English Language

Literary Analysis

4,216 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

What is the name of the satirical play that was written by Aristophanes in 425 BC?

  1. The Clouds

  2. The Wasps

  3. The Frogs

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

The Clouds is a satirical play that was written by Aristophanes in 425 BC. It tells the story of a young man who goes to a school for philosophers and learns how to argue both sides of any issue. He then uses his newfound skills to swindle his creditors.

Multiple choice

Which elegy by Matthew Arnold mourns the death of his father, Thomas Arnold?

  1. Dover Beach

  2. The Scholar-Gypsy

  3. Thyrsis

  4. To Marguerite
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Arnold's elegy 'Thyrsis' is a deeply personal and moving tribute to his father.

Multiple choice

In ___, Abraham Verghese explores the trauma of a Jewish family's migration from India to the United States.

  1. Cutting for Stone

  2. My Name is Red

  3. The Inheritance of Loss

  4. The God of Small Things
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Abraham Verghese's novel 'Cutting for Stone' follows the story of a Jewish family's migration from India to the United States and the trauma they face.

Multiple choice

In ___, Amitav Ghosh weaves a tale of a Jewish family's journey from Burma to India during World War II.

  1. The Glass Palace

  2. Sea of Poppies

  3. The Hungry Tide

  4. River of Smoke
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Amitav Ghosh's novel 'The Glass Palace' follows the story of a Jewish family's migration from Burma to India during World War II.

Multiple choice

In ___, Abraham Verghese explores the trauma of a Jewish family's migration from India to the United States.

  1. Cutting for Stone

  2. My Name is Red

  3. The Inheritance of Loss

  4. The God of Small Things
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Abraham Verghese's novel 'Cutting for Stone' follows the story of a Jewish family's migration from India to the United States and the trauma they face.

Multiple choice

Which historical musical is set during the French Revolution?

  1. Les Misérables

  2. The Phantom of the Opera

  3. Chicago

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

Les Misérables is a historical musical that tells the story of a group of people during the French Revolution.

Multiple choice

Which historical musical is set during the Victorian era?

  1. The Phantom of the Opera

  2. Chicago

  3. Cats

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

The Phantom of the Opera is a historical musical that tells the story of a masked figure who terrorizes the Paris Opera House.

Multiple choice

Which historical musical is set during the Great Depression?

  1. Cats

  2. The Lion King

  3. Wicked

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

Cats is a historical musical that tells the story of a group of cats who live in a junkyard.

Multiple choice

Which historical musical is set during the AIDS crisis?

  1. Chess

  2. Hair

  3. Dreamgirls

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

Rent is a historical musical that tells the story of a group of young people who are living in New York City during the AIDS crisis.

Multiple choice

Which historical musical is set during the Great Recession?

  1. Dreamgirls

  2. Rent

  3. Come From Away

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

Hamilton is a historical musical that tells the story of Alexander Hamilton, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States.

Multiple choice

Which historical musical is set during the COVID-19 pandemic?

  1. Rent

  2. Come From Away

  3. Hamilton

  4. Jagged Little Pill
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Jagged Little Pill is a historical musical that tells the story of a family who is struggling with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Multiple choice

Which historical musical is set during the January 6th attack on the Capitol?

  1. Hamilton

  2. Jagged Little Pill

  3. Caroline, or Change

  4. The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a historical musical that tells the story of a group of middle school students who are competing in a spelling bee.

Multiple choice

In the novel The Great Gatsby, what type of salad dressing does Daisy Buchanan prefer?

  1. French dressing

  2. Thousand Island dressing

  3. Ranch dressing

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

In Chapter 7 of The Great Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan is described as preferring vinaigrette dressing on her salad.

Multiple choice

In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, what type of salad dressing does Atticus Finch use on his salad?

  1. French dressing

  2. Italian dressing

  3. Ranch dressing

  4. Thousand Island dressing
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

In Chapter 11 of To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus Finch is described as using French dressing on his salad.

Multiple choice

In the novel The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, what type of salad dressing does Holden Caulfield use on his salad?

  1. French dressing

  2. Italian dressing

  3. Ranch dressing

  4. Thousand Island dressing
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

In Chapter 10 of The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield is described as using French dressing on his salad.