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

In the painting "Nighthawks" by Edward Hopper, what does the diner represent?

  1. Loneliness and isolation

  2. Urban decay and decline

  3. The hustle and bustle of city life

  4. The comfort and warmth of home
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Hopper's "Nighthawks" depicts a diner late at night, with four solitary figures sitting at the counter, conveying a sense of loneliness, isolation, and the emptiness of urban life.

Multiple choice

Which book has won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work – Fiction?

  1. The Color Purple

  2. Beloved

  3. Song of Solomon

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

The Color Purple by Alice Walker won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work – Fiction in 1983.

Multiple choice

Which book has won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work – Nonfiction?

  1. The Autobiography of Malcolm X

  2. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

  3. Roots: The Saga of an American Family

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

The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X and Alex Haley won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work – Nonfiction in 1966.

Multiple choice

Which book has won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work – Poetry?

  1. And Still I Rise

  2. The Black Unicorn

  3. For My People

  4. A Litany for Survival
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

And Still I Rise by Maya Angelou won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work – Poetry in 1978.

Multiple choice

In the science fiction world of Ursula K. Le Guin's 'The Left Hand of Darkness', what is the name of the planet where the story takes place?

  1. Gethen

  2. Urras

  3. Anarres

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

Gethen is a planet where the inhabitants are ambisexual and experience periodic changes in their gender.

Multiple choice

In the dystopian world of Margaret Atwood's 'The Handmaid's Tale', what is the name of the totalitarian regime that controls the Republic of Gilead?

  1. The Sons of Jacob

  2. The Eyes of God

  3. The Handmaids

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

The Sons of Jacob is the ruling regime in Gilead, which enforces a strict and oppressive patriarchal society.

Multiple choice

What is the name of the Symbolist movement's journal?

  1. The Yellow Book

  2. The Green Book

  3. The Blue Book

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

The Yellow Book was a British literary and artistic journal that published works by Symbolist writers and artists.

Multiple choice

What is the name of the ballet choreographed by Liam Scarlett in 2016, which is based on the classic novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald and features a score by Thomas Adès?

  1. The Great Gatsby

  2. The Winter's Tale

  3. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

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

The Great Gatsby, choreographed by Liam Scarlett in 2016, is based on the classic novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald and features a score by Thomas Adès.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is a book about skateboarding?

  1. Dogtown: The Birth of Skateboarding

  2. The Lords of Dogtown

  3. Skateboarding: The Complete Guide

  4. All of the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Dogtown: The Birth of Skateboarding, The Lords of Dogtown, and Skateboarding: The Complete Guide are all books about skateboarding.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is a book about surfing?

  1. The Endless Summer

  2. Blue Crush

  3. Point Break

  4. All of the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The Endless Summer is a book about surfing.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is a book about snowboarding?

  1. The Snowboarder's Bible

  2. The TransWorld SNOWboarding Guide

  3. The Shred Show Book

  4. All of the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The Snowboarder's Bible, The TransWorld SNOWboarding Guide, and The Shred Show Book are all books about snowboarding.

Multiple choice

In Ernest Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea, what is the name of the old fisherman who struggles to catch a giant marlin?

  1. Santiago

  2. Manolin

  3. The Old Man

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

Santiago is the old fisherman who struggles to catch a giant marlin.

Multiple choice

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

  1. The Joads

  2. The Wilsons

  3. The Thompsons

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

The Joads are the family who is forced to leave their Oklahoma farm during the Dust Bowl.

Multiple choice

In the classic adventure tale "Robinson Crusoe", what is the protagonist's primary obstacle?

  1. The harsh conditions of the island

  2. The lack of resources

  3. The loneliness and isolation

  4. The fear of cannibals
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Robinson Crusoe finds himself stranded on a deserted island, where he must overcome the harsh environment, lack of resources, and loneliness to survive.

Multiple choice

In the adventure novel "The Call of the Wild", what is the primary obstacle that Buck faces?

  1. The harsh conditions of the Yukon wilderness

  2. The brutal treatment by humans

  3. The loss of his former life

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

Buck, a domesticated dog, is thrust into the harsh and unforgiving Yukon wilderness, where he must adapt and overcome the extreme conditions to survive.