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 his memoir, (B)orn a Crime, Trevor Noah recounts his childhood growing up in apartheid South Africa. What is the central theme of this memoir?

  1. The absurdity and cruelty of apartheid

  2. The resilience and humor of the human spirit in the face of adversity

  3. The importance of education and opportunity for all children

  4. The power of storytelling to heal and unite people
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Noah's memoir is a humorous and heartwarming account of his childhood in apartheid South Africa, and how he used humor and resilience to cope with the challenges he faced.

Multiple choice

In his memoir, (T)he Fire This Time, James Baldwin collects essays and speeches that explore the state of race relations in America. What is the central theme of this memoir?

  1. The urgent need for racial justice and equality

  2. The history of racism and discrimination in America

  3. The personal experiences of Black Americans with racism

  4. The role of art and literature in the fight for civil rights
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Baldwin's memoir is a powerful call for racial justice and equality, and a condemnation of the racism and discrimination that Black Americans have faced throughout history.

Multiple choice

Which book by Michael Morpurgo tells the story of a young boy who befriends a war horse during World War I?

  1. War Horse

  2. The Silver Brumby

  3. The Outsiders

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

Michael Morpurgo's War Horse is a novel that portrays the experiences of a horse named Joey during World War I.

Multiple choice

Which book by Laura Hillenbrand tells the story of the legendary racehorse Seabiscuit?

  1. Seabiscuit: An American Legend

  2. The Horse Whisperer

  3. Black Beauty

  4. Misty of Chincoteague
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Laura Hillenbrand's Seabiscuit: An American Legend chronicles the life and career of the legendary racehorse Seabiscuit.

Multiple choice

Which book by Harper Lee features a character named Atticus Finch who owns a horse named Jem?

  1. To Kill a Mockingbird

  2. The Great Gatsby

  3. The Catcher in the Rye

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

In Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus Finch owns a horse named Jem.

Multiple choice

In The Great Gatsby, what is the name of the horse that Daisy Buchanan rides?

  1. Seabiscuit

  2. The Piebald

  3. Misty

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

In F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan rides a horse named Daisy.

Multiple choice

Which book by J.D. Salinger features a character named Holden Caulfield who rides a horse named D.B.?

  1. The Catcher in the Rye

  2. To Kill a Mockingbird

  3. The Great Gatsby

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

In J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield rides a horse named D.B.

Multiple choice

In which novel does Jane Austen explore the themes of love, marriage, and social class?

  1. Pride and Prejudice

  2. Sense and Sensibility

  3. Emma

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

Pride and Prejudice is one of Jane Austen's most famous novels, known for its exploration of love and social class.

Multiple choice

What is the name of the famous love story written by Charles Dickens?

  1. A Tale of Two Cities

  2. David Copperfield

  3. Great Expectations

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

A Tale of Two Cities is a historical novel by Charles Dickens, known for its romantic subplot.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is not a famous romantic novel by Alexandre Dumas?

  1. The Three Musketeers

  2. The Count of Monte Cristo

  3. The Man in the Iron Mask

  4. Notre-Dame de Paris
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The Three Musketeers is a historical adventure novel, not primarily a romantic novel.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is an example of a medieval fabliau?

  1. The Reeve's Tale

  2. The Miller's Tale

  3. The Wife of Bath's Tale

  4. The Pardoner's Tale
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The Reeve's Tale is a medieval fabliau that tells the story of a miller who is tricked by his wife and her lover.

Multiple choice

In Dashiell Hammett's novel "The Maltese Falcon", what is the name of the elusive and valuable artifact that everyone is searching for?

  1. The Maltese Falcon

  2. The Black Mask

  3. The Golden Fleece

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

The Maltese Falcon is a priceless statuette that becomes the object of desire for various characters in the novel, leading to a complex web of intrigue and deception.

Multiple choice

In which novel does a young woman travel back in time to the American Revolution?

  1. Outlander

  2. The Scarlet Pimpernel

  3. The Time Traveler's Wife

  4. The Girl Who Drank the Moon
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Outlander is a series of novels by Diana Gabaldon that follows Claire Randall, a 20th-century woman who travels back in time to 18th-century Scotland.

Multiple choice

Which YA novel is set during the American Civil War and follows the story of a young woman who disguises herself as a boy to join the Union Army?

  1. The Red Badge of Courage

  2. Little Women

  3. Gone with the Wind

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

Soldier Girl is a novel by Alexandra Fuller that tells the story of a young woman named Kif who disguises herself as a boy to join the Union Army during the American Civil War.

Multiple choice

In which novel does a young man travel back in time to the days of King Arthur?

  1. A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court

  2. The Once and Future King

  3. The Mists of Avalon

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

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court is a novel by Mark Twain that tells the story of a 19th-century American man who travels back in time to the days of King Arthur.