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

In Eugene O'Neill's Long Day's Journey into Night, what is the main character's tragic flaw?

  1. His alcoholism

  2. His drug addiction

  3. His infidelity

  4. His gambling addiction
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

James Tyrone's alcoholism and inability to connect with his family lead to his tragic downfall.

Multiple choice

Which of these tragic plays is set during the Vietnam War?

  1. Miss Saigon

  2. The Glass Menagerie

  3. A Streetcar Named Desire

  4. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Miss Saigon is set during the Vietnam War and tells the story of a Vietnamese woman who falls in love with an American soldier.

Multiple choice

In Tony Kushner's Angels in America, what is the main character's tragic flaw?

  1. His homosexuality

  2. His AIDS diagnosis

  3. His drug addiction

  4. His political beliefs
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Prior Walter's homosexuality and the discrimination he faces lead to his tragic downfall.

Multiple choice

Which of these tragic plays is set in a dystopian future?

  1. 1984

  2. Brave New World

  3. The Handmaid's Tale

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

1984 is set in a dystopian future where the government controls every aspect of people's lives.

Multiple choice

In Cormac McCarthy's The Road, what is the main character's tragic flaw?

  1. His love for his son

  2. His guilt over the past

  3. His inability to let go

  4. His fear of the future
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The man's love for his son and his inability to let go of the past lead to his tragic downfall.

Multiple choice

Which of these tragic plays is based on a Greek myth?

  1. Oedipus Rex

  2. Antigone

  3. Medea

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

Oedipus Rex is based on the Greek myth of Oedipus, who unknowingly kills his father and marries his mother.

Multiple choice

What is the name of the Chinese novel that tells the story of four young people who travel to the West in search of Buddhist scriptures?

  1. Journey to the West

  2. Dream of the Red Chamber

  3. Water Margin

  4. Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Journey to the West is a 16th-century Chinese novel by Wu Cheng'en that tells the story of four young people who travel to the West in search of Buddhist scriptures. It is one of the most popular and influential works of Chinese literature.

Multiple choice

What is the name of the Arabic collection of stories that tells the story of Scheherazade and her king?

  1. One Thousand and One Nights

  2. The Book of Kings

  3. The Arabian Nights

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

One Thousand and One Nights is a collection of Middle Eastern folk tales compiled in Arabic during the Islamic Golden Age. It is one of the most widely read books in the world.

Multiple choice

In the novel "To Kill a Mockingbird", what kind of chips does Atticus Finch enjoy eating?

  1. Potato chips

  2. Corn chips

  3. Tortilla chips

  4. Pretzel chips
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Atticus Finch is often seen munching on potato chips throughout the novel, particularly during tense or stressful situations.

Multiple choice

In the novel "The Catcher in the Rye", what kind of chips does Holden Caulfield eat while riding the carousel?

  1. Potato chips

  2. Corn chips

  3. Tortilla chips

  4. Pretzel chips
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Holden Caulfield is seen eating potato chips while riding the carousel in Central Park, symbolizing his longing for a simpler and more innocent time.

Multiple choice

In the play "Death of a Salesman", what kind of chips does Willy Loman eat during his lunch break?

  1. Potato chips

  2. Corn chips

  3. Tortilla chips

  4. Cheese puffs
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Willy Loman is often seen eating potato chips during his lunch break, representing his mundane and unfulfilling life.

Multiple choice

In the novel "The Lord of the Rings", what kind of chips do the hobbits enjoy eating during their journey?

  1. Potato chips

  2. Corn chips

  3. Tortilla chips

  4. Lembas bread
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The hobbits in "The Lord of the Rings" eat lembas bread, a special type of elven bread that sustains them on their journey.

Multiple choice

In the novel "The Color Purple", what kind of chips does Celie eat while working in the fields?

  1. Potato chips

  2. Corn chips

  3. Tortilla chips

  4. Crackers
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Celie eats crackers, not chips, while working in the fields, symbolizing her simple and meager existence.

Multiple choice

In the novel "One Hundred Years of Solitude", what kind of chips does the Buendía family serve at their dinner table?

  1. Potato chips

  2. Corn chips

  3. Tortilla chips

  4. Yuca chips
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The Buendía family in "One Hundred Years of Solitude" serves yuca chips, a traditional Colombian snack, at their dinner table.

Multiple choice

In the novel "The Great Gatsby", what kind of chips does Gatsby serve at his parties?

  1. Potato chips

  2. Corn chips

  3. Tortilla chips

  4. Mixed chips
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Gatsby serves a variety of chips at his parties, including potato chips, corn chips, and tortilla chips.