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

What is the mood of the short story "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman?

  1. Joyful

  2. Hopeful

  3. Ominous

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

The story is about a woman who is suffering from postpartum depression. She is confined to her room by her husband, and she begins to see strange things in the wallpaper. The mood of the story is depressing because the woman's mental state is deteriorating.

Multiple choice

What is the tone of the short story "The Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin?

  1. Joyful

  2. Hopeful

  3. Romantic

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

The story is about a woman who learns that her husband has died. She is initially grief-stricken, but she then begins to feel a sense of freedom. The tone of the story is tragic because the woman's happiness is short-lived.

Multiple choice

What is the tone of the short story "Hills Like White Elephants" by Ernest Hemingway?

  1. Humorous

  2. Sarcastic

  3. Tragic

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

The story is about a man and a woman who are discussing the woman's pregnancy. The man wants her to have an abortion, but she is hesitant. The tone of the story is ironic because the man and the woman are talking about something that is very serious, but they are doing it in a very casual way.

Multiple choice

What is the mood of the short story "The Garden Party" by Katherine Mansfield?

  1. Joyful

  2. Hopeful

  3. Nostalgic

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

The story is about a young woman who is attending a garden party. She is initially excited about the party, but she then begins to feel disillusioned. The mood of the story is bittersweet because the woman is both happy and sad. She is happy to be at the party, but she is also aware that it is a superficial event.

Multiple choice

What is the tone of the short story "The Night Oak Street Burned Down" by Thomas Wolfe?

  1. Humorous

  2. Sarcastic

  3. Tragic

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

The story is about a young boy who witnesses a fire that destroys his neighborhood. The tone of the story is nostalgic because the boy is remembering a time when he was happy and carefree.

Multiple choice

What is the tone of the short story "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien?

  1. Humorous

  2. Sarcastic

  3. Tragic

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

The story is about a group of soldiers who are fighting in the Vietnam War. The tone of the story is ironic because the soldiers are fighting for a cause that they don't believe in.

Multiple choice

What is the mood of the short story "The Joy Luck Club" by Amy Tan?

  1. Joyful

  2. Hopeful

  3. Nostalgic

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

The story is about a group of Chinese women who meet regularly to play mahjong and tell stories. The mood of the story is bittersweet because the women are both happy and sad. They are happy to be together, but they are also aware that their lives are changing.

Multiple choice

What is the tone of the short story "The House on Mango Street" by Sandra Cisneros?

  1. Humorous

  2. Sarcastic

  3. Tragic

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

The story is about a young Latina girl who is growing up in a poor neighborhood. The tone of the story is nostalgic because the girl is remembering a time when she was happy and carefree.

Multiple choice

Which biography by Dominique Lapierre and Larry Collins chronicles the life of Mother Teresa?

  1. Something Beautiful for God

  2. City of Joy

  3. Freedom at Midnight

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

Dominique Lapierre and Larry Collins' biography, "Something Beautiful for God," tells the inspiring story of Mother Teresa's life and her tireless work with the poor and destitute.

Multiple choice

What was the name of the clever barber who outwitted the king in the story "The Barber and the King"?

  1. Birbal

  2. Tenali Raman

  3. Raja Birbal

  4. Mulla Nasruddin
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Tenali Raman was the clever barber who used his wit to outsmart the king and save his own 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.