Kerala University 2nd year B.A. Degree Examination, March 2009 Part – III Essay and Fiction

Second Year B.A. Degree Examination, March 2009
Part – III (Group – VIII (a)) : ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE
Main Paper – II : Essay and Fiction
(For 2005 Admission)
Time : 3 Hours Max. Marks : 100

I. Annotate any five of the following :

1) They perfect nature, and are perfected by experience; for natural abilities are like
natural plants, that need proyning by study.
2) ... let me assure you, sir, they are impostors, every one of them, and rather merit
a prison than relief.
3) As one grows older, no doubt, one cares less for the rarer kind of jewellery in
poetry.
4) There is a snobbery which, like virtue, is its own reward.
5 He is a preacher in cap and bells. He calls the crowd together with the jingle of
jest, and then preaches his sermon in extravagant satire.
6) The servitor's gown (worse than his school array) clung to him with Nessian
venom.
7) Such was Isocrates; such were some of the sophists; they were set on words, to
the neglect of thoughts or things.
8) .... and yet, here are wretches suffered to commit murthers by wholesale, and to
plunder, not only private persons and pockets, but even the king and the
Exchequer, without having any questions asked. (5×4=20 Marks)

II. Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow :

He now, therefore, assumed a look of importance, and in an angry tone began to
examine this sailor, demanding in what engagement he was thus disabled and rendered unfit for service. The sailor replied, in a tone as angrily as he, that he had been an officer on board a private ship of war, and that he had lost his leg abroad in defence of those who did nothing at home. At this reply, all my friend; importance vanished in a moment; he had not a single question more to ask; he now only studied what method he could take to relieve him unobserved. He had, however, no easy part to act, as he was obliged to preserve the appearance of ill-nature before me, and yet relieve himself by relieving the sailor. Casting therefore, a furious look upon some bundles of chips which the fellow carried in a string at his back, my friend demanded how he sold his matches; but not waiting for a reply, desired in a surly tone, to have a shilling's worth. The sailor seemed at first surprised at his demand, but soon recollected himself and presenting his whole bundle, "Here, master", says he, "take all my cargo and a blessing into the bargain".
1) Why did the author's friend assume a look of importance and a tone of anger ?
2) How did the sailor get disabled ?
3) Why did the author's friend want to relieve the sailor unobserved ?
4) How did he manage to relieve the unfortunate sailor ?
5) What is the meaning of "take all my cargo, and a blessing into the bargain" ?
(5×2=10 Marks)

III. Answer any five of the following, each in about 80 words, choosing at least one from each group.

Group – A
1) Which aspect of Santiago's character appeals to you ? Why ?
2) Santiago's shack.
3) Give a brief account of Santiago's return with his catch. -3- 1194

Group – B

1) The death of Durga.
2) The significance of the title Pather Panchali.
3) The character of Harihar.

Group – C

1) The character of Rajam
2) Describe the cage made by Balthazar.
3) The death of Mrs. Mallard. (5×4=20 Marks)

IV. Write an essay of about 300 words on any one of the following :

1) Gardiner's estimate of Bernard Shaw.
2) Summarise Newman's ideas on literature. (1×20=20 Marks)

V. Write an essay of about 300 words on one of the following :

1) "Man can be destroyed, but not defeated". Discuss this with reference to
Old Man and the Sea.
2) How does Pather Panchali portray Bengal society of the time ?
3) Political satire in "The Norwegian Rat". (1×20=20 Marks)

VI. Answer any two of the following, each in a paragraph of about 80 words
.
1) The formal features of the essay.
2) The principle of unity in short story.
3) Episodic novels. (2×5=10 Marks)
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