source of identity for its members.
• The name "Unoka" therefore implies that the village is supreme and holds a central place in the life of the individual who bears it.

• Option 1: "Home is supreme" is a possible interpretation of the name "Unoka", but it does not fully capture the cultural significance of the village in Igbo society.
• Option 3: "Character is supreme" and Option 4: "Wealth is supreme" are not directly related to the meaning of the name "Unoka" in Igbo culture.

The correct answer is 'Romanticism'.

Key Points

• Thomas Carlyle is closely associated with Romantic criticism of the industrial society, emphasizing emotion, individualism, and nature over the mechanistic and dehumanizing aspects of the Industrial Revolution.
• He believed that industrialization led to the devaluation of the individual, reducing human beings to mere cogs in a machine, and advocated for a return to spiritual and moral values in society.
• Carlyle criticized the materialism and utilitarian ethos of his time, arguing that these could not adequately address the human need for meaning and fulfillment.
• His works, such as "Sartor Resartus" and "Past and Present," express his disdain for the mechanical nature of society and his yearning for a more authentic, spiritually enriched life.
• Carlyle's emphasis on the heroic in history—his belief in the importance of great individuals and their capacity to shape the destiny of nations—reflects his Romantic idealism and his opposition to the deterministic view of history implied by industrial capitalism.
• Despite his critique of society, Carlyle did not propose a clear path to reform, emphasizing instead the power of individual moral and spiritual awakening as a counter to the corrosive effects of industrialization.

Therefore, the correct answer is ‘Option 2.’

Additional Information

• Utilitarianism is more closely associated with John Stuart Mill, not Carlyle's critique.
• Empiricism and Stoicism do not directly relate to Carlyle’s critique of industrial society, focusing instead on differing philosophical pursuits

The correct answer is 'Poetry should not represent the language spoken by common man'.

Key Points

• The Preface to Lyrical Ballads is an essay written by William Wordsworth for the second edition of the poetry collection Lyrical Ballads.
• It was released in 1800, also known as the manifesto of Romantic age.
• The manifesto includes four principles.
• The ideal subject for poetry is everyday life.
• Poetry should represent the language spoken by common people.
• Feelings are more essential than action or narrative.
• Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings.

Therefore, the correct option is 'Option 4'.

Important Points

• Wordsworth's "Preface" indicates a radical departure from neoclassical poetry of the eighteenth century. Wordsworth advocated that poetry should focus on portraying the ordinary individual in the best positive light possible.
• Wordsworth's "Preface" to Lyrical Ballads is notable for its emphasis on exalting the ordinary man, the use of simple language, a concentration on nature as a manifestation of the divine, and a belief that poetry should be lyrical or passionate.

Additional Information

• ​William Wordsworth was an English Romantic poet who, along with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, helped to inaugurate the Romantic Age in English literature with their joint work Lyrical Ballads (1798).
• William Wordsworth's well-known works include "Resolution and Independence", "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud", "My Heart Leaps Up", "Ode: Intimations of Immortality", "Ode to Duty", and "The Solitary Reaper".

The correct answer is 'Holiness.'

Key Points

• Redcrosse is the protagonist of the first book of "The Faerie Queene", which is dedicated to the virtue of holiness. As such, he represents the ideal Christian knight, embodying the spiritual journey towards holiness.
• Throughout Book I, Redcrosse encounters various trials and tribulations that test his faith and virtue, reflecting the Christian narrative of fall and redemption.
• His journey includes battling dragons and facing deceit, embodying the struggle between good and evil that is central to the Christian spiritual journey.
• Redcrosse's association with St. George, the patron saint of England, further emphasizes his role as a symbol of holiness and the Christian fight against evil.
• His eventual victory over the dragon and reunion with Una symbolize the triumph of true faith and the attainment of spiritual grace.
• This book is allegorical, with characters and events representing moral and religious virtues and vices, and Redcrosse's quest for holiness is central to its moral and spiritual teachings.

Therefore, the correct answer is 'Option 3'.

Additional Information

• Option 1, chastity, is the central virtue of Book III, focused on Britomart, a female knight.
• Option 2, justice, is represented by Artegall in Book V of "The Faerie Queene".
• Option 4, temperance, is the focus of Book II and is represented by Sir Guyon.

The correct answer is "The Bluest Eye".

Key Points

• "The Bluest Eye", published in 1970, is Toni Morrison’s first novel. It is a poignant examination of the African American experience, particularly the destructive effects of racism on the individual's self-worth and identity, presented through the tragic life of Pecola Breedlove, a young African American girl who dreams of having blue eyes.
• The novel is set in Lorain, Ohio, in 1941, and delves into the harsh realities of race and beauty standards imposed by a predominantly white society. Morrison explores how these societal ideals can lead to internalized racism and a profound sense of inadequacy and self-loathing among African Americans.
• Through Pecola's story, Morrison addresses complex issues like colorism, gender dynamics, and the legacy of slavery, presenting a critique of the American culture that glorifies white beauty standards and marginalizes people of color.
• Morrison’s use of vivid imagery, symbolism, and language in the novel serves to underscore the devastating impact of racism on the psyche and lives of African Americans, making it an essential work for understanding the nuances of African American identity and societal norms.
• "The Bluest Eye" represents a critical voice in American literature, challenging readers to confront and reflect upon the prevailing racial biases and their consequences on individuals and communities.

Therefore, the correct answer is 'Option 4'.

Additional Information

• "Beloved" focuses on the haunting legacy of slavery and motherhood.
• "Song of Solomon" explores African American heritage and identity through a multi-generational saga.
• "Sula" examines the friendship between two women against the backdrop of racial and social changes.

The correct answer is 'Sonnet 31'.

Key Points

• "Astrophel and Stella" is a sonnet sequence composed by Sir Philip Sidney, reflecting the complexities of love through the experiences of the protagonist, Astrophel.
• Sonnet 31 is famous for addressing the moon, using it as a confidante to express the speaker's own unrequited love and desolation.
• This sonnet exemplifies the Renaissance interest in the relationship between earthly occurrences and the cosmos, suggesting a commonality of experience between man and the heavens.
• Through the apostrophe to the moon, Astrophel seeks companionship in his sorrow, projecting his emotional state onto the celestial body.
• The use of the moon as a metaphorical device allows Sidney to explore themes of distance, unattainable love, and the silent witness of nature to human emotion.

The correct answer is 'Plot'

Key Points

• Aristotle's "Poetics" prioritizes plot (mythos) as the soul of a tragedy.
• He argues that the sequence of events, or the structure of the story, is paramount for evoking the intended emotional responses of pity and fear.
• Aristotle believes that a well-constructed plot must have a beginning, middle, and an end, and exhibit unity of action.
• According to him, the plot should be complex, incorporating elements like reversal and recognition to deeply engage the audience.
• The potency of the tragedy is not solely dependent on the characters or their moral fiber but on the actions that result from their choices and the plot’s unfolding.

Therefore, the correct answer is 'Option 2'.

Milton! thou shouldst be living at this hour:

England hath need of thee: she is a fen

Of stagnant waters: altar, sword, and pen,

Fireside, the heroic wealth of hall and bower,

Have forfeited their ancient English dower

Of inward happiness. We are selfish men;

Oh! raise us up, return to us again;

And give us manners, virtue, freedom, power.

Thy soul was like a Star, and dwelt apart:

Thou hadst a voice whose sound was like the sea:

Pure as the naked heavens, majestic, free,

So didst thou travel on life's common way,

In cheerful godliness; and yet thy heart

The lowliest duties on herself did lay.

II and III are correct.

"Recessional" is a poem by Rudyard Kipling. It was composed for Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee, in 1897

Written on the Body is a secret code only visible in certain lights: the accumulation of a lifetime gather there. In places the palimpsest is so heavily worked that the letters feel like braille. I like to keep my body rolled away from prying eyes, never unfold too much, tell the whole story. I didn't know that Louise would have reading hands. She has translated me into her own book.

1 and  3 are correct.

"The King and the Beggar-maid" is a 16th-century broadside ballad that tells the story of an African king, Cophetua, and his love for the beggar Penelophon (Shakespearean Zenelophon). The story has been widely referenced and King Cophetua has become a byword for "a man who falls in love with a woman instantly and proposes marriage immediately"

A Woman Killed with Kindness is a tragic play written by Thomas Heywood. The play was first published in 1607 and has been considered Heywood’s masterpiece. The play revolves around the life of a married couple, Master Frankford and his wife Anne.

John Marston is a British poet, playwright and satirist of the period both Elizabethan and Jacobean. He is known for his famous works Antonio’s Revenge and Westward Ho! .

Thomas Middleton was a British playwright and poet of the Jacobean Period. He stands with Fletcher and Jonson, among the best playwrights of the age.

John Fletcher is a popular Jacobean playwright and widely known for writing in collaboration with Francis Beaumont and Philip Massinger.

The Great Exhibition, also known as Crystal Palace Exhibition, was one of the first international exhibitions of the world. The exhibition took place in Hyde Park in 1851. It was an exhibition of culture and industry and organized by Henry Cole and Prince Albert (Husband of Queen Victoria) in order to expose British design to foreign competition. The Kohinoor, the world’s largest known diamond originally from India, was one of the most popular attractions of the Exhibition.

Lawrence Durrell was a British Novelist, dramatist and travel writer. He was born in India to British colonial parents in 1912. His best known work is The Alexandria Quartet.

Paul Scott was an English novelist, playwright, and poet, best known for “The Raj Quartet”, a great tetralogy. He was born to British parents in London. His novel “Staying On” won him the Booker Prize.

E. M. Forster, was an English novelist, short story writer, and essayist. He was born into an Anglo-Irish parents in London. His novel “A Passage to India” brought him his greatest success.

V. S. Naipaul is Nobel Prize winning British writer, He was born in Trinidad and descendants of Hindu Brahmin family from India.

• Syllabic verse is a poetic form having a fixed or constrained number of syllables in each line. Syllables play the major role while stress, quantity, or tone plays a secondary or no role at all in the structure of poem.
• Languages such as Japanese or modern French or Finnish have these features as opposed to stress-timed languages such as English, in which stress and quantity play a significant role in structure of the verse.