English Language

Literary Analysis

4,495 Questions

Analyze classic and modernist novels, autobiographies, plays, and graphic novels across various genres. This topic tests your familiarity with prominent authors, literary movements, and thematic elements. Questions appear regularly in the English language sections of SSC, banking, and teaching competency exams.

Classic and modernist novelsAutobiographies and biographiesPoetic language and farcesThematic literary elements

Literary Analysis Questions

Multiple choice

Which novel by Mario Vargas Llosa tells the story of the Peruvian president Alberto Fujimori?

  1. The Feast of the Goat

  2. The War of the End of the World

  3. The Dream of the Celt

  4. Conversation in The Cathedral
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The Feast of the Goat is a historical novel by Mario Vargas Llosa that tells the story of the Peruvian president Alberto Fujimori, who ruled the country from 1990 to 2000.

Multiple choice

Which novel by Margaret Atwood tells the story of a dystopian society in which women are forced to become Handmaids?

  1. The Handmaid's Tale

  2. Oryx and Crake

  3. The Blind Assassin

  4. Cat's Eye
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The Handmaid's Tale is a dystopian novel by Margaret Atwood that tells the story of a society in which women are forced to become Handmaids, who are used for breeding purposes.

Multiple choice

Which novel by Ernest Hemingway tells the story of a group of American volunteers who fight in the Spanish Civil War?

  1. For Whom the Bell Tolls

  2. The Old Man and the Sea

  3. A Farewell to Arms

  4. The Sun Also Rises
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

For Whom the Bell Tolls is a novel by Ernest Hemingway that tells the story of a group of American volunteers who fight in the Spanish Civil War.

Multiple choice

In John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath, what is the name of the family who is forced to leave their farm during the Dust Bowl and travel to California?

  1. The Joads

  2. The Wilsons

  3. The Thompsons

  4. The Smiths
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The Grapes of Wrath is a novel by John Steinbeck that tells the story of the Joad family, who are forced to leave their farm during the Dust Bowl and travel to California in search of a better life.

Multiple choice

Which novel by Harper Lee tells the story of a young girl who witnesses the trial of her father, who is accused of raping a white woman?

  1. To Kill a Mockingbird

  2. Go Set a Watchman

  3. The Long Goodbye

  4. The Maltese Falcon
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel by Harper Lee that tells the story of a young girl who witnesses the trial of her father, who is accused of raping a white woman.

Multiple choice

Which novel by Sinclair Lewis tells the story of a small-town doctor who struggles against the forces of ignorance and superstition?

  1. Main Street

  2. Babbitt

  3. Arrowsmith

  4. Elmer Gantry
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Arrowsmith is a novel by Sinclair Lewis that tells the story of a small-town doctor who struggles against the forces of ignorance and superstition.

Multiple choice

Which novel by Jack London tells the story of a gold prospector who becomes obsessed with finding a lost gold mine?

  1. The Call of the Wild

  2. White Fang

  3. The Sea-Wolf

  4. The Call of the Klondike
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The Call of the Klondike is a novel by Jack London that tells the story of a gold prospector who becomes obsessed with finding a lost gold mine.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is an example of a tragic hero in contemporary literature?

  1. Jay Gatsby

  2. Atticus Finch

  3. Harry Potter

  4. Sherlock Holmes
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Jay Gatsby is an example of a tragic hero in contemporary literature, as he is a character who is ultimately destroyed by his own hubris.

Multiple choice

Which literary work by Henry David Thoreau is considered a seminal text in the field of environmental writing?

  1. Walden

  2. A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers

  3. The Maine Woods

  4. Cape Cod
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Henry David Thoreau's 'Walden' is a seminal text in environmental writing, documenting his experiences living in a cabin in the woods for two years, and exploring themes of self-reliance, nature, and the human relationship with the environment.

Multiple choice

Which literary work by Rachel Carson is credited with raising awareness about the dangers of pesticides and their impact on the environment?

  1. Silent Spring

  2. The Sea Around Us

  3. Under the Sea-Wind

  4. The Edge of the Sea
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Rachel Carson's 'Silent Spring' is a groundbreaking work that brought attention to the dangers of pesticides, particularly DDT, and their devastating impact on the environment and wildlife.

Multiple choice

Which literary work by Aldo Leopold is considered a classic in the field of environmental ethics?

  1. A Sand County Almanac

  2. Round River

  3. The River of the Mother of God

  4. A Taste of Honey
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Aldo Leopold's 'A Sand County Almanac' is a collection of essays that explores the relationship between humans and the natural world, and is considered a foundational work in the field of environmental ethics.

Multiple choice

Which literary work by Wendell Berry explores the relationship between agriculture, land stewardship, and the natural world?

  1. The Unsettling of America

  2. The Gift of Good Land

  3. Hannah Coulter

  4. Jayber Crow
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Wendell Berry's 'The Unsettling of America' is a collection of essays that explores the relationship between agriculture, land stewardship, and the natural world, and the impact of industrialization on rural communities.

Multiple choice

Which literary work by Barry Lopez explores the relationship between humans and the Arctic environment?

  1. Arctic Dreams

  2. Of Wolves and Men

  3. Crossing Open Ground

  4. Crow and Weasel
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Barry Lopez's 'Arctic Dreams' is a collection of essays that explores the relationship between humans and the Arctic environment, and the impact of climate change on the region.

Multiple choice

Which poem is set in the ancient city of Athens?

  1. Oedipus Rex

  2. The Oresteia

  3. The Bacchae

  4. The Clouds
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Sophocles' Oedipus Rex is a play that tells the story of Oedipus, a king of Thebes who unknowingly kills his father and marries his mother.

Multiple choice

In the novel 'The Great Gatsby' by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the character Jay Gatsby is often described as having a 'strange accent'. What does this suggest about his social class?

  1. He is from a lower social class and is trying to rise above his station.

  2. He is from a higher social class and is trying to maintain his status.

  3. He is from a middle-class family and is trying to fit in.

  4. He is from a wealthy family and is trying to show off his wealth.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Jay Gatsby's strange accent suggests that he is from a lower social class and is trying to rise above his station. This is further supported by the fact that he is a self-made man and has no family connections to the upper class.