How to prepare for MA English?

How to prepare for MA English?

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Many people are asking for help as how they should do the preparation of MA English (especially from  University),some are sending private messages to me as well. Well, the course, the books are available in the market. NKM books can be consulted. Though the material in these books is not of high quality, but still sufficient to carry u through the exam. All u have to do is to prepare right questions from each book, here u need some guidance. I am posting all the questions related to these books in the course prescribed by Punjab University.

There are five papers in Part 1 and five in part 2.
Each paper has 5 to 6 authors and u should prepare minimum 4 authors of each paper in order to attempt 100% paper (as you have to attempt minimum 4 questions in each paper and usually, at least one question is asked from each book). So if u prepare 4 authors of each paper u can attempt that paper.

Prepare the following questions and consult past papers to know the paper pattern. It will be beneficial to u.

Questions for MA English (Part 1)

Paper 1 - Classical Poetry

1. Chaucer  - “The Prologue to the Canterbury Tales”

i. Chaucer’s Humour / Satire / Irony
ii. Chaucer’s art of Characterization
iii. Chaucer as a modern poet (humour, secularism etc.)
iv. Chaucer’s ecclesiastical characters (Church’s hypocrisy, Comparison & contrast between the characters)
v. Chaucer’s female characters

2. Alexander Pope – “Rape of the Lock”

i. “Rape of the Lock” as social satire
ii. “Rape of the Lock” as comic epic / mock epic
iii. Use of machinery (Supernatural elements etc.)
iv. Pope’s attitude towards women (Belinda’s character, Social satire)
v. Moral of the “Rape of the Lock”

3. Milton – “Paradise Lost”

i. Milton’s grand style
ii. Portrayal of Satan in “Paradise Lost”
iii. Who is the hero of Paradise Lost?
iv. Character sketch of Adam
v. Character sketch of Eve

4. Surrey & Wyatt

i. Surrey & Wyatt’s contribution of English Poetry
ii. Surrey & Wyatt as Sonnet writers (Comparison and Contrast)
iii. Critical appreciation of their Sonnets
Paper 2 – Drama

1. Sophocles – “Oedipus Rex”

i. Concept of Fate & Free will / Fate & Character
ii. Oedipus as a tragic Hero / Oedipus’ Hamartia
iii. Irony in Oedipus
iv. Role of Chorus

2. Marlow – “Dr. Faustus”

i. “Dr. Faustus” as a renaissance play
ii. “Dr. Faustus” as morality play
iii. “Dr. Faustus” as a modern tragedy / Spiritual Conflicts in the mind of Dr. Faustus
iv. Marlow’s contribution to English Drama
v. “Dr. Faustus” Character sketch (as a typical Marlow’s hero, qualities of Marlow’s hero)

3. Shakespeare – “Othello”

i. Othello’s character sketch
ii. Iago’s character sketch
iii. “Othello” as a social Tragedy (race & colour an important factor in Othello’s tragedy)
iv. Role of Chance & Misunderstanding (Chance Happening)

4. Oscar Wilde – “Importance of Being Earnest”

i. “Importance of Being Earnest” as a comedy (satire, style etc.)
ii. “Importance of Being Earnest” as a social satire
iii. Use of wit & paradoxical statements (Irony)
iv. Algernon’s Character sketch
v. Jack’s Character sketch
Paper 3 - Novel

1.   Jane Austin - "Pride and Prejudice"

i. Jane Austin as a novelist (it will be a general question on Jane Austin encompassing all her writing techniques e.g. Limited Range, Irony etc).
ii. Jane Austin's Limited Range
iii. Jane Austin's Irony
iv. Themes of Marriage, Money and Manners.
v. Character sketch of Elizabeth
vi. Lack of Passion in Jane Austin's novels
vii. Jane Austen’s art of Characterization

2.   George Eliot - "Adam Bede"

i. George Eliot as a psychological / modern novelist
ii. Character sketch of Adam Bede
iii. Character sketch of Hetty Sorrel
iv. Character sketch of Dinnah Morris
v. Relationship between Adam and Dinnah
vi. Theme of Hardness (Adam doesn’t show politeness. He judges everyone according to morality so he can’t develop relationships)

3.  Charles Dickens - "A Tale of Two Cities"

i. "A Tale of Two Cities" as an historical novel
ii. Dickens’ attitude towards French Revolution
iii. Symbolism in the novel
iv. Theme of resurrection & renunciation
v. How public events and private lives are interlinked in the novel?

4.  Thomas Hardy - "Return of the Native"

i. Character sketch of Clym
ii. Character sketch of Eustacia
iii. Role of Egdon Heath / nature
iv. Role of chance and coincidence / Role of fate
v. Hardy as a pessimist
vi. Hardy as an ameliorist
Paper 4 – Prose

1. Francis Bacon - “Essays”

i. Bacon’s Style (proverbial style, aphorisms, pithy style etc.)
ii. Bacon’s Worldly Wisdom
iii. Renaissance element in Bacon

2. Jonathan Swift – “Gulliver’s Travels”

i. Swift as a satirist
ii. Swift as a misanthrope
iii. Element of Utopia in “Gulliver’s Travels”
iv. Irony in “Gulliver’s Travels”

3. Bertrand Russell – “Unpopular Essays”

i. Bertrand Russell as prose writer / Bertrand Russell’s style
ii. A general note on his essays can be asked.

4. Seamus Heaney – “Redress of Poetry”

i. Heaney as a Prose Writer / Heaney’s Style
ii. Heaney’s arguments in favour of poetry

Paper 5 – American Literature

A. Poetry

1. Sylvia Plath

i. Critical appreciation of poems
ii. Psychological problems of Sylvia Plath
iii. Ambivalence in Sylvia Plath
iv. General Question on American Psyche

2. John Ashbery

i. Critical appreciation of poems

3. Adrienne Rich

i. Critical appreciation of poems

4. Richard Wilbur

i. Critical appreciation of poems

B. Drama

1. Arthur Miller – “The Crucible”

i. Theme of individual & society
ii. Character sketch of Proctor
iii. Character sketch of Abigale
iv. Puritanism in the play

2. Eugene O’Neil – “Mourning Becomes Electra”

i. O’Neil’s Tragic Vision
ii. Character sketch of Electra

C. Novel

1. Ernest Hemingway – “For Whom the Bell Tolls”

i. Robert Jordan as a Tragic Hero
ii. Is “For Whom the Bell Tolls” a political novel? (Answer: No)
iii. Hemingway as a novelist / Hemingway’s style
iv. Discuss Jordan - Maria Relationship
v. Concept of ritual & morality in the novel
vi. Motives behind Jordan’s Sacrifice

Questions for MA English (Part 2)

Paper 1 - Poetry

Section A

1. S.T. Coleridge

i. Coleridge as a poet of supernatural
ii. Coleridge as a romantic poet
iii. Moral of “The Ancient Mariner”
iv. Critical appreciation of three poems in the course
v. Coleridge as a poet of nature & beauty

2. John Keats

a. Questions on Keats’ Odes

i. Keats’ odes (A general question on odes, i.e., development of thought, unity in Keats’ odes)
ii. Critical appreciation of odes
iii. Keats as an escapist
iv. Keats as a Romantic Poet (poet of beauty, of nature)
v. Sensuousness in Keats’ poetry
vi. Keats’ negative capability
vii. Keats’ Hellenism
viii. Keats as pure poet

b. Questions on “Hyperion”

i. Autobiographical element in “Hyperion”
ii. Theme of evolution
iii. Symbolism in “Hyperion”
iv. “Hyperion” as an Epic poem

2. William Blake

i. Critical Appreciation of poems
ii. Blake as a romantic poet (Blake’s mysticism)
iii. Comparison & Contrast of the poems of “The Song of Innocence” & “The Song of Experience”

Section B

1. Philip Larkin

i. Important features of Larkin’s poetry
ii. Larkin as a movement poet
iii. Larkin as a poet of realism
iv. Larkin’s attitude towards moderns
v. Critical appreciation of poems
vi. Themes of Larkin’s poetry

2. Seamus Heaney

i. Critical appreciation of poems
ii. Themes
iii. Symbolism in Heaney’s poetry
iv. Heaney as a poet of exile

3. Ted Hughes

i. Animal imagery in his poems
ii. Themes
iii. Critical appreciation of poems

Paper 2 – Drama

1. Henrik Ibsen – “Hedda Gabler”

i. “Hedda Gabler” as a tragic play
ii. Psychological problems of Hedda Gabler / Character sketch of “Hedda Gabler”
iii. “Hedda Gabler” as a tragic play

2. Beckett – “Waiting for Godot”

i. “Waiting for Godot” a play about absurd
ii. Human relationships in the play
iii. “Waiting for Godot” as an existentialist play
iv. Different themes in the play
v. Use of Language / Role of Language
vi. “Waiting for Godot” as a tragi-comedy
vii. Who is Godot?
viii. Structure of the play

3. Anton Chekov – “The Cherry Orchard”

i. Symbolism in “The Cherry Orchard”
ii. Theme of change
iii. “The Cherry Orchard” a comedy or a tragedy?
iv. Compare characters of Lopakhin and Trophimov
v. “The Cherry Orchard” as a social or political play

4. Edward Bond – “The Sea”

i. Symbolism in “The Sea”
ii. Theme of individual and society
iii. Character sketches of main characters (Mrs. Rafi, Mr. Hatch)
iv. “The Sea” as a tragic-comedy

Paper 3 – Novel

1. Joseph Conrad – “Heart of Darkness”

i. Symbolism in “Heart of Darkness”
ii. Character sketch of Mr. Kurtz
iii. Character sketch of Marlow
iv. Marlow as detective of Human soul
v. Conrad’s treatment of women
vi. Conrad’s style and technique
vii. Themes (imperialism, evil)

2. Achebe – “Things Fall Apart”

i. Significance of the Title  / Theme / Impact of British arrival on Igbo Culture
ii. Okonkwo as tragic hero
iii. “Things Fall Apart” as a tragedy
iv. Achebe’s style
v. Achebe’s  treatment of women
vi. Comparison between “Heart of Darkness” and “Things Fall Apart”

3. Ahmad Ali – “Twilight in Delhi”

i. Significance of the title “Twilight in Delhi”
ii. Impact of British imperialism on Muslim Culture of Delhi
iii. Characterstudy of Mir Nehal, Asghar
iv. Plight of Women
v. Themes (marriage, imperialism etc.)
vi. Ahmad Ali as a novelist
vii. Symbolism in novel

4. James Joyce – “Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man”

i. James Joyce’s style & technique (stream of consciousness, myth, irony, pun, poetic diction etc.)
ii. Character sketch of Stephen Dedalus
iii. James Joyce’s aesthetic theory of art

5. Virginia Woolf – “To the Light House”

i. How has Virginia Woolf used stream of consciousness technique?
ii. Symbolism in “To the Light House”
iii. Compare & contrast the characters of Mr. & Mrs. Ramsay
iv. Virginia Woolf as a feminist writer
v. Character study of Lime Brisko & symbolic importance of her paintings
vi. Themes of “To the Light House”
Paper 4 – Literary Criticism

1. Aristotle – “Poetics”

i. Aristotle’s theory of imitation
ii. Catharsis
iii. Tragedy
iv. Plot-Character relationship
v. Difference between epic & tragedy
vi. Ideal Tragic hero
vii. The tragic Plot

2. Philip Sidney – “An Apology for Poetry”

i. Sidney’s arguments in favour of poetry
ii. Answers to the objections against poetry
iii. Sidney’s theory of poetry
iv. Contribution of Sidney as a critic
v. Sidney as a renaissance epitome

3. T.S. Eliot– “The Critic (Tradition & Individual Talent)”

i. Eliot’s concept of tradition
ii. Theory of impersonality in poetry
iii. T.S. Eliot as a critic

4. Raymond Williams – “Modern Tragedy”

i. Summaries of 3 essays:
a. Tradition & Tragedy
b. Tragedy & contemporary ideas
c. Rejection of tragedy

ii. Raymond William as a critic
iii. Raymond William’s concept of tragedy