MH Literature and Literary Theory 3

Question 1

Post-colonial literary theory, as developed by scholars like Homi Bhabha, emphasizes which concept to describe hybrid cultural identities formed under colonialism?

Accepted Answer

Hybridity

Answer

Bhabha's concept of hybridity describes how colonial contact produces new, ambivalent cultural identities that are neither purely colonizer nor colonized.

Question 2

In Aristotle's 'Poetics,' what does 'catharsis' describe in the context of tragedy?

Accepted Answer

The emotional purging experienced by the audience

Answer

Aristotle described catharsis as the purgation or clarification of pity and fear that tragedy produces in its audience.

Question 3

Which concept from Northrop Frye's 'Anatomy of Criticism' classifies literary works into four seasonal archetypes?

Accepted Answer

Mythos

Answer

Frye's four mythoi (comedy, romance, tragedy, irony/satire) correspond to the seasonal cycle and provide an archetypal framework for classifying literature.

Question 4

Which American author is best known for pioneering the 'stream of consciousness' technique in works like 'The Sound and the Fury'?

Accepted Answer

William Faulkner

Answer

Faulkner's 'The Sound and the Fury' uses multiple stream-of-consciousness narrators, including the cognitively impaired Benjy, to fragmented effect.

Question 5

What is the primary concern of 'narratology' as a branch of literary theory?

Accepted Answer

The structure and function of narrative

Answer

Narratology systematically studies the structure, form, and function of narrative across different media and genres.

MH - Master of Humanities Practice Test

MH - Master of Humanities Practice Test

MH Literature and Literary Theory 3