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

Which autobiography was banned in Israel for its portrayal of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict?

  1. My Promised Land by Ari Shavit

  2. The Lemon Tree by Sandy Tolan

  3. The Occupation of the West Bank by Meron Benvenisti

  4. The Iron Cage by Rashid Khalidi
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

My Promised Land by Ari Shavit was banned in Israel for its portrayal of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and its criticism of the Israeli government.

Multiple choice

Which autobiography was banned in the United Kingdom for its portrayal of the British Empire?

  1. The Empire Strikes Back by Salman Rushdie

  2. Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie

  3. Shame by Salman Rushdie

  4. The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The Empire Strikes Back by Salman Rushdie was banned in the United Kingdom for its portrayal of the British Empire and its criticism of the British government.

Multiple choice

Which autobiography was banned in the United States for its portrayal of the American Civil War?

  1. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave by Frederick Douglass

  2. Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup

  3. Up from Slavery by Booker T. Washington

  4. The Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B. Du Bois
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave by Frederick Douglass was banned in the United States for its portrayal of the American Civil War and its criticism of the American government.

Multiple choice

Which autobiography was banned in the United States for its portrayal of the American Indian Wars?

  1. Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee by Dee Brown

  2. The Trail of Tears by John Ehle

  3. The Indian Removal Act by Andrew Jackson

  4. The Battle of Little Bighorn by Evan S. Connell
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee by Dee Brown was banned in the United States for its portrayal of the American Indian Wars and its criticism of the American government.

Multiple choice

Which autobiography was banned in the United States for its portrayal of the Vietnam War?

  1. The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien

  2. Matterhorn by Karl Marlantes

  3. The Short-Timers by Gustav Hasford

  4. Going After Cacciato by Tim O'Brien
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien was banned in the United States for its portrayal of the Vietnam War and its criticism of the American government.

Multiple choice

Which autobiography was banned in the United States for its portrayal of the Iraq War?

  1. The Yellow Birds by Kevin Powers

  2. The Forever War by Dexter Filkins

  3. The Good Soldiers by David Finkel

  4. The Long Road Home by Martha Raddatz
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The Yellow Birds by Kevin Powers was banned in the United States for its portrayal of the Iraq War and its criticism of the American government.

Multiple choice

Which autobiography was banned in the United States for its portrayal of the War on Terror?

  1. The Guantanamo Diaries by Mohamedou Ould Slahi

  2. My Guantanamo Diary by Murat Kurnaz

  3. The Torture Report by the Senate Intelligence Committee

  4. The Drone Papers by The Intercept
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The Guantanamo Diaries by Mohamedou Ould Slahi was banned in the United States for its portrayal of the War on Terror and its criticism of the American government.

Multiple choice

Which autobiography was banned in the United States for its portrayal of the Black Lives Matter movement?

  1. Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates

  2. The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander

  3. Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson

  4. White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates was banned in the United States for its portrayal of the Black Lives Matter movement and its criticism of the American government.

Multiple choice

In Franz Kafka's 'The Metamorphosis', what is the psychological horror experienced by Gregor Samsa?

  1. Isolation and alienation

  2. Fear of transformation

  3. Loss of identity

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

The psychological horror in 'The Metamorphosis' stems from Gregor Samsa's isolation and alienation from his family and society due to his transformation into a giant insect.

Multiple choice

In Margaret Atwood's 'The Handmaid's Tale', what is the psychological horror experienced by the women in Gilead?

  1. Loss of freedom and autonomy

  2. Oppressive society

  3. Fear of the unknown

  4. Isolation and loneliness
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The psychological horror in 'The Handmaid's Tale' stems from the women's loss of freedom and autonomy in a totalitarian society where they are treated as mere reproductive vessels.

Multiple choice

In Kazuo Ishiguro's 'Never Let Me Go', what is the psychological horror faced by the clones?

  1. Existential dread

  2. Fear of death

  3. Loss of identity

  4. Isolation and loneliness
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The psychological horror in 'Never Let Me Go' revolves around the clones' existential dread and their struggle to find meaning and purpose in their lives, knowing that they are destined to die young.

Multiple choice

In the realm of literature, which renowned novel by Ernest Hemingway captures the essence of a young man's coming-of-age journey amidst the backdrop of the African wilderness?

  1. The Old Man and the Sea

  2. For Whom the Bell Tolls

  3. The Sun Also Rises

  4. A Farewell to Arms
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Ernest Hemingway's "The Sun Also Rises" delves into the experiences of a group of young expatriates as they navigate the complexities of love, loss, and personal growth against the backdrop of the African wilderness. The novel explores the profound impact of nature on the human psyche and the transformative power of travel.

Multiple choice

In the realm of literature, which iconic novel by Herman Melville delves into the complexities of human obsession and the destructive power of nature?

  1. Moby-Dick

  2. Billy Budd, Sailor

  3. Typee

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

Herman Melville's "Moby-Dick" is a profound exploration of human obsession and the destructive power of nature. The novel follows Captain Ahab's relentless pursuit of the elusive white whale, Moby-Dick, and delves into the depths of human nature, morality, and the relationship between humans and the natural world.

Multiple choice

In the realm of literature, which celebrated novel by Charles Darwin chronicles his groundbreaking voyage aboard the HMS Beagle and his observations of the natural world?

  1. On the Origin of Species

  2. The Descent of Man

  3. The Voyage of the Beagle

  4. The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Charles Darwin's "The Voyage of the Beagle" is a captivating account of his five-year journey aboard the HMS Beagle. The book chronicles his observations of the natural world, including the diversity of species and the evidence supporting his theory of evolution by natural selection.

Multiple choice

In the novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, what is the name of the painting that Dorian Gray commissions of himself, which then ages and decays instead of him?

  1. The Portrait of Dorian Gray

  2. The Picture of Dorian Gray

  3. The Image of Dorian Gray

  4. The Likeness of Dorian Gray
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The title of the novel is also the title of the painting that Dorian Gray commissions of himself.