MEG -03 British Novel (Important Questions)

Q1. Discuss the importance of structure of Tom Jones in the context of its episodic form.
Ans- Introduction. It has been widely acknowledged that the plot of Tom Jones is remarkable
in the structural skill which it shows. Coleridge called it one of three most perfect plots ever
planned, the other two being the Oedipus Tyranus and The Alchemist. Many critics have
praised the "architectonic" skill of Fielding, and the "architectural qualities" of his novel.
However, a discordant note is struck by one critic, who declares: "The conventional talk
about the perfect construction of Tom Jones is absurd." This statement is in direct
contradiction of the view that "the plot of Tom Jones in its unity and completeness, is nearly
as perfect a plot as can be." Which of these statements is true of Tom Jones? Let us consider
the various aspects of the issue, i.e. how far Tom Jones has unity of plot.
Organic Plot. The plot of Tom Jones is found to be an organic whole. Its parts are well
related to one another. As R.S. Crane stipulates, a dynamic system of actions extends
throughout the novel. Divergent beliefs and intentions of different characters are made to
cooperate with the distance of fortune, to bring Tom into a precarious and incomplete
union, founded upon an affinity of nature in spite of disparity of status, with Allworthy and
Sophia. The same combination separates Tom as completely as possible from Sophia and
Allworthy, and finally brings all together in a more stable and complete union of affection
and fortune than Tom has ever known before. The episodes are well-knit and Fielding is
always in complete control over his material. His moral vision also governs the whole
movement of the novel.
Symmetry in Structure. The arrangement of the Books and chapters in Tom Jones shows
Fielding's sense of symmetry. The eighteen Books lend themselves to a clear-cut division into
three parts. The first deals with Tom's life in the countryside; the second with the highways;
and the third with life in London. The comic climax falls in the exact centre of the novel, the
Upton Inn chapters in Books IX and X. It is at this juncture that Jenny Jones, alias Mrs.
Waters, is re-introduced into the scheme of the novel. She is the character who is concerned
with both concealment and revelation of the true parentage of Tom. It is also at this point
that Tom and Sophia exchange their roles. Untill the situation in Upton Inn, Sophia has been
coming after Tom. From now on, it will be Tom who will follow Sophia. The symmetry of the
placement of the two major digressions in the novel has also been noted. The account of the
Man of the Hill occurs in Book VIII, while that of Mrs. Fitzpatrick comes in Book XI.
Other Factors Leading to Structural Unity. There are other factors which lend support to
the fact that Tom Jones is a carefully constructed novel. Tom's rural involvement with Molly
Seagrim is paralleled by his urban interlude with Lady Bellaston. The scene in Molly's
bedroom finds its counterpart in the scene in Tom's bedroom in London. The encounter
between Sophia and Blifil is matched by the encounter between Sophia and Lord Fellamar.
The characters too, are contrasted and balanced. Such clear-cut contrasts are obvious in
Tom and Blifil, Squires Allworthy and Western, Sophia and Molly, and again, Sophia and Mrs.
Fitzpatrick, or Sophia and Lady Bellaston. Thwackum and Square offer their own contrasts.
There is yet another factor which leads to the sense of structural unity. We see the
repeated appearance of certain objects and persons. The hundred-pound bill which was lost
by Sophia helps Tom in following her. Later, it gives him an excuse for visiting her at the
residence of Lady Bellaston. Sophia's muff, similarly, plays an important role. It first shows
Tom that Sophia loved him. Its presence in Upton Inn serves to remind him of his sexual
indiscretion. The different characters, such as Dowling, Jenny Jones, Ensign Northerton, and
Anderson, keep coming across Tom. All this helps the novel to attain a structural unity. Each
character and most of the incidents have their own place in the novel.
Digressions: Major Drawback in Tom Jones. Tom Jones has remarkable architectural
qualities; the symmetry of the arrangement of incidents and the presentation of characters
shows this. But one cannot call the plot perfect'; it becomes necessary to tone down
Coleridge's enthusiastic praise for it, The two major digressions are not very acceptable to
modern critics, though there have been attempts to justify them. They are not completely
irrelevant, though they do not further the narrative in any way. The contrast between the
attitudes of the Man of the Hill and Tom, is brought out by the story of the Man of the Hill.
The injustice meted out by the world has made a recluse out of the Man of the Hill, while
similar injustice has made Tom take it up as a challenge. Tom does not withdraw from
involvement in life. Mrs. Fitzpatrick's story does have facts which ultimately relate to the
novel. Furthermore, these digressions are in the style of epic convention, and Fielding was
writing a 'comic epic in prose'.
The minor digressions, however, cannot be excused with justification. They are, in no
way, relevant to the action—nor are they interesting in themselves.
Coincidences are Too Timely. Fielding does not actually violate the rules of probability
and possibility in Tom Jones. Some of the coincidences, however, are too pat and timely to
be fully convincing. The coincidences are really 'too happy', as one critic puts it. The most
striking of these is the arrival of Squire Western on the scene to rescue Sophia from being
raped by Lord Fellamar. The ending of the book is also slightly huddled and hasty. An
incident which seems almost to be contrived is that of Mrs. Arabella Hunt's proposal to Tom.
The plump young widow of a rich old Turkey merchant is rather abruptly brought on the
scene. The intention is obviously to show that Tom has, indeed, gained the ability to control
his sexual laxity, and to prove to Sophia that his devotion to her is total. But it is a clumsy
and contrived incident in the novel.
Conclusion. Tom Jones is not without flaws; hence, it cannot be called perfect in plot
construction. But the flaws are not such that they can detract much from the sense of
architectural skill we get from the novel. Fielding has tight control over his plot, which is very
complicated. It would be difficult to find a plot which has been carried through with more
consummate skill. It is only after we have read the book that we realise how most of the
trivial incidents and details have their place in the general scheme of the novel. What seems,
at first glance, a happy stroke of invention, reveals itself as part of the essential structure of
the book, without which the whole could not exist Fielding was, indeeduis superb a
craftsman in his own way as Henry James. Thus we can agree with the statement that "the
plot of Tom Jones, in its unity and completeness, is nearly as perfect a plot as can be." It
goes against the evidence offered by the novel to say that "the conventional talk about the
perfect construction of Tom Jones, is absurd".

Q2. Fielding ‘Tom jones’ depicts marriage as a socially arranged institution tilted in favor of
men?
Ans- In Henry Fielding's *Tom Jones* (1749), marriage is indeed portrayed as a socially
arranged institution, but it is not merely depicted as tilted in favor of men. Rather, Fielding
critiques the social norms and the institution of marriage in a way that reveals both the
advantages and disadvantages for men and women, though it’s clear that the structure of
society during the 18th century often left women in subordinate positions.
### Marriage and Gender Dynamics
1. **Marriage as a Social Contract**:
In *Tom Jones*, marriage is often shown as a social contract rather than a romantic union.
The characters' marriages are influenced by societal expectations, class, wealth, and status,
rather than by love or personal compatibility. This reflects the way marriage in the 18th
century was largely seen as a means to secure social standing and economic stability, often
overshadowing personal desires.
2. **The Patriarchal Nature of Society**:
The institution of marriage in the novel is undeniably patriarchal. Men generally hold
power over women, and many of the women in the story are subject to the control and
authority of male figures, whether they be fathers, husbands, or other men in society. For
example, characters like Sophia Western and Lady Bellaston are both constrained by societal
expectations and the actions of the men around them. Women are often expected to marry
for status or financial security, and they have limited agency within this framework.
3. **Tom’s Experiences**:
Tom Jones, the protagonist, is a young man who is, in many ways, the beneficiary of a
system that favors men in matters of inheritance, freedom, and social mobility. However,
Fielding presents him not as a perfect hero but as someone who is morally imperfect, often
indulging in his desires without regard to social propriety. While Tom’s actions and behavior
are excused by his status as a man, his relationships with women are complicated by the
imbalance of power in his favor.
4. **Sophia Western’s Agency**:
The character of Sophia Western, however, provides an interesting counterpoint to the
criticism of marriage. Sophia challenges the conventional roles expected of women. Her
resistance to the pressures of marrying for social advantage is a critique of the institution.
She refuses to marry her suitor, the wealthy and arrogant Mr. Blifil, because she does not
love him, despite the pressure from her father to secure the match. Her eventual choice of
Tom, based on genuine affection rather than social or financial gain, suggests that personal
agency can and should play a role in marriage, even if societal structures make it difficult for
women to have that choice.
### Conclusion
Fielding's *Tom Jones* critiques the institution of marriage as one deeply intertwined with
social and gender hierarchies. While marriage in the novel may seem to favor men,
particularly in terms of societal power and economic privilege, Fielding also reveals the
limitations and inequalities women face. He exposes the ways in which women are often
subjected to the demands of social expectation and the decisions of men. However,
characters like Sophia Western show that individual resistance and the quest for personal
happiness can still challenge the rigid norms of 18th-century marriage. Thus, while men
benefit from the patriarchal structure, Fielding also critiques this system by showing its harm
to women and the potential for subverting it.

Q3. In what way is 18th century society reflected in tom jones? do you think it is a realistic
reflection?
Ans- The 18th-century society is vividly reflected in *The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling*
(1749) by Henry Fielding, both in terms of social structures and cultural attitudes. The novel
portrays the class system, gender roles, moral values, and social expectations that
characterized the period, and it offers a satirical yet detailed examination of these aspects.
### Reflection of 18th-Century Society:
1. **Class Structure and Social Mobility**:
The novel reflects the rigid class hierarchy of the 18th century, where social mobility was
limited, and people were often defined by their birth. Tom Jones, born illegitimate,
represents the struggles of those who were born outside the accepted social framework.
Despite his noble ancestry, Tom's lower social status hinders his progress in society. The
novel frequently explores the contrast between the nobility (such as Squire Allworthy) and
the lower classes (such as the servant characters), often highlighting the corruption or moral
ambiguity found within both.
2. **Moral and Religious Attitudes**:
Religion and morality were significant in 18th-century England, and Fielding explores the
contradictions between outward piety and private vices. Characters like Lady Bellaston and
the hypocritical parson embody this theme, as they often preach virtue but engage in
immoral behavior. Fielding critiques the moral shortcomings of society, particularly through
satire, suggesting that outward appearances of virtue often mask deeper corruption.
3. **Gender Roles and Sexuality**:
Gender expectations are central to the novel, with women often expected to maintain
chastity and modesty, while men have more freedom to indulge their desires. Tom's sexual
exploits are portrayed with humor and adventure, but the female characters, such as Sophia
Western, are more constrained by society's sexual mores. The novel critiques the double
standard in how men and women are judged for their sexual behavior.
4. **Education and Enlightenment Ideas**:
The 18th century was a time of great intellectual development, with the Enlightenment
promoting reason, individualism, and progress. Tom's moral development throughout the
novel reflects the Enlightenment's emphasis on self-improvement. His journey from a naive,
flawed young man to a more morally aware individual mirrors the era's belief in personal
growth through experience and reflection.
5. **The Role of Marriage**:
Marriage is an important social institution in the novel, but it is also depicted as a complex
arrangement. Tom's pursuit of Sophia is emblematic of the romantic ideals of love, while
other characters like Squire Western are concerned with wealth, status, and propriety in
marriage. The novel shows how marriage is shaped by social conventions, and yet, it
suggests that true love can transcend those constraints.
### Realism of the Reflection:
Fielding’s *Tom Jones* can be considered a realistic reflection of 18th-century society in
many ways, but it also offers a satirical and idealized portrayal of certain aspects. While the
class system, gender roles, and social expectations are depicted with accuracy, the novel
often exaggerates or mocks these features, using humor and irony to point out the
absurdities of societal norms. For instance, Tom's journey and eventual success, despite his
lowly origins and numerous mistakes, might be seen as an overly optimistic view of social
mobility in a time when such opportunities were rare.
Moreover, Fielding's treatment of social issues, such as class and sexuality, is grounded in the
reality of the time but also serves as a critique of those very norms. The characters’ often
morally ambiguous behavior reflects the complexity and contradictions of human nature,
but it also exposes the limitations of the period’s moral framework.
In conclusion, *Tom Jones* offers both a realistic and exaggerated portrayal of 18th-century
society. It reflects the social and cultural dynamics of the time while using satire to comment
on the hypocrisy, injustices, and moral flaws that pervade those systems. The novel captures
the essence of its era while challenging its conventions, making it both a product of its time
and a work of timeless critique.
Q4. Discuss the themes of love and marriage in pride and prejudice? with special reference
to Elizabeth and darcy?
Ans- Pride and Prejudice is one of the most popular novels of Jane Austen due to its multi-
dimensional versatility of themes. Andrew H. Wright remarks: “ She (Jane Austen) develops
themes of the broadest significance, the novels go beyond social record, beneath the
didactic, to moral concern, perplexity and commitment”
One of the most important themes of Pride and Prejudice, love and marriage, is also the
central theme of the novel. The oft-quoted opening sentence of the novel demonstrates this
basic theme: “It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a
good fortune must be in want of a wife”
It is true that the chief preoccupation of Jane Austen’s heroines is getting married and life is
a matrimonial ceremony for them. Pride and Prejudice dramatizes the economic inequality
of women, showing how women had to marry undesirable mates in order to gain some
financial security. Marriage was a significant social concern in Jane Austen’s time and she
was fully conscious of the disadvantages of being single as she wrote to her niece Fanny
Knight, “Single women have a dreadful propensity for being poor….which is one very strong
argument in favour of matrimony”.
Through five marriages, Jane Austen defines good and bad reasons for marriage. Charlotte –
Collins, Lydia – Wickham, Jane – Bingley and Elizabeth – Darcy are the four newly-weds. The
old marriage is that of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet.
The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet is the worst example of its kind in the novel. They are
pole apart in their thoughts and temperaments. Their marriage is shown to be a disaster,
with the wife playing the part of a fool and the husband retreating to live an uninvolved life.
Jane Austin says about this marriage:
" Her (Elizabeth’s) father captivated by youth and beauty … had married a woman whose
weak understanding and illiberal mind had very early in their marriage put an end to all real
affection for her “. Their marriage lacks "emotional compatibility and intellectual
understanding". The Bennet’s marriage ends in mutual forbearance.
Charlotte and Collins are the first newly-weds. Charlotte agrees to marry Collins solely for
her financial security. It is relatively her advancing age that hastens her engagement.
Charlotte tries to justify her position by giving argumentative reasons to Elizabeth: “I am not
romantic you know, I never was, I ask only a comfortable home”. Thus, to Charlotte,
marriage is an economic transaction undertaken in self-interest.
The runaway marriage of Lydia-Wickham is based on mere superficial qualities as sex,
appearance, good looks and youthful flirtation. The passion between the unprincipled rake,
Wickham and the flighty Lydia is bound to cool, and in their unhappy conjugal life, mutual
toleration is the nearest approach that can be expected.
The marriage between Jane and Bingley is a successful marriage of its kind. Jane Austen
expresses her opinion about this marriage through the words of Elizabeth:
"All his (Bingley) expectations of felicity, to be rationally founded, because they had for basis
the excellent understanding, and super excellent disposition of Jane, and a general similarity
of feeling and taste between them."
However, unlike Darcy and Elizabeth, there is no planning in their relationships. Both the
characters are too gullible and too good-hearted to ever act strongly against external forces
that may attempt to separate them. So, their marriage is in between success and failure.
The fifth and final example of marriage is that of Elizabeth and Darcy. It is a kind of an ideal
marriage based on the true understanding and cross examinations. According to Jane Austen
, the courtship of Darcy and Elizabeth is a perfect union which sums up the purpose of her
novel. Although it begins with the pride and prejudice; it passes through many stages as "it
converts from full hatred to complete admiration and satisfaction" . For Darcy, Elizabeth is
no longer the woman who is "not handsome enough to tempt (him)", as he admits that “… it
is many months since I have considered [Elizabeth] as one of the handsomest women of my
acquaintance.”. Also for Elizabeth , he is no longer "the last man in the world whom (she)
could ever be prevailed on to marry" but he becomes the "man who in disposition and
talents , would most suit her" .
Thus the theme of love and marriage is very aptly exemplified in Pride and Prejudice.
Beginning with the arrival of Bingley and Darcy, both single men “in possession of a good
fortune”, the novel traces the courtship of Jane-Bingley and Elizabeth-Darcy through various
misunderstandings and hindrances, before they are happily married to each other. We can
sum up above discussion in the words of Elizabeth:
“There can be no doubt that it is settled between us already that we are to be the happiest
couple in the world.”

Q5. Pride and prejudice represents love as an impossibility in marriage. Do you agree?
Ans- Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is often lauded as one of the greatest romances in
British literature. Its comedic structure entertains readers with the fluctuations of Elizabeth
Bennet’s relationship with Mr. Darcy. However, this novel is more than a simple love story.
Although almost everyone marries by the end of the novel, some of the women of
Elizabeth’s world are not as well-matched with their husbands as she is with hers. Unlike
Elizabeth and Darcy’s affectionate relationship, many characters in the story make marriages
of convenience. The monetary and social stability that the marriage offers women is more
important than the compatibility of the spouses. Austen develops the plot to hint at a more
considered view on marriage. Certain formal aspects of the work further inform us on
Austen’s opinion of matrimony. In Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen uses satire,
characterization, and narrative voice to explore the vocational nature of marriage for women
in her society.
From the first line of Pride and Prejudice, the narrator reveals her satirical approach to
matrimony. If it was “a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a
good fortune, must be in want of a wife” then the women in the novel would not have to
struggle so much.i Mrs. Bennet would not have to actively seek husbands for her five
daughters. The marriageable women of the novel would not have to debate between
choosing spouses by preference and marrying for financial stability. There would not be any
kind of jealousy or competition between Miss Bingley and Elizabeth, or Elizabeth and Miss
King. The premise of this first line in the narrative opposes the action in the novel. A more
straightforward description of reality would have been that a single woman in possession of
no fortune must be in want of a husband. The irony of this initial sentence introduces the
novel masterfully. While Austen flips this truth to provide humor in her narrative, she
simultaneously sets the tone for the entire novel and tips readers off to her proposition that
marriage is a type of career for the women in her society. The opening line of the novel is an
especially amusing statement when read in conjunction with Mrs. Bennet’s subsequent
scheming to secure Mr. Bingley for one of her daughters, which would be completely
unnecessary if he was so desperate for a wife. Austen’s witty reflection on marriage is not
confined to the implication that it is women who need husbands; it also indicates that
financial situation plays a foremost role in the selection process. Austen wastes no time
emphasizing her point that marriage is all about economics.
Furthermore, the idea of marriage being less about one’s heart and more about one’s wallet
is repeated throughout the story. The narrator again employs her biting wit in her
description of Mrs. Bennet as a woman whose “business of her life was to get her daughters
married”.ii In the context of what the narrative has already revealed of Mrs. Bennet and
what will further be revealed of her, this quip seems to criticize the farcical nature of Mrs.
Bennet’s life. Nevertheless, her incessant efforts to find suitors for her children are described
as a “business.” This description almost begs the question of what one would expect to be
her vocation and forces readers to acknowledge that a woman in Mrs. Bennet’s situation
would not have any professional options available to her. The narrator encourages readers to
laugh at Mrs. Bennet to help them realize the ridiculousness of Mrs. Bennet’s “business”
being marrying off her daughters. The negative portrayal of Mrs. Bennet’s preoccupation
with beaux reflects the greater tragedy of marriage being the only available means of
income for any upper-class woman at this point in England’s history. Mrs. Bennet’s job is
presented as frivolous because it is frivolous that it is her only option. There are numerous
other instances throughout the novel of Austen’s satire exposing the vocational nature of
marriage in her culture. The Bennet women are said to entertain “very lively hopes of Mr.
Bingley’s heart” before they even meet [Link] The rumor of Bingley bringing twelve women
with him to his first ball is a point of grief for the ladies of the neighborhood. Mr. Darcy is
admired greatly, primarily for his financial situation, until it is obvious that those riches
would not benefit any of the ladies [Link] Mr. Darcy’s disinterest in the women present
is so abhorrent to them because it means that he is unlikely to marry any of them and is
therefore of no material value to them. In true satirical style, Austen makes readers laugh at
something that at the time would have been commonplace.
Another way that Austen exposes the occupational nature of marriage is through her
characterization. Again, Mrs. Bennet’s whole life is about marrying off her daughters, and
the readers are prompted to disparage her for it. There are several other characters who are
presented primarily because of their views or actions concerning marriage, and one prime
example is Mr. Collins. He is undeniably a ridiculous character, and it is easy to identify what
makes him so absurd. Mr. Collins does not execute social norms properly and is
consequently the fool of the story. One of his laughable qualities is his vocalization of implicit
social norms, such as his telling Mr. Bennet that he practiced compliments for women before
he talked to them.v He repeats this mistake when he is proposing to Elizabeth. Not only does
he attribute his decision to marry as a response to his belief that it is part of his job, but he
also claims that perhaps the most important reason for his proposal is that it is the
“recommendation of the very noble lady whom I have the honour of calling patroness”.vi
This “very noble lady” is more than Mr. Collins patroness; she is Lady Catherine de Bourgh,
Mr. Darcy’s wealthy, condescending aunt. She encourages Mr. Collins to marry as part of his
duty as a clergyman and tells him to marry a “useful sort of person…able to make a small
income go a good way”.vii Mr. Collins and Lady Catherine vocally recognize the economics
involved in marriage, but their opinions are by no means praised by the narrator (or by
Elizabeth). Everything about Mr. Collins—from his letter writing to his disastrous dancing to
his incessant discussion of Lady Catherine—is preposterous. His and Lady Catherine’s views
on marriage can therefore indicate what Austen considers most ridiculous. He essentially
uses matrimony to get ahead in his career and Austen has no sympathy for this attitude. We
see that her characterization of Mrs. Bennet and Mr. Collins emphasizes their occupational
views of marriage relationships. However, it is unclear whether Austen criticizes them
individually for having these views on marriage or commenting on the condition of a society
in which this is the reality of the matrimonial state. Perhaps Austen’s opinion can be
elucidated through investigation of a positive characterization in the novel.
Charlotte Lucas is characterized favorably as a sensible and thoughtful young woman, worthy
to be the best friend of the hero, Elizabeth. Charlotte advises Elizabeth early on about Jane’s
behavior toward Bingley being too guarded. She warns that Bingley “may never do more
than like her, if she does not help him on”.viii While Elizabeth laughs at Charlotte and tells
her that rushing into marriage without knowing much about one’s partner “is not sound,”
Charlotte is ultimately proven [Link] All of Jane’s misery over Bingley was caused in part
by Darcy’s conviction of her indifference toward his friend.x We see Austen’s admiration for
Charlotte in her characterization as a smart woman. In addition to her accuracy in assessing
Jane and Bingley’s relationship, Charlotte is successful in her schemes to swindle Mr. Collins.
The fact that Mr. Collins is inferior to many other men in the novel does not lessen
Charlotte’s accomplishment. She is aware of his shortcomings when she accepts him. Her
thoughts at the time are described as “in general satisfactory”.xi Mr. Collins fills a need for
her. She is practical and sees matrimony for what it truly is to her – not an emotionally
fulfilling relationship, but a business deal.
While Mr. Collins and Mrs. Bennet’s business-like attitudes toward marriage are laughable,
Charlotte’s opinion is sensible. Austen casts these characters in very different lights, even
though their sentiments on this subject are somewhat similar. The idea of marriage being a
job is a common thread in all three views, but their situations and the implications of their
attitudes are significantly different. Mr. Collins is the most negatively portrayed character of
the three. Making blunder after social blunder, he is at best silly and at worst slightly
malicious. This characterization is connected to how he regards marriage as a career
advancement. Mr. Collins inhabits a very different station in society than the women of the
novel. He already has a career and is stable and provided for very well. Marriage is not as
necessary for men in this world as it is for women. His treatment of marriage as a career
move, without any thought to how complimentary or gratifying a match might be, is so
odious because it makes light of the reality of marriages of necessity for women. Mrs.
Bennet is also portrayed as a ludicrous character, but she is not nearly as loathsome as her
husband’s nephew. Her determination to get her daughters suitably married is in fact a
determination to provide for them; she can do no better within the restrictions of her
society. This is more critical of the culture than of her intellect. She is working within a
system that may not be fair, but it is the world she lives in. Similarly, Charlotte does the same
thing for herself. Her characterization, although not romanticized or idealized, is positive and
flattering. She reflects the best possible reality for many women at the time.
The satirical humor and characterizations that Austen employs in Pride and Prejudice
contribute to the novel’s themes. However, Austen influences our perceptions of matrimony
by using the narrative voice with devices such as irony, word choice, and free indirect
discourse. The narrative voice in this novel is typically ironic rather than serious. This tone
betrays the cynical view that the narrator has of marriage. For example, before Mr. Collins
and Charlotte marry, they are described as having “a week spent in professions of love and
schemes of felicity”.xii However, readers can easily discern that there is no real affection on
either side of such a hasty match. It begs the question of whether courtships of greater
length can produce more affection, or if all courtships are “spent in professions of love and
schemes of felicity” that mean no more than those of Collins and Charlotte.
Although the tone of the novel is overwhelmingly ironic, there are times when marriage is
spoken of in more straightforward and serious terms. The narrator uses unique word choice
to reveal the serious nature of marriage. When Mr. Darcy becomes initially attracted to
Elizabeth, the narrator tells us that he “really believed, that were it not for the inferiority of
her connections, he should be in some danger” and later that he “began to feel the danger
of paying Elizabeth too much attention”.xiii Darcy is in danger of tarnishing his family’s good
name and losing out on the opportunity of acquiring greater monetary advantage through
marriage if he involves himself with Elizabeth. This concept of marriage being a risky venture
recurs throughout the story. Jane is under painful “anxiety” when her hopes for marriage are
[Link] Losing Bingley’s affection also means losing the security that he can offer her.
Mrs. Gardiner, Elizabeth’s aunt, is “suspicious” of Elizabeth’s regard for Wickham and
cautions her against entertaining it, since she knows that Elizabeth’s marrying a man who is
her equal in monetary deficiency would be highly [Link] The narrator’s use of words
like “danger,” “anxiety,” and “suspicious” indicates to us the risk involved in matrimony. In
these instances, the narrator uses serious and straightforward language to describe the
nature of matrimony.
Pride and Prejudice is inundated with criticism toward the realities of marriage. Elizabeth
and Darcy are the model couple in the novel, but there are numerous reminders in the other
couples that this goal is seldom achieved. They marry for love, but not everyone has that
luxury. Darcy marries Elizabeth because of her merits and his affection for her—instead of
marrying to advance his career and economic situation, as Mr. Collins did. Additionally, even
while Elizabeth seems unconcerned with Darcy’s wealth when she initially rejects and
eventually accepts him, there is no avoiding how advantageous a match it is for her. Not only
has she provided for herself, but she is also able to support her sister. It is obvious that
Elizabeth is the narrator’s favorite and that her marriage is the ideal. This supremacy of such
an unusual marriage for love indicates that this is what Austen wishes could be the reality.
However, she is honest enough to emphasize that it is by no means an everyday occurrence
—the truth is much bleaker.

Q6. Discuss the distinguish features of any four male characters. Pride and prejudice?
Ans- Male Characters of Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen shows a great variety of male
characters of the Victorian era envisioned through her imagination in the novel Pride and
Prejudice. There are the handsome, wealthy gentlemen Fitzwilliam Darcy and Mr. Bingley;
the shrewd, deceptive yet charming George Wickham; the pompous, obnoxious clergyman
Mr. Collins; and the apathetic, witty Mr. Bennet who is Elizabeth Bennet’s father. Alikeness
among these characters is prominent in terms of social position and attitude, however, they
differ in their characteristics, actions and the level of success in marriage.
Despite sharing similar social status and a strong bond of friendship, Mr. Darcy is an absolute
foil to Mr. Bingley. Austen describes him as a clever, “haughty, reserved, and fastidious” hero
who is superior to Mr. Bingley in terms of understanding (11, ch. 5). According to Lascelles,
his prime characteristic - his “flamboyant rudeness” wounded Elizabeth Bennet’s vanity with
these very words – “She is tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me” (Austen 7; ch.
3). Initially, he shows negative attitude towards his heroine Lizzy (Harmsel 104) as well as her
family. Arthur Walton Litz, a famous critic, condemns Mr. Darcy’s excessive pride and the
sense of superiority of his social rank as the reason for this neglect ( qtd. in Salanitro 35) .
However, with the passage of time, as Salanitro illustrates, Austen’s hero’s character
undergoes the “process of self-evaluation and self-recognition” leading to the development
of his character, suggesting him to be a round character by the end of the novel. In regards
to his love for Elizabeth in the novel, he seems to be much less passionate than Mr.
Rochester in Jane Eyre is, exhibiting more practical notion of marriage where mutual respect
is more important. In the second place, as Salanitro indicates that unlike Mr. Darcy, Mr.
Bingley remains a flat character throughout the novel – “good mannered, generous and
lively, sweet and kind, but less clever and 2 easily persuaded because of his lack of
resolution.” (12). Therefore, it can be understood that they have different personalities.
Both Mr. Bingley and Mr. Bennet exhibit indifferent attitudes in the novel. According to
British Critic, Mr. Bennet is a lazy, reserved, satirical man, who scrutinizes everything
including his own family members, but makes no effort to improve them by remaining a
nonchalant (189-90).
Despite knowing his younger daughters’ unhealthy infatuation with handsome soldiers, he
continues to be willfully ignorant till Lydia’s elopement with Mr. Wickham when finally he
realizes his faults. Yet, Mr. Bennet is hardly seen venturing the possibilities to find a solution
to this infamous incident. Likewise, the sweet gentleman Mr. Bingley shows apathetic
attitude in the novel, though not as severe as that of Mr. Bennet. Till the very end of the
novel, he lacks in making efforts in knowing Jane’s true feelings until Mr. Darcy clarifies the
misunderstandings between them (Austen 273; ch. 58). In the meanwhile, he could have
communicated with Jane to understand her nature and intentions, instead of thoroughly
ignoring the possibilities of their relationship. Thus, similarity in terms of unconcern is very
much active in Mr. Bennet as well ass Mr. Bingley.
Though, Mr. Darcy and Mr. Gardiner belong to different social classes, both of them are
intelligent, well-mannered and educated. At the beginning, Mr. Darcy, the wealthy aristocrat,
is seen referring to Mr. Gardiner, the respectable tradesman, as an inferior connection of the
Bennets in chapter 34 (142). However, with the development Mr. Darcy’s character, he
preferred Mr. Gardiner’s personality over his own social position, as Austen draws Mr.
Gardiner as “a 3 sensible, gentlemanlike man, greatly superior to his sister” Mrs. Bennet
(103 ; ch. 25).
Furthermore, Mr. Gardiner and Mr. Darcy work together carefully and generously to save the
Bennet family from the shame that Lydia brought unto them by eloping with Wickham,
proving their intelligence, responsibility and sensibility which is later revealed to Elizabeth in
a letter from Mrs. Gardiner in chapter 52 (Austen 235).
Mr. Darcy, the hero of the novel as well as the villain Mr. Wickham, both attract the leading
lady Elizabeth Bennet by their impressions. Though, Mr. Darcy disliked Elizabeth as he was
blinded by his social standing, gradually he fell in love with her, as Lascelles notes, by
questioning the futility of the standards of his society, and this changing notion of Mr. Darcy
drew Elizabeth closer to him. While, Elizabeth was initially strongly charmed by Mr.
Wickham’s special attention and flattery, she did became acquainted with his true self in
chapter 35 (Austen 146- 149), where she found him a cunning man who uses people to
satiate his needs. Here, characteristics and actions greatly differentiate Mr. Darcy from Mr.
Wickham. Mr. Darcy, the hero of the novel as well as the villain Mr. Wickham, both attract
the leading lady Elizabeth Bennet by their impressions. As Mr. Darcy gradually fell in love
with Elizabeth, he became a complete gentleman, as Lascelles notes, by questioning the
futility of the standards of his society, and this changing attitude of Mr. Darcy drew Elizabeth
closer to him. Though Elizabeth was initially strongly charmed by Mr. Wickham’s flattery and
special attention, she did became acquainted with his true self in chapter 35 (Austen 146-
149), where she found him a 4 cunning man who uses other people to satiate his needs.
Here, the contrast between Mr. Darcy and George Wickham’s characters can be noticed.
In spite of Wickham’s charming looks and attire, he is a greedy liar thinking of none but
himself and hated by everyone who are acquainted with his true self. However, though Mr.
Collins is not evil like Wickham, people do dislike him for his self-conceited behavior. Austen
designs Mr. Wickham as a handsome wicked man who shows “no moral understanding”
throughout the novel. He attempts “to seduce Georgian Darcy and to marry Miss King,
before seducing Lydia” for reaching his evil goals (Al-Haj 48-49). Also, he leaves Elizabeth to
pursue Miss King only for her fortune. The selfish attitude of Wickham is beyond the hatred
of the characters for him.
On the other hand, there is Mr. Collins, who is a man devoid of sense, “little assisted by
education or society”, has a weak head filled with high opinion of himself and excessively
formal in daily conducts (Austen 51, ch. 15). For him , in Laumber’s words: “personal feelings
are irrelevant, only the ceremony counts; even the identity of the bride does not matter very
much” (qtd. in Al-Haj 47), especially, when surprisingly he proposes Charlotte Lucas in
chapter 22, right after being rejected by Miss Elizabeth, illustrating his insensitivity and
foolishness. All these negative qualities contribute to the disgust for him from many of the
characters, even from his wife Charlotte Lucas (Austen 91).
Mr. Bennet, Mr. Collins and George Wickham– all three men fail in becoming perfect life
partners as their relationships lack mutual respect and love, though the failure varies by
degrees.
Throughout the novel, Mr. Bennet can be seen mocking her wife relentlessly, regarding her
stupidity as a source of entertainment (Austen 173; ch. 42), though once he married her on
the basis of her beauty. It suggests that their relationship never had the spikes of love, which
now results in this dull companionship where divorce can never be an option. In the same
vein, as Gregory describes, when Lydia elopes with Wickham out of sheer physical attraction,
it soon fades away rendering the couple restless, unsettled and growing apart. Gregory
further adds that there is Charlotte Lucas who chose comfort over “loveless union” by
marrying Mr. Collins, a man rejected by Elizabeth many times for his “unattractive qualities”
like abundance of self- deceit and idiocy (60). However, Mr. Collins seems to be the better
husband in comparison with the other two men.
In conclusion, it can be said that each character is unique in his attributes and individual
achievements in conjugal lives, yet they share similar deportment and social position, where
some of the characters develop a great deal throughout the novel. The variation Austen
exhibits through these characters belonging to different social classes depicted in Pride and
Prejudice is absolutely marvelous as it serves as an example of her truly remarkable artistic
abilities.
Q7. Do you agree that at the heart of the novel wuthering heights lies the tumultuous
Heathcliff catherine relationship? Comment on the significance of this relationship in the
novel’s plot.
Ans- Yes, I agree that at the heart of *Wuthering Heights* lies the tumultuous relationship
between Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw. This relationship is the driving force of the
novel’s plot, influencing the lives of nearly every character and shaping the narrative’s key
themes of love, revenge, and social class.
**Significance in the plot:**
1. **Central Conflict and Emotional Core:**
The love between Heathcliff and Catherine is intense, passionate, and ultimately
destructive. Their relationship, marked by deep emotional connection but also cruelty and
obsession, fuels much of the novel’s conflict. Catherine's choice to marry Edgar Linton
instead of Heathcliff, due to social pressures and desires for status, initiates Heathcliff's spiral
into revenge. This decision sets in motion the suffering and tragedy that affects both families
for generations.
2. **Themes of Love and Obsession:**
Their love is not a conventional romantic love; it is more akin to an all-consuming
obsession. Catherine says that Heathcliff is "my soul's delight," implying that they are two
halves of the same whole. However, Heathcliff’s refusal to accept Catherine’s marriage to
Edgar represents his deep, unresolved emotional attachment, which morphs into hatred.
The novel explores how such intense emotions can lead to destruction, and their love
becomes a metaphor for destructive passions.
3. **Cycle of Revenge:**
After Catherine’s death, Heathcliff’s relationship with her becomes one of the novel's
central ghosts, both literally and metaphorically. His desire for revenge against those he feels
have wronged him, especially Edgar and Hindley, is driven by his grief and anger at losing
Catherine. Heathcliff’s desire to avenge his unrequited love leads him to manipulate and
control the next generation, ensuring that the toxic cycle of pain and suffering continues.
4. **Social and Class Implications:**
The love between Heathcliff and Catherine also highlights issues of class and social
mobility. Catherine’s marriage to Edgar, a man of higher social standing, illustrates the
importance of social status in the society of the time. Heathcliff’s lower social status and his
mistreatment by Hindley fuel his bitterness, and his eventual accumulation of wealth is not
just a means of revenge but also a way to challenge the class structure that kept him from
Catherine.

5. **Impact on Other Characters:**

Their relationship also affects other characters, such as Catherine’s daughter, Cathy Linton,
and Hareton Earnshaw. The unresolved emotional turmoil between Heathcliff and Catherine,
passed down through generations, results in the initial fracturing of other relationships and
the bitter legacy of the Earnshaw and Linton families.
In conclusion, the relationship between Heathcliff and Catherine is essential to the novel’s
plot, as it not only drives the central conflict but also highlights the novel’s broader themes
of love, obsession, revenge, and social structure. The intensity of their connection creates a
dark, brooding atmosphere that permeates the entire narrative, making it one of the most
iconic and tragic love stories in English literature.

Q8. Examine how multiple perspectives enrich the narration of Emily bronte’s novel
wuthering heights.
Ans - The intense and extraordinary passion shared between Heathcliff and Catherine is the
core of Emily Bronte’s novel ‘Wuthering Heights’. A tale of extreme love and despair, Bronte
employs numerous literary devices to create a complex structure, as the narrative is related
to readers through the voices of Nelly Dean, Lockwood, and a host of other characters.
Through her use of multiple narrators, Bronte allows readers glimpses of the inseparable
bond that exists between Heathcliff and Catherine, in a way that is both believable and
moving. The efficacy of the multiple narrators is astounding in its ability to portray such an
unconventional bond as real, powerful and particularly chilling, as elements of the
supernatural are incorporated. However, key features such as variation in perspectives
inevitably ensue when employing this technique, and could prevent Bronte’s multiple
narrators being deemed astonishingly effective. Despite this, the perspectives and
perceptions of the narrators aid Bronte’s construction of a vivid and engaging text that calls
on the reader to participate in a dialectic, to evaluate the validity and morality of Catherine
and Heathcliff’s love, for themselves.
The multiple narrators in Wuthering Heights is crucial to the structure and chronology of the
novel Dates and time references are duly recorded throughout Bronte’s novel to give a
concrete time in which the narrative occurs. Glimpses of an unhappy childhood are depicted
through early diary entries by Catherine on margins of books stored by her oak panelled
bed. Bronte’s use of multiple narrators not only allows for seamless transitions between
time settings, but establishes the complex structure of the novel, and the layering and
unravelling of narrative events. Delving into the past, for the most part Nelly narrates
Heathcliff’s story. However, events are not always in chronological order; instead particulars
are revealed slowly throughout the novel. For instance, Isabella relates to Nelly the events
that occurred the night of Catherine’s funeral. Heathcliff later expresses his intense anguish
of that night, revealing his despair. In employing multiple narrators, Bronte effectively
creates engagement and suspense through the slow revelation of Heathcliff’s character
through which a deeper understanding of the love and loss he endures is established. The
various voices established throughout the novel offer different perspectives on the
characters, particularly Heathcliff. Rejected initially by the inmates of both Wuthering
Heights and Thrushcross Grange, principal narrator Nelly Dean claims Heathcliff is an ‘imp of
Satan’, and later muses ‘Is he a ghoul or a vampire?’. The mystery of Heathcliff’s identity is
heightened through the perpetual questioning of his nature by many characters, enabled
through Bronte’s use of multiple narrators.
The changing perspectives offered by Isabella proceeding her marriage to Heathcliff is yet
another insight into Heathcliff’s nature, as she wonders ‘Is Mr Heathcliff a man?...If not, is he
the devil?’.
However, mere differences in perspective are characteristic of any text that employs multiple
narrators. It is the array of responses to the immutable love of Catherine and Heathcliff
which position readers to believe and sympathise with Heathcliff at his plight which is truly
astonishing, given he is the perpetrator of much of the suffering of the other characters.
Heathcliff’s presence throughout the novel is claimed by Edgar to be a ‘moral poison’. The
sadistic pleasure derived from planning his full and complete revenge, accompanied by the
essentially selfish nature of Catherine, would expect to receive condemnation and an utter
lack of sympathy for the characters and their destructive love. And yet throughout the novel,
readers are most moved by the passionate declarations of their need for each other through
the lyrical descriptions of their love and despair, and the unspeakable suffering endured by
Heathcliff. Therein lies the extraordinary effect of the multiple narrators. Nelly, a biased
narrator due to her part in the narrative, and Lockwood, a shallow and unperceptive
Londoner, both fail to recognise or comprehend the pure but tortured love of Heathcliff and
Catherine. As such Bronte appeals to the reader instead to evaluate and form their own
conclusion. Nelly’s cold judgements of Heathcliff, and the petty remarks made by Lockwood
throughout the novel evoke sympathy in Heathcliff’s sufferings, which can only truly be
understood through comprehension of his unending love and desire to be with Catherine.
Bronte’s ability to depict their fierce love convincingly and thus evoke sympathy, is in part
due to inability of Lockwood and Nelly to perceive the depth of Catherine and Heathcliff’s
love. Though fallible and superficial, Nelly and Lockwood’s narration is effective in its ability
to bring the love of Catherine and Heathcliff to life, despite its extremity. Furthermore, as
supernatural events and references are skilfully infused into the text in a credible manner
due to Bronte’s multiple narrators. Lockwood himself experiences the ghost of Catherine’s
on his very first night at Wuthering Heights, and Nelly relates stories of the villagers who
claim to see spectres of Heathcliff and Catherine. This gives an ethereal quality and power to
the love of Catherine and Heathcliff, yet grounded in reality when spoken to readers by the
very pragmatic Nelly and ‘romantic’ Lockwood. The strict timeline established by Bronte
maintains reality, and the supernatural experiences of numerous narrators imbue the text
with a sweeping power which heightens the passionate love of Heathcliff and Catherine.
Central to the novel is the complex structure and the perspectives of various characters
regarding Catherine and Heathcliff’s love, and the latter’s suffering. However, it is Bronte’s
ability to depict and make credible the unique, all consuming passion of Heathcliff and
Catherine and evoke sympathy for Heathcliff, which makes Bronte’s device so effective.
Despite the savage and destructive nature of their passion, and the numerous villainous acts
committed by a vengeful man, readers are compelled to feel sympathy for Heathcliff and to
understand, if not condone their love. Ultimately, readers are intrigued by the love of
Heathcliff; swept away by the beauty and power that reflects the wild, savage moors. Thus
Bronte’s multiple narrators are astonishingly effective in its ability to evoke such an awe
within readers.

Q9. How does Emily bronte depict suffering in wuthering heights?

Ans- In *Wuthering Heights*, Emily Brontë uses suffering as a central theme to explore the
complexity of human emotions, relationships, and the impact of societal and personal forces
on individuals. The depiction of suffering is multifaceted, ranging from physical and
emotional pain to spiritual torment, and it plays a pivotal role in the lives of the characters.
Here are some key ways in which Brontë portrays suffering:
### 1. **Emotional and Psychological Suffering**
The characters in *Wuthering Heights* often endure intense emotional and psychological
suffering. This is particularly evident in the relationship between Heathcliff and Catherine
Earnshaw. Their love is portrayed as passionate and all-consuming, but it is also destructive,
leading to immense suffering for both of them.
- **Heathcliff's Suffering:** Heathcliff's torment is rooted in his unrequited love for
Catherine, compounded by his abuse as an orphan at Wuthering Heights. His suffering
intensifies after Catherine’s marriage to Edgar Linton, which he interprets as betrayal.
Heathcliff’s emotional agony drives him to seek revenge on everyone connected to
Catherine, exacerbating his suffering and leading to a cycle of pain.
- **Catherine’s Suffering:** Catherine, too, suffers emotionally. Her love for Heathcliff
conflicts with her desire for social status and stability, which she sees in her marriage to
Edgar. She is torn between the passion she feels for Heathcliff and the comfort that Edgar
offers. This internal conflict leads her to a tragic decline in health and, ultimately, her
premature death.
### 2. **Social and Familial Constraints**
Brontë explores how societal expectations and family dynamics contribute to suffering. The
characters are often trapped in their roles and unable to escape their situations, adding to
their emotional pain.
- **Catherine’s Struggle:** Catherine is confined by the social expectations of her time. As a
woman in 18th-century England, her marriage choices are influenced not just by love but by
her need for security and respectability. Her eventual marriage to Edgar, though it brings her
some material comfort, contributes to her inner turmoil because it separates her from
Heathcliff, her true love.
- **Heathcliff's Vengeance:** Heathcliff’s suffering also manifests in his desire for revenge,
which he begins to exact on Hindley Earnshaw and later, on the second generation of
Earnshaws and Lintons. His sense of betrayal fuels his desire to make others feel the same
kind of anguish he has endured. His suffering becomes a destructive force, as it leads to the
suffering of others.
### 3. **Physical Suffering and Death**
Brontë does not shy away from depicting physical suffering, particularly in the later stages of
the novel, where characters’ bodies mirror their emotional distress.
- **Catherine’s Illness and Death:** Catherine's death is portrayed as a direct consequence
of her emotional suffering. Her physical decline begins after her marriage to Edgar, and her
failing health intensifies as she remains separated from Heathcliff. The physical toll of her
emotional suffering is deeply tragic, and her death signifies the destructive nature of her
internal conflict.
- **Heathcliff's Despair and Decline:** After Catherine’s death, Heathcliff falls into a state of
despair. His suffering becomes both spiritual and physical, as he seems to wither away in the
absence of his love. In his final moments, he longs for death as a release from his pain, and
his eventual death is depicted as a reunion with Catherine, illustrating the idea that death is
a form of escape from suffering.
### 4. **The Cycle of Suffering**
The suffering in *Wuthering Heights* is portrayed as cyclical. Brontë suggests that the pain
and anguish of one generation affect the next, perpetuating a legacy of torment.
- **The Next Generation:** The children of the first generation, such as Hareton and Cathy
Linton, experience suffering as a result of the unresolved conflicts between their parents.
For example, Hareton’s mistreatment at the hands of Heathcliff and his own struggle with
illiteracy reflect the continued suffering that arises from past familial tensions.
- **Breaking the Cycle:** At the end of the novel, however, there is a glimmer of hope.
Cathy and Hareton’s eventual relationship suggests that love and reconciliation can heal the
wounds left by the earlier generations’ suffering, offering the possibility of breaking the cycle
of pain.
### 5. **Nature and Suffering**
Brontë also ties suffering to the natural environment, using the moors as a symbol of the
characters' turbulent emotions and inner torment.
- **The Moors as a Reflection of Suffering:** The harsh and desolate landscape of the moors
reflects the isolation and emotional turmoil of the characters. The setting of Wuthering
Heights, remote and wild, mirrors the chaotic and intense emotions that the characters
experience, particularly Heathcliff and Catherine. The moors become a metaphor for the
suffering that exists at the core of the novel.
In conclusion, Emily Brontë’s depiction of suffering in *Wuthering Heights* is integral to the
novel's exploration of love, revenge, and human nature. The characters' emotional, physical,
and social pain shapes their actions and destinies, creating a haunting narrative that
underscores the complexity and consequences of human suffering.
Q10. Many critics have expressed the view that deep down great expectations (like many of
dicken’s novels) is a fairy tale. Do you agree with this view?
Ans- Great Expectations, first and foremost, is a Bildungsroman — a story of self-discovery,
not just of its hero, but also of the society he lives in. Like the prototypical protagonist of a
fairy-tale, our hero — Pip — is young, innocent, and meek, brought up by his elder sister
Mrs. Joe “with a heavy hand.” He has a rebellious streak within him, however. He detests his
life at the forge, and longs to be a gentleman.
On a fateful day, he encounters the escaped convict Abel Magwitch, and helps him by
providing him with food and a file to free himself. This is how Magwitch is described when
he first meets Pip:
A fearful man, all in coarse gray, with a great iron on his leg. A man with no hat, and with
broken shoes, and with an old rag tied round his head. A man who had been soaked in
water, and smothered in mud, and lamed by stones, and cut by flints, and stung by nettles,
and torn by briars; who limped, and shivered, and glared, and growled; and whose teeth
chattered in his head …
He does not know it yet, but Magwitch will play a very important role in Pip’s life — he will
become his “wise old wizard.” But notice this, there is nothing wise about Magwitch’s
appearance when he first accosts Pip. He is a human, stripped of his humanity, and free of
the trappings of civilization. He is only able to connect with Pip because Pip is a child, sort of
an outcast like him, not yet a full fledged member of the society.
Magwitch is soon apprehended and sentenced to exile in Australia. However, he comes back
— rich, and with a sense of obligation towards the child who showed him kindness a long
time back. (One wonders what the source of his wealth was!) He becomes an anonymous
benefactor for Pip, helping him become a member of the bourgeoisie.
Just as Magwitch’s money is tainted, so is Pip’s relationship with it. He becomes callous and
condescending, proud of the wealth that does not belong to him, and embarrassed of his
poor relations (esp. his hard-working and honorable brother-in-law, Joe Gargery). In fact,
Pip’s moral decline is foreshadowed very early on, when Mrs. Joe is murdered with the same
file that he had stolen to help Magwitch. In a sense, Pip carries the sin of matricide.
Soon after Magwitch is shipped off to Australia, Pip comes in contact with the rich and
eccentric Miss Havisham, and her ward Estella. He is led to believe that he has Miss
Havisham’s goodwill, and is expected to inherit a small fortune from her. He is also smitten
with Estella. Miss Havisham is the fairy godmother, and Estella is the princess in Pip’s fairy-
tale, or so it appears.
In fiction (and often, in real life), virtuous characters have all our goodwill, and the oddballs
have all our interest. Our investment with Miss Havisham is no different. When Pip is
admitted to Satis House, Miss Havisham’s manor, we get a distinct vibe that he is entering
the lair of some “Wicked Witch,” not the abode of a benevolent fairy:
We went into the house by a side door — the great front entrance had two chains across it
outside — and the first thing I noticed was, that the passages were all dark, and that she had
left a candle burning there. She took it up, and we went through more passages and up a
staircase, and still it was all dark, and only the candle lighted us.
(I entered, therefore, and found myself in a pretty large room, well lighted with wax candles.
No glimpse of daylight was to be seen in it. It was a dressing-room, as I supposed from the
furniture, though much of it was of forms and uses then quite unknown to me. But
prominent in it was a draped table with a gilded looking-glass, and that I made out at first
sight to be a fine lady’s dressing-table.)
Similar to her dwelling, Miss Havisham appears grotesque and fascinating, all at once:
She was dressed in rich materials — satins, and lace, and silks — all of white. Her shoes were
white. And she had a long white veil dependent from her hair, and she had bridal flowers in
her hair, but her hair was white. Some bright jewels sparkled on her neck and on her hands,
and some other jewels lay sparkling on the table. Dresses, less splendid than the dress she
wore, and half-packed trunks, were scattered about. She had not quite finished dressing, for
she had but one shoe on — the other was on the table near her hand — her veil was but
half arranged, her watch and chain were not put on, and some lace for her bosom lay with
those trinkets, and with her handkerchief, and gloves, and some flowers.
But this lady is no benefactress — either to Pip, or to Estella. Estella — the beautiful Estella
— has been brought up with the express purpose of breaking men’s hearts. She can not
love. Her sexuality is a weapon of revenge for Miss Havisham (who was deserted by her
fiance on her wedding day). The cabbalistic atmosphere of Satis house is laden with
violence, deception, cruelty, and eroticism.
The gifts bestowed upon Pip do not make him a better person. They corrupt him. Magwitch’s
money fans his hubris, and his hope for Miss Havisham’s benefaction and Estella's
approbation inflames his desire to rise in the world, even at the cost of his near-and-dear
ones. He is not the hero whose mentors have helped him slay the monster, they have helped
him become one.
Fairy-tales usually end with a complete transformation of the hero’s fortune. The huntsman
becomes the knight, the errand boy manages to reunite with his long lost royal family, and
the servant girl marries her prince charming. There is no fairy-tale ending in Great
Expectations. As long as Pip is burdened by his connections to his false mentors, he can not
reach his destination. It is indeed an irony that the object of Pip’s affections — Estella —
turns out to be Magwitch's daughter. It is almost as if Dickens is playing a cruel joke on his
readers — the sophistication and beauty of civilization (symbolically represented by Estella)
has its roots in the dark underworld of crime and exploitation (represented by Magwitch).
Can the society survive if it manages to glimpse its true foundations!
In contrast to the protagonists of fairy-tales, Pip can move forwards only if he can confront
and embrace his past. He has to return to the forge, and reunite with Joe. He has to accept
Magwitch, and at the same time reject his wealth. He has to realize that Estella is not just an
object to be desired, but an individual.
N.B. Although it may appear from my account that Great Expectations is uncharacteristically
grim and dark, I would like to reassure any prospective readers that it ends on an optimistic
note. Even if it didn’t, Dickens is worth reading because he is witty, exuberant, and an astute
observer of social conditions (of his time, of course), and perhaps more importantly, he is
never boring.

Q11. Consider Charles Dickens “great expectation“ a novel based on the Victorian theme of
self-improvement.
Ans- Self-Improvement and Ambition
Great Expectations is a bildungsroman (meaning education novel when translated into
English), a story of the growth and development of its main character Pip. Pip’s desire for
self-improvement is the main source of the novel’s title: because he believes in the prospect
of advancement in life, he has “great expectations” about his future. Dickens’ presents Pip as
an idealist; whenever he sees something that is better than what he has, he immediately
wants it. When he sees Satis House, he yearns to be a rich gentleman; when he thinks of his
moral shortcomings, he wishes to be good; when he realises that he cannot read he wants
to learn.
Pip’s desire for moral self-improvement can be seen as he is extremely hard on himself when
he acts immorally and feels guilty. The feeling of guilt motivates Pip to improve his behaviour
in the future. When he leaves for London, he distresses himself about having behaved
dreadfully towards Joe and Biddy.
Dickens’ uses Pip desire for social self-improvement as a way of satirising the upper classes
as Pips life as a gentleman is no more satisfying and no more moral than his previous life as
an apprentice blacksmith. We see Pip develop his desire to raise his social class when he falls
in love with Estella and his dreams of becoming a gentleman form the basic plot of the
novel.
Pip craving for educational improvement is deeply connected to his social ambition and his
longing to marry Estella. Being a gentleman requires a good education. As an uneducated
country boy, he would have no hope of social advancement in Victorian England. Pip
understands this early in his childhood as he learns to read at Mr Wopsle’s aunt’s school, we
also see this later in his life when he takes lessons from Matthew Pocket. It is only through
his experiences with Joe, Biddy, and Magwitch that Pip learns that social and educational
improvement don’t show someone’s real value and that conscience and affection are to be
valued above sophistication and social standing.
Social Class and Social Mobility
In many of his novels Charles Dickens explores the theme of social class and Great
Expectations is no exemption. The novel was written after the industrial revolution and the
new opportunities created allowed people from ‘lower’ social classes to gain wealth through
hard work and enterprise and thus move up to ‘higher’ more wealthy classes.
During the novel Pip interacts with people from different classes from criminals like
Magwitch, poor working class people like Joe and Biddy, the middle class like Pumblechook
and the very wealthy like Miss Havisham.
The theme of social class is central to the novel’s plot and through his interaction with
characters from different backgrounds Pip comes to realise that wealth and class are less
important than affection, loyalty, and inner worth, which provides the reader with the
novel’s key moral.
Victorian era
Charles Dickens’ Great Expectation actually did reflect the Victorian society and therefore
the morality of that era’s people inside of the novel. Since we know that Victorian era
basically present some features such as virtue, strength, thrift, manners, cleanliness, honesty
and chastity. These are the morals that Victorian people used to hold with high esteem. In
this novel Great Expectations, Dickens has created some Victorian characters whom we have
seen both in good working way or not at all. But the protagonist named Pip was dynamic
and he went through some several changes and dealt with different and significant moral
issues. Somehow Pip left behind all the values he was raised with. Because Miss Havisham
and Estella have corrupted Pip with rich life. Greed, beauty and arrogance were his
ingredient of immoral life. The other characters like Joe and Biddy were static characters
throughout the entire novel and became noticeable to be the manifestation of what we call
as ideal Victorians. The main heroin of this novel was Estella with whom Pip thought he had
some love connection. Hence, Estella has been presented as a good in the sense of
potentiality and turned morally bad. Miss Havisham, who was basically a corrupt woman
and she engraved the center of the novel. Great Expectations did disclose how was the
situation of Victorian society through some important features such as higher class,
corrupted judicial system between rural and urban England. Here in this novel, Dickens was
concern about the education system in Victorian era where the lower class people get less
opportunities of getting proper education. From the beginning to the end of this novel,
Dickens explored some significant issues regarding higher and lower class system of
Victorian society which did fluctuate from the greatest woeful criminal named Magwitch to
the needy people of the swamp country, where Joe and Biddy were the symbol of that
regime. After that we can proceed to the middle class family where Pumblechook was the
person to represent that regime. Last but not the least Miss Havisham symbolized and bear
flag of very rich and sophisticated Victorian woman who has represented the higher class
society in the novel Great Expectations. Hence we can say Great Expectations has talked and
displayed the class system of Victorian England and the characters of this novel therefore
also did uphold the true reflection of Victorian era.
Q12. Great expectations merges the notion of respectability and criminality. Discuss with
examples.
Ans- According to Philip Collins, “Dickens’s concern with crime was more persistent and
more serious than most men’s (1).” Thus it is no surprise that Dickens was very much
concerned with prison reform, which weighed one kind of punishment against the other and
genuinely pondered the aims of punishment. Martin Fido states that Dickens supported
Chesterton and Tracey in their prison reforms (70). According to Fido, Dickens’s most
important contributions to the Victorian debate on prison reform were his opposition to the
American style ‘separate system’, a system of solitary confinement. Dickens was aware that
in towns, women struggled to feed their children and often their unemployed husbands.
Escape from this harsh poverty was in crime (Slater 99). There were plenty of social theories
which would incline the prosperous reader to see reports of crime as evidence of the natural
viciousness of the poor (Slater 100). Dickens however rejected this view IJELLH International
journal of English language, literature in humanities ISSN-2321-7065 Volume V, Issue V May
2017 167 of the poor as inherently criminal. According to Rodensky, Dickens used the novel
to understand the social and cultural attitudes to questions of crime and criminal
responsibility (6).
Dickens analyses the figure of the criminal, to question the society which uses and expels
him. Great Expectations reveals crime as inherent to respectable society. Jeremy Tambling
suggests that the prison is everywhere implicitly dominant in the novel (17). For Dickens the
displacement of crime to the “other” does not hold because crime penetrates every aspect
of social life. Dickens manages to convey simultaneously to hero and reader the double-
edgedness of the words ‘convict’ and gentleman’ (Anny Sadrin 48)
One of the major themes in Great Expectations is the idea of gentility. Gentility is something
which Pip, the protagonist, aspires towards. According to Prof. Sambudha Sen, this idea of
gentility was also based on the notions of self improvement prevalent during the 1850’s and
1860’s. Smilesian ideals of self-culture, Diana Mulcock’s John Halifax Gentleman (1856)
presented some of these ideas which gained tremendous popularity (115). Pip’s ideas of
improvement are mediated by an upper class worldview. They are formed by the harsh dose
of reality he receives at the Satis house by Estella. As Estella sarcastically remarks, “Why, he
is a common laboring boy! (39).” This exposure to class realities troubles Pip and breeds
anxiety and a dissatisfaction with the reality of his existence.
These notions of self improvement were seen not only as desirable but also based on the
individual’s moral and intellectual efforts (Sen 114). Great Expectations derives much of its
energy from these ideas. Pip’s efforts at improving his condition through studying the
alphabet under the old woman but at the same time dealing with the bullying of
Pumblechook and his sister, exposes the hindrance presented by his social location, to his
quest. Pip’s aspiration and eventual rise thus brings to the fore the importance of money in
the whole process of selfimprovement. Thus intellectual and moral effort and determination
cannot be severed from the logic of money and capital. Thus Dickens understanding of his
society helps him place Pip’s quest in a larger socio-economic context.
The cost of this self-improvement has further implications for Pip. The aspiration for an
upper class life drives a wedge between Pip and Joe. As Pip states, “I wanted to make Joe
less ignorant and common, that he might be worthier of my society (107).” The past here is
constituted as unworthy of preservation. The slow disintegration of Pip and Joe’s
relationship, based upon class and hierarchy, and Joe’s inability to respond to it can be
contrasted to Joe and Biddy’s help and comfort to Pip towards the end.
IJELLH International journal of English language, literature in humanities ISSN-2321-7065
Volume V, Issue V May 2017 168 The self improvement plot is oriented towards integration
of the protagonist in the societal framework. However in Great Expectations the urban
space/London is seen as pervaded with the specter of crime.
Indeed the origins of Pip’s fortune implicate him in the world of crime. In Great Expectations,
the conflict faced by Pip does not enable him to overcome and assume his place in the
Metropolis. A reversal takes place whereby the space Pip comes to occupy is outside
England itself, in one of the colonies. Dickens thus delineates a powerful critique of the
interrelationship between crime and the civilized world.
In Great Expectations criminality is not something defined but circulates in each nook and
cranny of London. Pip feels revulsion and a sense of difference from the two criminals who
travel with him in the stage coach. Their physical differences are stressed by Pip. Indeed
Magwitch’s way of sitting, standing, eating and drinking too mark him out as a convict for Pip
(Sen 132). However the novel demonstrates the superficialities of these differences and
highlights the close bonds between criminality and respectability.
The novel abounds with Hulks, Iron manacles, Newgate and transportation. The file, given to
Magwitch by Pip keeps haunting and terrorising Pip. It appears first in the hands of a
stranger and then in the form of a nightmare, “I saw the file coming at me out of a door,
without seeing who held it, and I screamed myself awake (77).” Pip’s arrival in London
establishes the interrelationship between the sacred and profane. The first sight Pip sees is
the black dome of St. Paul’s cathedral standing alongside Newgate Prison. The taint of
criminality does not escape even Satis house. Compeyson is revealed as the person who
betrayed Miss Havisham. Even
Estella’s origins are traced back to the convict Abel Magwitch, Pip’s benefactor. Thus ‘good
society’ too is revealed as hollow and in its inability to form bonds, exists as a space, where
elegance and decay cohabit.
Dickens also highlights and critiques the operation of the law and prison system. According
to Kiernan Dolin, “English law is not for Dickens, the guardian of liberty but a defective
system kept in place by vested interests (75).” Magwitch becomes the most powerful
medium for Dickens to investigate the symbolic codes working at the heart of the society.
Compeyson, the gentleman and Magwitch are in the dock for the same crime. However
Magwitch becomes the target for punishment because of his manners, looks,
accomplishments and circle of acquaintances. As Magwitch states in the marshes, “He’s a
gentleman, if you please, this villain (36).” According to Prof Sen, “Born in the lowest stratum
of society, under the constant surveillance of the law, exposed constantly to prison terms…
forced into the circuits of delinquency…Magwitch’s life is a classic illustration of the fact that
modern penal techniques succeed not in eliminating crime but in encouraging recidivism
(133).” Recedivism works at two levels. Firstly it helps in the categorization and separation of
the criminal from the respectable. Michel Foucault discusses the delinquent in his Discipline
and Punish (1975). At the end of the eighteenth century, penal codes were drawn up which
addressed themselves to the mind of the criminal, defined as delinquent. A personality type
is thus created, a mind to be characterized in a certain way, fitted for new modes of
industrial production (Tambling 19). Secondly recedivism also helps in maintaining a closed
circuit of convicts useful for providing information to the police, for surveillance etc (Sen
134). Jaggers, for example, relies on information provided by the prisoners in Newgate
prison. Indeed Jaggers’s penetration of Newgate forms a crucial component of his
profession. His office itself bears the taint of criminality, in the form of casts of two hardened
criminals.
Despite Wemmick’s efforts at maintaining a firm distance between the world of office and
his home, Walworth Castle, criminality finds a refuge there as well. Wemmick’s collection
includes pens, forgeries, razors, all associated with criminals. Thus even Wemmick’s idyllic
existence in Walworth has links in the criminal world and the microcosm of Wemmick’s
Castle maybe even be considered as symbol of these subtle connections which exist in the
outside world.
The major crisis in Pip’s life emerges on the discovery of the link between his wealth which is
generated in a criminal environment but circulates towards him. Magwitch uses the fortune
he makes in Australia not only to express his gratitude to Pip but also to exact revenge on
the respectable society which casts him out. Money, in Dickens’s society is translated into
virtue however Magwitch is an outcast. His association with money spreads the taint of
criminality to these cherished ideas. It ruptures the distinction between crime and capital.
This comes as a shock to Pip and he tries to grapple with the inherent contradiction of his
position. For Pip the domain of crime and respectability had always been clearly defined.
Early on in the novel, for example, Pip strives really hard to hide his childhood guilt. However
Dickens ruthlessly exposes the basis of social mobility. In the street, waiting for Estella, Pip
feels encompassed by taint and crime. As he states, “…I beat the prison dust off my feet as I
sauntered to and fro, and I shook it out of my dress, and I exhaled its air from my lungs. So
contaminated did I feel (261).” Dickens portrays the penetrative power of crime in this
passage. Indeed the IJELLH International journal of English language, literature in humanities
ISSN-2321-7065 Volume V, Issue V May 2017 170 entire atmosphere of London is laden with
a sense of corruption. The dust from the prison symbolically highlights the extent to which
Pip is implicated in the world of crime. According to Prof Sen, “…the whirlwind pace at which
he is hurtled from one traumatic experience to another- is aimed at depriving Pip of a stable
position in society as well as a clear sense of purpose (125).”
The money provided by Magwitch never does come out of circulation. The money continues
to provide the basis of Herbert’s business. In short everyday life is bound with Magwitch and
his money. Thus the values which Pip embodies and enacts, the human costs it extracts
resonate throughout. The complex critique that Dickens articulates is not just about the ties
between criminality and respectability but also the brutalities of a capitalist system based
upon legitimized exploitation.

Q13. How does eliot engage with the women questions in middlemarch?
Ans- In Middlemarch, George Eliot (the pen name of Mary Ann Evans) engages deeply with
the “woman question”—a term used in the 19th century to refer to debates about women’s
roles, rights, and opportunities in society. Eliot explores this issue through her complex
female characters, particularly Dorothea Brooke and Rosamond Vincy, who reflect different
aspects of women’s lives, struggles, and aspirations in a male-dominated world. Eliot
critiques the limitations placed on women and examines how these constraints affect their
personal development, intellectual fulfillment, and social roles.
1. Dorothea Brooke: The Idealist and the Intellectually Ambitious Woman
Dorothea Brooke embodies the aspirations of an intellectually curious and idealistic woman,
but she is constrained by the limited options available to her in a patriarchal society. At the
start of the novel, Dorothea has a desire for knowledge and a passion for improving the
world, but she finds no suitable outlet for her ambitions. Her decision to marry Mr.
Casaubon, an older, learned scholar, is driven by her desire to contribute to intellectual
pursuits, as she believes she will be assisting him in important scholarly work. However, her
marriage turns out to be stifling, as Casaubon is emotionally distant, dismissive of her
intellectual contributions, and ultimately unwilling to share his work with her.
Through Dorothea’s disappointment, Eliot critiques the societal expectation that women
should find fulfillment in subservience to their husbands. Dorothea’s intellectual energy is
wasted in this marriage, highlighting how women of her time were often denied meaningful
intellectual partnerships or the opportunity to pursue their own ambitions. Despite her
passion and potential, Dorothea is limited by a culture that does not allow women to
develop their own identities outside of marriage.
Dorothea’s eventual marriage to Will Ladislaw offers a more hopeful resolution to her story,
as Ladislaw values her independence and ideals. However, Eliot does not suggest that
marriage is the ultimate solution to Dorothea’s quest for fulfillment. Instead, her character
arc underscores the tension between a woman’s desire for intellectual and moral purpose
and the societal pressures that reduce women’s roles to domesticity and subordination.
2. Rosamond Vincy: The Conventional Woman
In contrast to Dorothea, Rosamond Vincy represents a more conventional model of
femininity, one shaped by societal expectations of beauty, charm, and domesticity.
Rosamond’s ambitions are centered around securing a prestigious marriage, and she views
her marriage to Tertius Lydgate, a doctor, as a means of elevating her social status. However,
her superficial understanding of marriage and her self-centered desires lead to
disappointment, as Lydgate’s career struggles and financial difficulties clash with her
expectations of a comfortable, upper-class lifestyle.
Through Rosamond, Eliot critiques the social conditioning that encourages women to
prioritize material wealth, status, and appearance over deeper emotional or intellectual
engagement. Rosamond’s inability to empathize with Lydgate’s struggles and her
manipulative behavior reflect the dangers of a narrow, materialistic understanding of
marriage. Her character exposes how women, conditioned by societal norms, can also
perpetuate and reinforce patriarchal structures, even when these norms ultimately limit
their own development and happiness.
3. Marriage and Women’s Limited Options
Eliot uses marriage as a central theme to explore the limitations placed on women. For
women in Middlemarch, marriage is often portrayed as the only viable option for social and
economic security. This is true not only for Dorothea and Rosamond but also for Mary Garth,
who faces a more modest future. Mary’s relationship with Fred Vincy offers a more balanced
and realistic portrayal of marriage based on mutual respect and affection, but even Mary’s
future is tied to Fred’s success and prospects. Eliot illustrates that while marriage is central
to a woman’s fate, it is often determined more by practical considerations than by emotional
fulfillment.
The novel also presents marriage as a form of entrapment, particularly in the case of
Dorothea and Mr. Casaubon, and later Lydgate and Rosamond. These relationships reveal
how women, despite their capabilities and aspirations, can be trapped in unsatisfactory
marriages that limit their personal growth. Dorothea’s struggle to find a meaningful role in
her marriage and Rosamond’s dissatisfaction with Lydgate reflect the broader issue of
women’s lack of agency in shaping their own lives.
4. Education and Intellectual Pursuits
Eliot also engages with the “woman question” through the theme of education and the
restrictions on women’s intellectual development. Dorothea’s thirst for knowledge and self-
improvement is constantly thwarted by societal expectations that women should focus on
domestic duties and emotional support rather than intellectual or public pursuits.
Dorothea’s frustration with her inability to engage meaningfully in intellectual work with
Casaubon is emblematic of the broader exclusion of women from the academic and
professional spheres.
Eliot critiques the limited education available to women, which often focused on superficial
accomplishments (such as music or drawing) rather than substantive intellectual
development. Rosamond, who is more concerned with her appearance and social graces,
contrasts with Dorothea’s deeper intellectual ambitions, highlighting the disparity between
what society expects from women and what they are capable of achieving if given the
opportunity.
5. A Critique of Gender Roles
Eliot critiques the rigid gender roles of her time, suggesting that the narrow definitions of
femininity and masculinity harm both men and women. For example, Lydgate, who has
ambitious dreams of medical reform, is thwarted in part by his marriage to Rosamond,
whose conventional expectations of domestic life conflict with his professional aspirations.
His failure illustrates how traditional gender roles can be suffocating, not just for women like
Dorothea and Rosamond but also for men like Lydgate, who face pressure to conform to
societal norms regarding financial success and domestic responsibility.
Conclusion
In Middlemarch, George Eliot uses a range of female characters and relationships to engage
with the “woman question” and the limitations imposed on women in Victorian society.
Through Dorothea’s intellectual struggles, Rosamond’s conventional ambitions, and the
overarching theme of marriage as both a social necessity and a personal trap, Eliot critiques
the narrow roles available to women and advocates for greater intellectual and personal
freedom. The novel presents a nuanced exploration of the constraints women face, while
also suggesting the possibility of a more egalitarian and fulfilling future for those who resist
these limitations.

Q14. Examine how George eliot employs a polyphony of voices to depict the provisional
realities of middlemarch .
Ans- In *Middlemarch*, George Eliot masterfully employs a polyphony of voices, allowing
her to depict the complex, provisional realities of life in the fictional town of Middlemarch.
The novel’s structure, which intertwines the inner thoughts and external realities of
numerous characters, showcases Eliot's use of multiple perspectives to explore the theme of
human experience and the often shifting nature of truth. Through this narrative approach,
Eliot captures the fluidity of individual and collective lives within the social, political, and
moral context of early 19th-century England.
### 1. **The Use of Free Indirect Discourse**
One of the most significant ways Eliot achieves polyphony in *Middlemarch* is through her
innovative use of *free indirect discourse*. This narrative technique allows the narrator to
shift between different characters’ inner thoughts and external perspectives while
maintaining a cohesive, omniscient voice. By doing so, Eliot gives each character’s voice a
degree of autonomy, allowing readers to hear their desires, prejudices, and hopes, as well as
the social forces shaping their actions. This technique provides a sense of inner conflict and
ambivalence, highlighting the provisional and shifting nature of characters' realities.
For example, when we hear Dorothea Brooke's inner thoughts on her marriage to Casaubon,
Eliot portrays her sense of idealism, disillusionment, and growing awareness of the
compromises she is making. At the same time, the third-person narration also gives us
insight into Casaubon’s egotism, ambition, and cognitive dissonance, showing that neither
character’s perception of reality is fixed or absolute.
### 2. **Contrasting Characters and Ideologies**
Eliot further reinforces the polyphonic quality of *Middlemarch* through her depiction of a
diverse array of characters, each with their own distinct worldview. The novel's multiple
narratives allow for a dynamic interplay of conflicting ideologies, social roles, and personal
ambitions.
- **Dorothea Brooke** represents the idealistic, intellectual aspirations of the emerging
middle class, her efforts toward self-actualization constantly confronted by the harsh
realities of her personal life and social constraints. Her voice reflects the emotional
turbulence of trying to reconcile her lofty ideals with the limitations of the world around her.
- **Mr. Casaubon**, her husband, embodies the rigidity of intellectualism, trapped in his
obsessive quest for knowledge that ultimately isolates him from others. Through Casaubon’s
voice, Eliot explores the dangers of unchecked ambition and intellectual pride, juxtaposing
his narrow, self-serving view of the world with Dorothea’s idealism.
- **Will Ladislaw**, Casaubon’s younger cousin, is presented as a more romantic,
progressive force in the novel. His voice offers an alternative to Casaubon’s intellectualism,
representing the changing social and political dynamics of the time. His relationship with
Dorothea forms a central part of the novel’s exploration of individual agency versus societal
expectation.
- **Dr. Tertius Lydgate**, a medical innovator with ambitious scientific goals, embodies the
conflict between personal aspiration and the realities of social and professional limitations.
Lydgate’s idealistic vision of progress is continually thwarted by the conservative nature of
Middlemarch society and his own personal choices, especially in his marriage to Rosamond
Vincy.
Through these characters, Eliot portrays the social, political, and economic pressures that
shape individual decisions, emphasizing the provisional and contingent nature of their lives.
None of the characters possess an absolute or definitive perspective, and their
understanding of the world is always evolving in response to their personal experiences and
societal conditions.
### 3. **Narrative Complexity and the Interplay of Voices**
In addition to her use of free indirect discourse, Eliot also creates a narrative that is
fundamentally polyphonic in its structure. The novel does not follow a single plot or
character arc but rather intertwines multiple storylines that reflect different facets of life in
Middlemarch. These voices—ranging from the aristocracy to the working classes, from
intellectuals to everyday people—combine to form a complex portrayal of a society in
transition.
Eliot juxtaposes different voices to reveal the tensions between personal desires and social
responsibilities. The characters’ interactions are often shaped by these conflicting voices,
creating moments of irony, miscommunication, and tragedy. For instance, the tension
between Dorothea and her suitors—Casaubon and Will Ladislaw—exemplifies the way in
which individuals' subjective realities collide. Dorothea’s idealistic vision of love and
marriage contrasts with Casaubon’s cold intellectualism, and later with Ladislaw’s more
passionate but unstable commitment to her.
The social and political discourse of the novel also complicates the characters' lives. Eliot
uses voices from various classes and professions to discuss issues like marriage, class
mobility, political reform, and scientific progress. The narrative voice itself does not impose a
singular moral judgment on these topics but instead presents them from multiple angles,
often showing the contradictions inherent in each character’s perspective.
### 4. **The Provisionality of Reality**
The polyphonic nature of *Middlemarch* serves to underscore the provisionality of the
characters’ realities. Eliot presents a world where no single truth or perspective can be fully
realized. The characters’ lives are shaped by their limited understanding, and their personal
narratives unfold in relation to the broader social and historical context in which they live.
For example, while Lydgate initially believes that his scientific pursuits will bring him
recognition and respect, his reality is compromised by his marriage to Rosamond, whose
materialism and social ambitions create a tension between his idealism and the practical
demands of his life. Similarly, Dorothea’s vision of her role in the world shifts over the course
of the novel, from a desire to reform society through intellectual means to a more personal
and emotional understanding of her place in life.
This fluidity of reality in *Middlemarch* reflects the novel’s broader themes of change,
progress, and the negotiation of personal and social identity. By allowing characters to
articulate their subjective truths while constantly complicating these truths through multiple
voices, Eliot emphasizes the provisional and shifting nature of human experience.
### Conclusion
In *Middlemarch*, George Eliot’s polyphonic narrative technique serves as a powerful tool
for depicting the provisional realities of her characters. Through a blend of free indirect
discourse, contrasting voices, and multiple storylines, Eliot creates a rich, multifaceted
portrait of a society in flux. The characters’ experiences, shaped by their personal ambitions,
social roles, and changing circumstances, illustrate the complex, often contradictory nature
of human life. By presenting these shifting perspectives, Eliot invites readers to reflect on the
provisionality of truth, identity, and morality in the context of an ever-changing world.

Q15. Bring out the role of the community in determining character and behaviour in
Middlemarch.
Ans- Middlemarch is about an entire community: the fictional town of the novel’s title.
Significantly, the book is also set thirty years before it was written, and is full of detail about
this important, tumultuous period in English history. The novel’s subtitle, “A Study of
Provincial Life,” indicates that the book intends to give readers a sense of what “provincial
life” is like during this period, during which the class system remained both highly rigid and
extremely prominent as a way of structuring pretty much every part of society. This
“provincial life” is further defined by the fact that the characters are all connected to one
another in a complex familial, marital, political, and professional web. While this close-knit
aspect of the community has a positive dimension, overall the novel condemns the way that
small communities like Middlemarch can foster small-mindedness, pettiness, and intense
social hierarchies.
In Middlemarch, class anxiety emerges primarily through an obsession with family
reputation. The obsession leads Middlemarch residents to be overly involved with and
critical of other people’s choices, especially women’s choices of whom to marry. There is
little privacy in Middlemarch, and certain characters (such as Mrs. Cadwallader) exacerbate
this by being prone to gossip and judgment about marriages in the community. For example,
Mrs. Cadwallader is highly judgmental of both Dorothea’s marriage to Casaubon and her
relationship with Will.
Coming from a “good” family is highly valued, yet considering that no one can actually
change the social status of their own family, the only way to rise in rank is through marriage.
At the same time, the novel suggests that fixating on social status and improving it through
marriage can have profoundly negative effects on people’s lives. Rosamond eagerly marries
Lydgate because he comes from a noble family: “[Lydgate] had a profession and was clever,
as well as sufficiently handsome; but the piquant fact about Lydgate was his good birth,
which distinguished him from all Middlemarch admirers, and presented marriage as a
Prospect of rising in rank.” Rosamond is fixated on improving her own social standing, so
much so that she ignores the reality that Lydgate is poor. In the end, his lack of wealth makes
their marriage disastrous and miserable. Family name may be important, but it cannot
compensate for the material reality of not having enough money.
To make matters worse, those whose families can’t be traced (either because they come
from elsewhere or, as in the case of Joshua Rigg, they are “illegitimate” children born
outside of marriage) are treated with suspicion. For example, the narrator notes that
Middlemarch townspeople are suspicious of Bulstrode not just because he is a Methodist,
but also because “five-and-twenty years ago no one had ever heard of a Bulstrode in
Middlemarch.” This detail shows how difficult it is for a person to gain acceptance within
Middlemarch. Anyone who is different or who does not have a good (or known) family
reputation is immediately subject to skeptical scrutiny.
This fixation on class and family reputation over other, more meaningful merits also makes
life in the town backwards and dysfunctional. On the subject of doctors, the narrator notes
that “this was one of the difficulties of moving in good Middlemarch society: it was
dangerous to insist on knowledge as a qualification for any salaried office.” People tend to
favor certain doctors because they are popular or have simply been around for a long time,
rather than because they have the best medical knowledge and skill. This reveals that people
in this world care far more about a person’s class and reputation than their actual ability to
perform in a professional role.
This obsession with status distinguishes Middlemarch from more metropolitan parts of
England (and from the rest of the world) during this era. While hardly confined to provincial
areas, fixation on class and family reputation is far more pronounced in places like
Middlemarch than it is in cities like London. Because there are both fewer people and fewer
kinds of people living there than somewhere like London, everyone is keenly aware of where
they exist on the same, deeply hierarchical social map.
In this sense, the obsession with hierarchy and status within the Middlemarch community
keeps the community back while other parts of the country advance. There are some
benefits to the intense interconnection that exists between residents of Middlemarch; there
are many instances when the townspeople help one another out, such as when Caleb takes
on the wayward Fred as an apprentice or when Dorothea writes Lydgate a £1000 check so he
is no longer in debt to Bulstrode. However, overall the small-town aspect of life in the town
forces the community and its members to remain stuck in an old-fashioned, unjust, and self-
defeating way of living.

Q16. Bring out the significance of the description “he died as he lived “ in the context of
kurtz in the heart of darkness.
Ans- The description "he died as he lived" in *Heart of Darkness* carries deep significance in
relation to Kurtz's character, as it reflects the culmination of his life’s trajectory, shaped by
his inner darkness, moral corruption, and the consequences of European imperialism.
### 1. **Moral and Spiritual Corruption**
Kurtz's life in the Congo is a journey of moral decay. He arrives with grand ideals of
civilizing the "savages," but over time, he becomes consumed by the power he holds over
the indigenous people. His descent into savagery, cruelty, and madness is a direct
consequence of his unchecked power and isolation. By the time of his death, Kurtz has fully
embraced his darker impulses, symbolized by the cult-like following he commands from the
natives and his tyrannical rule. The phrase "he died as he lived" emphasizes that his death is
not a redemptive moment; it is simply the final point in the tragic arc of his life, where his
moral degradation culminates in his last words, "The horror! The horror!"—a recognition of
the terrible consequences of his actions.
### 2. **Isolation and Alienation**
Throughout the novel, Kurtz isolates himself from both the European world and the native
world, living alone in the wilderness, far from the civilizing structures of society. His physical
and emotional isolation reflect his inner disintegration. At the time of his death, he is
completely cut off from any human connection, further intensifying his alienation. "He died
as he lived" suggests that his death is as isolated and detached as his life had been. Even in
his final moments, Kurtz is not surrounded by any true allies or loved ones; instead, he is
alone, consumed by his own thoughts and his awareness of the horror of his existence.
### 3. **Hypocrisy and Idealism Turned to Madness**
Kurtz came to Africa with high ideals, believing in the mission of spreading European values,
but over time, his ideals devolve into a personal quest for power, unrestrained by any moral
or ethical boundaries. The phrase "he died as he lived" reflects the tragic irony of his life.
While he may have once believed in noble ideals, his death reveals the extent to which those
ideals have been corrupted into madness. His death does not mark a moment of clarity or
redemption but rather reinforces the idea that his life, filled with excess, power, and
brutality, ends with the same overwhelming darkness that he had cultivated.
### 4. **Symbol of Imperialism's Destructive Impact**
Kurtz represents the embodiment of European imperialism in the novel. His life in the
Congo—a life built on exploitation, violence, and control—mirrors the very nature of
colonialism. His death symbolizes the inevitable failure of such an oppressive and morally
bankrupt system. "He died as he lived" serves as a comment on the nature of imperialism
itself: it is destructive and hollow, and its consequences ultimately consume both the
colonizers and the colonized. Kurtz’s life and death are intertwined with this larger theme of
the corrupting power of imperialism.
### 5. **Final Realization and the Horror of Existence**
Kurtz's final words, “The horror! The horror!” reflect his recognition of the fundamental
darkness within humanity, as well as his own role in it. In his death, he is not redeemed or
absolved, and he does not experience a peaceful end. Rather, his final moments are
consumed with the realization of the horror of his existence—the horror of what he has
done, what he has become, and perhaps the inherent horror of the human condition itself.
The phrase "he died as he lived" highlights this continuity, suggesting that Kurtz’s life was
one of gradual immersion into darkness, which his death simply concludes without
redemption.
### Conclusion
In summary, the description "he died as he lived" encapsulates the tragic continuity of
Kurtz's life, where his moral degradation, isolation, and corrupt ideals remain unchanged
until his death. It underscores the inevitability of his fall, as well as the novel's broader
themes of the darkness within humanity and the corrupting power of colonialism. Kurtz's life
and death are reflections of each other—both are defined by an unrelenting descent into
madness and moral chaos.

Q17. Examine the symbolic significance of the title heart of darkness.

Ans- Joseph Conrad's most read novella Heart of Darkness has double meaning in its title.
One dictionary meaning is that the title refers to the interior of the Africa called Congo.
Another hidden meaning is, the title stands for the darkness or the primitiveness that every
person possesses in his or her mind and heart.
Joseph Conrad (1857-1924)
The etymological meaning of the phrase Heart of Darkness is the innermost region of the
territory which is yet to be explored, where people led the nomadic and primitive way of
living. The setting time of the novel Heart of Darkness dates back to those periods when the
continent of Africa was not fully explored. So the continent was called the heart of
darkness. The major and significant events of the novel take place in the Dark Continent,
though the first and the end of the story takes place outside the continent. The central
character, Kurtz, comes under the influence of the savages and becomes one of them in the
same dark place called Congo. The savages and Kurtz, in fact, belong to the heart of
darkness.
The description of the scenery by Marlow adds something vital meaning to the title of the
novel. The wild scene, thick and impenetrable jungle, the pictures of the natives hiding in
the dense jungle, the silence and the dangerous stillness of the river Congo, the thick fog, all
these features are suggestive to the title Heart of Darkness. The outer physical setting
intensifies the horror and the fear among the readers. The reading about the description of
the natives and their way of appearing in the novel bring the terrific effect in the mind of the
reader.
On one occasion, Marlow is attacked by the natives in his steamer. In that attack the
helmsman is killed. The natives attack the steamer of Marlow not knowing why he is there,
but in the ignorance. The ignorance and backwardness of the savages, the purposeless
attack creates the feeling like being in the midst of the heart of darkness. The attack to the
steamer is planned by Kurtz, who has become one savage living with the natives. He
becomes more barbaric than the inhabitants. The essence of savagery, brutality and cruelty
sums up in the existence of Kurtz. Kurtz's mission was to civilize the natives, to educate
them, to improve their way of living and the important one is to bring the light into their
lives and into that dark territory. But he ends in converting himself into the savages, and the
most striking thing is that he has set himself like a god in that Dark Continent. He starts
following their unspeakable rites. He does any brutal raids for the sake of collection of ivory.
According to Marlow, Kurtz has become a devil being failure to control his moral restraint.
He lets his inner self, the primitive self, dance freely in the lap of darkness and becomes the
representatives of the darkness. His superstition and evil has become the embodiment of
darkness. Psychologically, Kurtz is the symbol of everyman's darkness which is veiled under
the curtain of civilization. Kurtz is the heart of darkness.

The term heart of darkness stands for another meaning too. The journey of Kurtz and
Marlow to explore the interior of the Dark Continent called Congo is not only the physical
search of some the territory, but it is an exploration of the innermost part of the human
mind and the human heart. The geographical search is comparatively easier than the search
of one's self, one's Dark Continent. Both Kurtz and Marlow are in an implied sense in the
journey to find their dark region of mind and heart. In case of Kurtz, he cannot hold the
mystical and attractive power of his savagery self, his suppressed primitive self and gives in.
He fails to control his moral restraint. He submits to the dark side of his personality and
becomes one savage. He reaches to the heart of darkness, but cannot resist its power upon
him and he cannot come back from his subconscious state of mind. But in the case of
Marlow, he too travels to the heart of darkness, the subconscious. He reaches there and
witnesses the heavy influence of primitive self on Kurtz. He notices that he has become
totally a devil, deviating from his main aim to civilize the savages. Marlow, despite the truth
that Kurtz has been transformed into the barbaric self, praises him and is attracted towards
him. He has fallen a near prey to the primitiveness. But, amazingly, he does not submit
himself to the savagery self of his subconscious. He reaches to the heart of darkness,
witnesses the transformation of Kurtz, and gets to know the irresistible power of barbaric
hidden self, praises it and again comes back to the light of civilization. He is so able to
control his morality and spirituality. His journey to Africa is, symbolically, exploration of the
dark side of human life, either psychologically, or morally and or spiritually.
A critic commenting upon the title of the novel, Heart of Darkness, states that the darkness
here is many things: it is the unknown, it is the subconscious, it is the moral darkness, it is
the evil which swallows up Kurtz, and it is the spiritual emptiness, which he sees at the
center of the existence, but above all it is a mystery itself, the mysteriousness of man's
spiritual life.

Q18. Do you agree with achebe’s view that conred’s novel heart of darkness depicts Africa as
a place of negation?
Ans- Heart of Darkness projects the image of Africa as "the other world," the antithesis of
Europe and therefore of civilization, a place where a man's vaunted intelligence and
refinement are finally mocked by triumphant bestiality. The book opens on the River
Thames, tranquil, resting peacefully "at the decline of day after ages of good service done to
the race that peopled its banks." But the actual story takes place on the River Congo, the
very antithesis of the Thames. The River Congo is quite decidedly not a River Emeritus. It has
rendered no service and enjoys no old-age pension. We are told that "going up that river
was like traveling back to the earliest beginning of the world."
Is Conrad saying then that these two rivers are very different, one good, the other bad? Yes,
but that is not the real point. What actually worries Conrad is the lurking hint of kinship, of
common ancestry. For the Thames, too, "has been one of the dark places of the earth." It
conquered its darkness, of course, and is now at peace. But if it were to visit its primordial
relative, the Congo, it would run the terrible risk of hearing grotesque, suggestive echoes of
its own forgotten darkness, and of falling victim to an avenging recrudescence of the
mindless frenzy of the first beginnings.
I am not going to waste your time with examples of Conrad's famed evocation of the African
atmosphere. In the final consideration it amounts to no more than a steady, ponderous, fake
ritualistic repetition of two sentences, one about silence and the other about frenzy. An
example of the former is "It was the stillness of an implacable force brooding over an
inscrutable intention" and of the latter, "The steamer toiled along slowly on the edge of
black and incomprehensible frenzy." Of course, there is a judicious change of adjective from
time to time so that instead of "inscrutable," for example, you might have "unspeakable,"
etc., etc.
The most interesting and revealing passages in Heart of Darkness are, however, about
people. I must quote a long passage from the middle of the story in which representatives of
Europe in a steamer going down the Congo encounter the denizens of Africa:
We were wanderers on a prehistoric earth, on an earth that wore the aspect of an unknown
planet. We could have fancied ourselves the first of men taking possession of an accursed
inheritance, to be subdued at the cost of profound anguish and of excessive toil. But
suddenly, as we struggled round a bend, there would be a glimpse of rush walls, of peaked
grass-roofs, a burst of yells, a whirl of black limbs, a mass of hands clapping, of feet
stamping, of bodies swaying, of eyes rolling, under the droop of heavy and motionless
foliage. The steamer toiled along slowly on the edge of a black and incomprehensible frenzy.
The prehistoric man was cursing as, praying to us, welcoming us--who could tell? We were
cut off from the comprehension of our surroundings; we glided past like phantoms,
wondering and secretly appalled, as sane men would be before an enthusiastic outbreak in a
madhouse. We could not remember because we were travelling in the night of first ages, of
those ages that are gone, leaving hardly a sign--and no memories.
The earth seemed unearthly. We are accustomed to look upon the shackled form of a
conquered monster, but there--there you could look at a thing monstrous and free. It was
unearthly, and the men were--No, they were not inhuman. Well, you know, that was the
worst of it--this suspicion of their not being inhuman. It would come slowly to one. They
howled and leaped, and spun, and made horrid faces; but what thrilled you was just the
thought of your remote kinship with this wild and passionate uproar. Ugly. Yes, it was ugly
enough; but if you were man enough you would admit to yourself that there was in you just
the faintest trace of a response to the terrible frankness of that noise, a dim suspicion of
there being a meaning in it which you--you so remote from the night of first ages--could
comprehend.
Herein lies the meaning of Heart of Darkness and the fascination it holds over the Western
mind: "What thrilled you was just the thought of their humanity--like yours. ... Ugly."
Having shown us Africa in the mass, Conrad then zeros in on a specific example, giving us
one of his rare descriptions of an African who is not just limbs or rolling eyes:
And between whiles I had to look after the savage who was fireman. He was an improved
specimen; he could fire up a vertical boiler. He was there below me, and, upon my word, to
look at him was as edifying as seeing a dog in a parody of breeches and a feather hat,
walking on his hind legs. A few months of training had done for that really fine chap. He
squinted at the steam gauge and at the water gauge with an evident effort of intrepidity--
and he had filed his teeth, too, the poor devil, and the wool of his pate shaved into queer
patterns, and three ornamental scars on each of his cheeks. He ought to have been clapping
his hands and stamping his feet on the bank, instead of which he was hard at work, a thrall
to strange witchcraft, full of improving knowledge.
As everybody knows, Conrad is a romantic on the side. He might not exactly admire savages
clapping their hands and stamping their feet but they have at least the merit of being in
their place, unlike this dog in a parody of breeches. For Conrad, things (and persons) being in
their place is of the utmost importance.
Towards the end of the story, Conrad lavishes great attention quite unexpectedly on an
African woman who has obviously been some kind of mistress to Mr. Kurtz and now presides
(if I may be permitted a little imitation of Conrad) like a formidable mystery over the
inexorable imminence of his departure:
She was savage and superb, wild-eyed and magnificent.... She stood looking at us without a
stir and like the wilderness itself, with an air of brooding over an inscrutable purpose.
The difference in the attitude of the novelist to these two women is conveyed in too many
direct and subtle ways to need elaboration. But perhaps the most significant difference is
the one implied in the author's bestowal of human expression to the one and the
withholding of it from the other. It is clearly not part of Conrad's purpose to confer language
on the "rudimentary souls" of Africa. They only "exchanged short grunting phrases" even
among themselves but mostly they were too busy with their frenzy. There are two occasions
in the book, however, when Conrad departs somewhat from his practice and confers speech,
even English speech, on the savages.
Mistah Kurtz--he dead.
At first sight, these instances might be mistaken for unexpected acts of generosity from
Conrad. In reality, they constitute some of his best assaults. In the case of the cannibals, the
incomprehensible grunts that had thus far served them for speech suddenly proved
inadequate for Conrad's purpose of letting the European glimpse the unspeakable craving in
their hearts. Weighing the necessity for consistency in the portrayal of the dumb brutes
against the sensational advantages of securing their conviction by clear, unambiguous
evidence issuing out of their own mouth, Conrad chose the latter. As for the announcement
of Mr. Kurtz's death by the "insolent black head of the doorway," what better or more
appropriate finis could be written to the horror story of that wayward child of civilization
who willfully had given his soul to the powers of darkness and "taken a high seat amongst
the devils of the land" than the proclamation of his physical death by the forces he had
joined?
It might be contended, of course, that the attitude to the African in Heart of Darkness is not
Conrad's but that of his fictional narrator, Marlow, and that far from endorsing it Conrad
might indeed be holding it up to irony and criticism. Certainly, Conrad appears to go to
considerable pains to set up layers of insulation between himself and the moral universe of
his story. He has, for example, a narrator behind a narrator. The primary narrator is Marlow
but his account is given to us through the filter of a second, shadowy person. But if Conrad's
intention is to draw a cordon sanitaire between himself and the moral and psychological
malaise of his narrator, his care seems to me totally wasted because he neglects to hint
however subtly or tentatively at an alternative frame of reference by which we may judge
the actions and opinions of his characters. It would not have been beyond Conrad's power to
make that provision if he had thought it necessary. Marlow seems to me to enjoy Conrad's
complete confidence--a feeling reinforced by the close similarities between their careers.
Marlow comes through to us not only as a witness of truth, but one holding those advanced
and humane views appropriate to the English liberal tradition which required all Englishmen
of decency to be deeply shocked by atrocities in Bulgaria or the Congo of King Leopold of the
Belgians or wherever. Thus Marlow is able to toss out such bleeding heart sentiments as
these:
They were all dying slowly--it was very clear. They were not enemies, they were not
criminals, they were nothing earthly now--nothing but black shadows of disease and
starvation, lying confusedly in the greenish gloom. Brought from all the recesses of the coast
in all the legality of time contracts, lost in uncongenial surroundings, fed on unfamiliar food,
they sickened, became inefficient, and were then allowed to crawl away and rest.
The kind of liberalism espoused here by Marlow/Conrad touched all the best minds of the
age in England, Europe, and America. It took different forms in the minds of different people
but almost always managed to sidestep the ultimate question of equality between white
people and black people. That extraordinary missionary, Albert Schweitzer, who sacrificed
brilliant careers in music and theology in Europe for a life of service to Africans in much the
same area as Conrad writes about, epitomizes the ambivalence. In a comment which I have
often quoted but must quote one last time Schweitzer says: "The African is indeed my
brother but my junior brother." And so he proceeded to build a hospital appropriate to the
needs of junior brothers with standards of hygiene reminiscent of medical practice in the
days before the germ theory of disease came into being. Naturally, he became a sensation in
Europe and America. Pilgrims flocked, and I believe still flock even after he has passed on, to
witness the prodigious miracle in Lamberene, on the edge of the primeval forest.
Conrad's liberalism would not take him quite as far as Schweitzer's, though. He would not
use the word "brother" however qualified; the farthest he would go was "kinship." When
Marlow's African helmsman falls down with a spear in his heart he gives his white master
one final disquieting look.
And the intimate profundity of that look he gave me when he received his hurt remains to
this day in my memory--like a claim of distant kinship affirmed in a supreme moment.

It is important to note that Conrad, careful as ever with his words, is not talking so much
about distant kinship as about someone laying a claim on it. The black man lays a claim on
the white man which is well-nigh intolerable. It is the laying of this claim which frightens and
at the same time fascinates Conrad, "... the thought of their humanity--like yours ... Ugly."
The point of my observations should be quite clear by now, namely, that Conrad was a
bloody racist. That this simple truth is glossed over in criticism of his work is due to the fact
that white racism against Africa is such a normal way of thinking that its manifestations go
completely undetected. Students of Heart of Darkness will often tell you that Conrad is
concerned not so much with Africa as with the deterioration of one European mind caused
by solitude and sickness. They will point out to you that Conrad is, if anything, less charitable
to the Europeans in the story than he is to the natives. A Conrad student told me in Scotland
last year that Africa is merely a setting for the disintegration of the mind of Mr. Kurtz.

Which is partly the point: Africa as setting and backdrop which eliminates the African as
human factor. Africa as a metaphysical battlefield devoid of all recognizable humanity, into
which the wandering European enters at his peril. Of course, there is a preposterous and
perverse kind of arrogance in thus reducing Africa to the role of props for the breakup of one
petty European mind. But that is not even the point. The real question is the
dehumanization of Africa and Africans which this agelong attitude has fostered and
continues to foster in the world. And the question is whether a novel which celebrates this
dehumanization, which depersonalizes a portion of the human race, can be called a great
work of art. My answer is: No, it cannot. I would not call that man an artist, for example,
who composes an eloquent instigation to one people to fall upon another and destroy them.
No matter how striking his imagery or how beautiful his cadences fall such a man is no more
a great artist than another may be called a priest who reads the mass backwards or a
physician who poisons his patients. All those men in Nazi Germany who lent their talent to
the service of virulent racism whether in science, philosophy or the arts have generally and
rightly been condemned for their perversions. The time is long overdue for taking a hard
look at the work of creative artists who apply their talents, alas often considerable as in the
case of Conrad, to set people against people. This, I take it, is what Yevtushenko is after
when he tells us that a poet cannot be a slave trader at the same time, and gives the striking
example of Arthur Rimbaud who was fortunately honest enough to give up any pretenses to
poetry when he opted for slave trading. For poetry surely can only be on the side of man's
deliverance and not his enslavement; for the brotherhood and unity of all mankind and
against the doctrines of Hitler's master races or Conrad's "rudimentary souls." ...

[Conrad] was born in 1857, the very year in which the first Anglican missionaries were
arriving among my own people in Nigeria. It was certainly not his fault that he lived his life at
a time when the reputation of the black man was at a particularly low level. But even after
due allowances have been made for all the influences of contemporary prejudice on his
sensibility, there remains still in Conrad's attitude a residue of antipathy to black people
which his peculiar psychology alone can explain. His own account of his first encounter with
a black man is very revealing:
A certain enormous buck nigger encountered in Haiti fixed my conception of blind, furious,
unreasoning rage, as manifested in the human animal to the end of my days. Of the nigger I
used to dream for years afterwards.
Certainly, Conrad had a problem with niggers. His inordinate love of that word itself should
be of interest to psychoanalysts. Sometimes his fixation on blackness is equally interesting as
when he gives us this brief description:
A black figure stood up, strode on long black legs, waving long black [Link] though we
might expect a black figure striding along on black legs to have white arms! But so
unrelenting is Conrad's [Link] a matter of interest Conrad gives us in A Personal
Record what amounts to a companion piece to the buck nigger of Haiti. At the age of sixteen
Conrad encountered his first Englishman in Europe. He calls him "my unforgettable
Englishman" and describes him in the following manner:[his] calves exposed to the public
gaze ... dazzled the beholder by the splendor of their marble-like condition and their rich
tone of young ivory ... The light of a headlong, exalted satisfaction with the world of men ...
illumined his face ... and triumphant eyes. In passing he cast a glance of kindly curiosity and
a friendly gleam of big, sound, shiny teeth ... his white calves twinkled [Link] love
and irrational hate jostling together in the heart of that tormented man. But whereas
irrational love may at worst engender foolish acts of indiscretion, irrational hate can
endanger the life of the community....Whatever Conrad's problems were, you might say he is
now safely dead. Quite true. Unfortunately, his heart of darkness plagues us still. Which is
why an offensive and totally deplorable book can be described by a serious scholar as
"among the half dozen greatest short novels in the English language," and why it is today
perhaps the most commonly prescribed novel in the twentieth-century literature courses in
our own English Department here. Indeed the time is long overdue for a hard look at things.
As I said earlier, Conrad did not originate the image of Africa which we find in his book. It
was and is the dominant image of Africa in the Western imagination and Conrad merely
brought the peculiar gifts of his own mind to bear on it. For reasons which can certainly use
close psychological inquiry, the West seems to suffer deep anxieties about the
precariousness of its civilization and to have a need for constant reassurance by comparing it
with Africa. If Europe, advancing in civilization, could cast a backward glance periodically at
Africa trapped in primordial barbarity, it could say with faith and feeling: There go I but for
the grace of God. Africa is to Europe as the picture is to Dorian Gray--a carrier onto whom
the master unloads his physical and moral deformities so that he may go forward, erect and
immaculate. Consequently, Africa is something to be avoided just as the [Dorian Gray's]
picture has to be hidden away to safeguard the man's jeopardous integrity. Keep away from
Africa, or else! Mr. Kurtz of Heart of Darkness should have heeded that warning and the
prowling horror in his heart would have kept its place, chained to its lair. But he foolishly
exposed himself to the wild irresistible allure of the jungle and lo! the darkness found him
out.
[Link] on the employment of the stream of consciousness technique and the use of
epiphany in joyce’s novel and portrait of the artist as a young man.
Ans- In “A portrait of the Artist as a Young Man,” James Joyce extensively uses the stream of
consciousness technique, a stylistic form in which written prose seeks to represent the
characters' stream of inner thoughts and perceptions rather than render these characters
from an objective, external perspective. This technique is used in this novel mostly during
the opening sections and in Chapter 5, particularly to analyze the mind of Stephen, the
protagonist of this novel. However, it has also importance in other respects.
In the opening section, the use of stream of consciousness is seen. Wells, a fellow, ones
asked Stephen whether Stephen kisses his mother before going to the bed. Stephen
answered, “Yes”. The other fellows laughed and Stephen blushed and said, “I do not. They all
laughed again. Stephen tried to laugh with them. He felt his whole body hot and confused in
a moment. What was the right answer to the question . . . Was it right to kiss his mother or
wrong to kiss his mother? What did that mean, to kiss? ...Why did people do that sort of
things?’’
This is perfectly realistic as such questions do normally arise in the minds of children. Joyace
here uses this technique in order to analyze the mind child Stephen.
Then we also find another example of stream of consciousness technique at the time of
Stephen’s illness. This shows how can be the feelings of a sick child. He was sick and thought
of his own death. He takes pleasure in his own sad thoughts. He thought “He might die
before his mother came. Then he would have a dead mass in the chapel like the way the
fellows had told him it was when Little had died. All the fellows would be at the mass,
dressed in black, all with sad faces.. . there would be tall yellow candles on the altar . . . and
he would be buried in the little graveyard.” A child’s inner feeling is represented here
through stream of consciousness. Joyce presents the feelings of a child in a manner a child
generally feels and thinks. Joyce says, “He wanted to cry quietly but not for himself: for the
words, so beautiful and sad, like music. The bell! The bell! Farewell! O farewell!”
This technique reveals the realistic picture of the feelings of a child when he thinks about his
death.
During the conversation between Stephen and Athy, the latter has told Stephen a riddle.
Athy tells that “There is another way but I won't tell you what it is.”
Stephen does not respond but retreats into his thoughts: “Why did he not tell it? His father,
who kept the racehorses, must be a magistrate too like Saurin's father and Nasty Roche's
father. He thought of his own father, of how he sang songs while his other played and of how
he always gave him a shilling when he asked for sixpence and he felt sorry for him that he
was not a magistrate like the other boys’ fathers. Then why was he sent to that place with
them?” It helps to see the psychological life of Stephen.
Joyce shows much subtly of insight into the complex mind of the adolescent Stephen. For
instance in chapter II, Section IV, we come across the following examples of this technique.
Stephen was listening a story of his father, a repeated story of some “scattered and dead
revelers” who were his father’s companion when he was young. Hearing these nostalgic
stories, he sighed and “he recalled his own equivocal position in Belvedere, a free boy, a
leader afraid of his own authority, proud and sensitive and suspicious, battling against the
squalor of his life and against the riot of his mind.”
Stephen’s reactions to Father Arnol’s sermon in chapter 3, are also conveyed to us by stream
of consciousness technique which successfully catche every twist and turn of Stephen’s long
draw out spiritual turmoil. It is the harness of the unrepentant heart that is first conveyed to
us. ‘’A cold lucid indifference reigned in his soul lusted after its own destruction?’’.
Stephan's agony on hearing Father Arnall's sermon is also described through this method.
He came to realize the sinful state of his soul. He believed every word of the preacher was
for him and he could understand the wrath of God aimed at him. He felt that it was God’s
turn and his doom is at hand. “Every word of it was for him. Against his sin, foul and secret,
the whole wrath of God was aimed. The preacher's knife had probed deeply into his
disclosed conscience and he felt now that his soul was festering in sin. Yes, the preacher was
right. God's turn had come.”
In chapter 4, James uses this technique to analyze the mind of Stephen after he leaves the
director who offers him the vocation of priesthood. The rejection of the priesthood is
followed by his decision to join the university. Several stream of thought run through his
mind after leaving his father at a public house. The analysis of Stephen's mind does with his
recognition of his true destiny which is to become an artist.
In the end of 5th chapter, the diary entries are a superb illustration of this technique. These
entries contain random thoughts written as they came into Stephen’s mind. For example: "
Long talk with Cranly on the subject of my revolt. He had his grand manner on. I supple and
suave. Attacked me on the score of love for one's mother. Tried to imagine his mother:
cannot. Told me once, in a moment of thoughtlessness, his father was sixty-one when he
was born. Can see him. Strong farmer type.”

Q20. Discuss the symbolic elements woven into the structure of a portrait of the artist as a
young man.
Ans- In *A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man*, James Joyce employs numerous symbolic
elements that work together to illuminate the protagonist, Stephen Dedalus’s, intellectual
and spiritual development. These symbols not only deepen the narrative but also reflect the
themes of identity, self-expression, and rebellion against authority. Here are some of the key
symbolic elements woven into the structure of the novel:
### 1. **The Name "Stephen Dedalus"**
- Stephen's name is a powerful symbol. His first name, "Stephen," connects him to Saint
Stephen, the first Christian martyr, who represents spiritual devotion and sacrifice. The
surname "Dedalus" is an allusion to the mythological figure Daedalus, the creator of the
labyrinth in Greek mythology, symbolizing Stephen’s role as a creator and intellectual who
must navigate the complex labyrinth of his life, artistic vision, and religious environment. His
name encapsulates the struggle between spiritual commitment and intellectual freedom.
### 2. **The Bird and Flight Imagery**
- The motif of flight, particularly associated with the myth of Daedalus and Icarus, recurs
throughout the novel. As Stephen's intellectual and artistic vision matures, the idea of flight
represents his aspiration for freedom, the desire to escape the constraints imposed by
religion, society, and family. The image of flight also evokes the notion of the artist's
independence and detachment from the ordinary world in order to create something
transcendent. Stephen’s final decision to leave Ireland and pursue his own path is a direct
manifestation of this imagery.
### 3. **The Use of Religious Symbolism**
- Religion plays a central role in Stephen's life, and Joyce uses Catholicism’s rituals,
symbols, and dogma to represent the authority and control that Stephen strives to reject.
The oppressive nature of Catholic teachings is symbolized through elements like confession,
guilt, and the imagery of sin. For instance, the scene of Stephen's confession is filled with
intense psychological symbolism, marking a moment of reckoning with his own guilt and his
gradual decision to break free from the religious constraints that shaped his upbringing.
### 4. **The Theme of the "Artist"**
- One of the most profound symbolic elements in the novel is the notion of the "artist." As
Stephen evolves, he begins to see himself not just as an individual but as an artist whose
purpose is to create and express truth. This self-realization is symbolized by his growing
sense of the aesthetic and the idea of "art for art's sake," which distances him from the
material and the mundane. The development of his aesthetic philosophy is a key element
that culminates in his manifesto at the end of the novel, where he decides to dedicate his
life to the pursuit of art.
### 5. **The Sea**
- The sea is another recurring symbol in the novel, often connected to Stephen’s desire for
freedom and his escape from the confines of society. At various points, the sea represents
both a literal and metaphorical boundary that Stephen must cross to achieve his personal
and artistic goals. It symbolizes the vast, unknown possibilities of the future, as well as the
overwhelming nature of his inner conflict and desires.

### 6. **The Mirror**

- Mirrors, both literal and metaphorical, feature prominently in the novel, symbolizing
Stephen’s search for self-identity. The mirror represents the process of self-reflection and
introspection, as Stephen tries to understand who he is and what his role in the world will
be. This search for self-understanding is intertwined with his rejection of imposed identities,
whether religious, familial, or cultural, as he strives to define himself on his own terms.
### 7. **The Aesthetic of "Epiphany"**
- Joyce uses the term "epiphany" to signify moments of sudden, profound realization.
Throughout the novel, Stephen experiences a number of epiphanies that illuminate his
understanding of himself and the world around him. These moments are highly symbolic,
marking the shift from innocence to knowledge, from childhood to adulthood, and from
ignorance to self-awareness. These epiphanies serve as crucial turning points in Stephen's
artistic and spiritual journey.
### 8. **The Educational System**
- The institutions Stephen navigates—school, university, and the church—are symbolic of
the forces of control and conformity in society. The educational system, particularly its strict
Catholic nature, symbolizes the limitations placed on Stephen's intellectual and creative
freedom. His rebellion against the authority figures within these systems is symbolic of his
struggle for autonomy and his rejection of external pressures to conform.
### 9. **The Theme of Isolation**
- Throughout the novel, Stephen experiences a sense of alienation and isolation. His
intellectual and artistic growth often puts him at odds with others, whether it’s his family,
classmates, or the broader society. This isolation is symbolic of the artist’s loneliness, the
necessary solitude required to create art, and the alienation that often accompanies self-
discovery and personal growth.
### 10. **The Color Imagery**
- Joyce frequently uses color imagery to reflect Stephen's emotional and intellectual state.
For example, the color green is associated with Ireland, nationalism, and Stephen’s growing
awareness of his relationship to his homeland. Red, on the other hand, often symbolizes
violence, passion, and the intense emotional experiences that Stephen undergoes. The
colors used in the novel thus have symbolic weight, reflecting Stephen's evolving inner
world.
### 11. **The Symbolism of the "Tower"**
- The tower where Stephen goes to reflect on his life and to find solitude in the final
chapters is symbolic of his separation from the world. It can be interpreted as a space of
both intellectual freedom and isolation, representing the tension between creativity and
detachment from the world that artists often experience.
Q21. Joyce uses a narrative technique which is integral to the unfolding of a “A portrait of
the artist as young man. Discuss
Ans- A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man is a novel by the Irish modernist writer James
Joyce. It was first published in serial form in the Egoist in the years 1914-15. Chronicling the
life of Stephen Dedalus from early childhood to young adulthood and his life-changing
decision to leave Ireland, the novel is profoundly autobiographical. Like Stephen, Joyce had
early experiences with prostitutes during his teenage years and struggled with questions of
faith. Like Stephen, Joyce was the son of a religious mother and a financially inept father.
Like Stephen, Joyce was the eldest of ten children and received his education at Jesuit
schools. Like Stephen, Joyce left Ireland to pursue the life of a poet and writer. Joyce began
working on the stories that formed the foundation of the novel as early as 1903, after the
death of is mother. Previous to the publication of Portrait, Joyce had published several
stories under the pseudonym "Stephen Dedalus.
" A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man is one of the earlier examples in English literature of
a novel that makes extensive use of stream of consciousness. Stream of conscious is a
narrative technique through which the author attempts to represent the fluid and eruptive
nature of human thought. The narrative is anchored in the interior life of a character rather
thanfrom the perspective of an objective third-person narrator. Whilein Paris in 1902, Joyce
discovered the French novel Les Laurierssont Coups; Joyce credits this novel with the
inspiration for creating his own style of stream of consciousness narrative.
While Portrait lacks the ambition and scope of Joyce's later stream of conscious
masterpiece, Ulysses, in many ways it was arevolutionary novel. The opening section is in
stream of consciousness with a child protagonist, and the novel is marked by an increasing
sophistication of narrative voice as the protagonist matures. Although many sections of the
novel are narrated in a relatively direct style, Joyce writes long passages that sustain a
complex and difficult language attempting to approximate the workings of human thought.
Even when the work is narrated in a straightforward manner, the narrative voicenever strays
from the interior life of Stephen Dedalus. We see events only as they are filtered through
Stephen.
"Free indirect discourse" may sound all fancy, but it’s really just another way of saying that
the narrative voice transfers between characters’ minds and the outside world of the novel
with ease. Free indirect discourse is a narrative style that combines traditional third-person
narrative with insights into a character’s mind that resemble the first person. For example,
we often "hear" Stephen’s thoughts mediated by the narrator, and one instance can be
found immediately following Stephen’s confession.
Instead of having markers of interiority and exteriority, we often slide smoothly from a
moment of external description and action into Stephen’s thoughts, with no alerts from our
narrator. It’s this style that allows Joyce to retain some distance from his character while also
revealing his innermost workings to us. Instead of totally being immersed in Stephen’s
personal experience, we have the privilege of moving between his inner thoughts and the
narrator’s exterior, removed voice; this allows the author to toss in a little irony to shake
things up occasionally. Even if Stephen is often humourless, it doesn’t mean that Joyce has
to be. Portrait can be placed in the tradition of the bildungsroman – novels that trace the
personal development of the protagonist, usually from childhood through to adulthood.
Joyce contrasts the rebellion and the experimentation of adolescence with the sombre
influence of Stephen’s Catholic education. The book shows a wide range of narrative styles.
There are lush and intricate passages, sections narrated in a direct style, and highly
experimental sections. The close is very simply done, all in the form of Stephen's journal
entries before leaving Ireland. The variety of styles is part of what makes Portrait of the
Artist as a Young Man such an enjoyable read.

Q22. Examine how E.M. forster engages with issues of the class in a passage to india.
Ans- E.M. Forster's “A Passage to India” was first published a century ago so it seemed like a
good time to revisit this book which is consistently cited as one of the greatest novels of all
time. I first read it at university but I remembered little about it. So it's been worthwhile
rereading this as an adult to refresh my memory about its story and it was the February
choice for my online bookclub. Naturally reading it now that I'm older I'm able to appreciate
more about its ideas and themes. It was the final novel by Forster to be published in his
lifetime despite the author living for almost fifty more years after its publication. His novel
“Maurice” was published posthumously and he also left an incomplete novel titled “Arctic
Summer”. The subject of “A Passage to India” concerns tensions between East and West in
the later days of Britain's colonial rule over the Indian subcontinent. The central question of
the story is whether friendship is truly possible between Indians and the English in this
context. This plays out through the drama between an Indian man named Dr Aziz who meets
an English woman named Adela Quested who recently arrived in India. There's a mystery or
non-mystery about what happens between them on an excursion out to the fictional
location of the Marabar Caves. I'll discuss more spoilers than I usually do in this post since
this is an older well known book.
I found it a bit challenging to get into the book at first since it launches right into a dialogue
where it's not always obvious who is speaking and it presents a wide range of people.
However, I quickly became fascinated (and repelled) by so much of the talk between these
characters – many of which are frank in their racial and religious prejudice. Forster
completely immerses the reader in this oppressive colonial environment where interactions
are regulated along strict lines. There's also a lot of humour which comes through in Dr
Aziz's personality and the strategic ways he tries to navigate this society. There's also a
tragic/comic absurdity to many of the outrageous statements certain characters make as
well as the cross-cultural misunderstandings which arise. Since this novel is partly based on
Forster's time living in India I'm sure he heard many real people making similar
pronouncements.

The narrative switches between a wider discussion of India as a land, culture and nation and
scenes between the story's characters. I felt like occasional generalisations and troubling
comparisons felt more questionable when they were situated in sections from the authorial
perspective. Forster was clearly deeply sympathetic with the struggles in Indian society but
describing the country in such broad terms also feels simplistic – especially when the
characterisation and drama of the story is so nuanced. One of my favourite moments in the
novel is when the exhausted Dr Aziz enters a mosque and initially believes a sweet old
English woman named Mrs Moore hasn't taken off her shoes. This misunderstanding could
have easily erupted into a bigger fight. If the overly racist characters of Mr or Mrs Turton had
this encounter I'm sure they'd have taken great offense and attacked Dr Aziz. But
magnanimous and kind-hearted Mrs Moore is more eager to foster a connection than try to
assert her dominance in the situation. Equally, Dr Aziz immediately overcomes his frustration
and sees the potential for a possible friendship. The way in which Mrs Moore and Mr
Fielding, a British headmaster of a college for Indians, interact with people says a lot about
their character. So I found their fledging friendships with Dr Aziz touching. Forster shows
how quickly people can find commonality when they overcome their preconceptions and
initial prejudice.
There's also a moving section which describes Dr Aziz's process of mourning his wife: “He
had known that she would pass from his hands and eyes, but had thought she could live in
his mind, not realizing that the very fact that we have loved the dead increases their
unreality, and that the more passionately we invoke them the further they recede.” This is
such an interesting and heart-wrenching insight into the experience of losing a loved one. I
wish Forster had shown some of Dr Aziz's interactions with his children to better understand
how his present family life operates. But his grief and loss add to the reason why he might
be channelling so much of his energy into impressing new arrivals from England. By creating
this social connection he wants to establish a level of respectability within the constructs of
this colonial society.
Adela Quested arrives in India because she's considering marrying a rather deplorable British
city magistrate named Ronny who is Mrs Moore's son. Adela could be called sweetly naïve or
it could be said that the way in which she wants to experience the “real” India is belittling.
Like many tourists she claims to want an “authentic” experience but when what she
witnesses doesn't match her imagined idea of what she'd find she's discontent. I found this
line about her interaction with Dr Aziz quite significant: “In her ignorance, she regarded him
as 'India', and never surmised that his outlook was limited and his method inaccurate, and
that no one is India.” It feels really true that the character of a country can only be
understood in the multiplicity of its inhabitants as everyone will have their own slanted
perspective on it. And it's also true that whenever meeting someone from a different
country or culture it's important to remember that they are merely an individual who
shouldn't be taken as representative of a nation.
It's masterful the way Forster creates a slow building tension between Dr Aziz who is eager
to please these English women and Adela Quested who earnestly wants to understand the
country as a method for clarifying to herself whether she wants to marry Ronny. This
crescendoes in their trip to the Marabar Caves. For the characters it's a trifling excursion that
Dr Aziz rashly suggests when he wants to avoid the embarrassment of hosting the ladies in
his humble home. They accept the invite more out of a sense of politeness because neither
Miss Quested or Mrs Moore are very enthusiastic about it – especially when no one can
explain why the caves are significant or worthy of a trip. From this rather tedious and dutiful
journey emerges a crisis which brings to a head all the simmering conflict caused by the
untenable existing colonial system. The accusation which emerges from it and Dr Aziz's
arrest are truly shocking. But it's also perfectly understandable that such an incident would
occur when there is so much cross-cultural tension brought about by an imbalance of power.
Such pressure leads to paranoia and clashes where oppressed people are further victimised.
The racist white colonial inhabitants seize upon this accusation as an excuse to act out the
anger and frustration they have against Indians.
The character of Fielding did his best to mount a defence for Dr Aziz but if Adela hadn't
spoken up it seems doubtful Aziz would have been cleared. Even if he was judged innocent
his reputation would be tarnished – as indeed it was regardless of his unquestionable
innocence. Although I'm critical of Adela it does feel like she was brave to own up to the fact
she didn't think Aziz had tried to attack her after all. This leaves her totally isolated as racist
Mrs Turton is naturally furious (and her embarrassment in court is very funny) but Mrs
Moore is also unprepared to engage with Adela anymore. Forster writers of Adela: “She was
no longer examining life but being examined by it. She had become a real person.” So Adela
feels to me like someone who means well but then realises how good intentions really have
little value when she hasn't dealt with her own unacknowledged prejudices and isn't
prepared to embrace the true complexity of the world.
Adela is haunted by an echo after her time in the cave as if it were her conscience pestering
her. Mrs Moore also hears an echo but has a very different reaction to it because she
experiences it as a crisis of faith. It results in a malaise when she realises her essential belief
in goodness and Christianity can't stand up to the insidious divisions of the real world. We
learn of her sad fate but she'd already withdrawn from trying to forge connections with
others or engage in any of these social issues anymore. Though this is tragic it's perhaps
hopeful that we later learn her children other than Ronny travel to India and develop a real
appreciation for Hinduism and India's culture. The echo (being one of the main symbols of
the novel) seems to have defeated Mrs Moore. Personally, I took the echo to mean that
individuals are trapped in their own limited understanding of the world. It's a kind of
opposite of a wasp which in this novel symbolises global unity. In the echo people are
hopelessly divided. This gets at the central question posed in the first section of the novel if
there can be true friendships between Indians and the English.
On this point, the friendship or attempted friendship between Dr Aziz and Mr Fielding seems
to be crucial. There's a misunderstanding where Dr Aziz believes Fielding has wedded Ms
Quested which naturally leaves him feeling betrayed and amplifies his belief he's been
cheated out of the monetary reparations owed to him. But, more than that, there's a divide
between them because of status and certain assumptions they make about each other due
to nationality, religion and race. Forster amplifies it to such a degree as to state that the
landscape itself comes between them. It's suggested the colonial situation creates too wide
a gulf between people to allow any true connection to come forth. It's unsurprising that Dr
Aziz becomes completely jaded towards the English and wants to reject them entirely
(including Fielding) after the humiliation and damage of being accused as he was. However,
Fielding also seems to be stuck in his own prerequisite for how he believes India should be
ordered as is evidenced by his view of Venice which he contrasts to India. The fact that they
aren't able to find any true connection is the great tragedy of this novel.
Alongside following the last meeting between this pair of characters, the final section is
concerned with a Hindu festival – which is interesting knowing that Forster found the
religion so compelling during his trips to India. To me this conclusion is making multiple
points: that foreigners can never fully understand the experience of being Indian and that
the traditions and culture of the country is ultimately stronger than any colonial power that
tries to dominant it. However, I appreciate that this final section can feel somewhat
meandering after such a character driven story.

Q23. A passage to india is structured around a web of themes. Discuss any two with
reference to the associated characters.
Ans- E.M. Forster's *A Passage to India* is a novel rich with thematic complexity, particularly
dealing with the tensions of British colonialism, cultural misunderstandings, and racial
divides. Two central themes that intertwine with the characters in the novel are **racial
prejudice and cultural misunderstanding** and **the quest for spiritual truth**. Let's
explore these themes in relation to the characters involved:
### 1. **Racial Prejudice and Cultural Misunderstanding**
A central theme in *A Passage to India* is the racial tension and cultural misunderstanding
between the British colonizers and the native Indian population. This theme is explored
through several characters, most notably Dr. Aziz, Mrs. Moore, and Adela Quested.
- **Dr. Aziz**: A Muslim Indian doctor, Dr. Aziz embodies the complexity of the colonial
experience. He is an educated man who initially hopes for a harmonious relationship with
the British, as evidenced in his warm welcome to Mrs. Moore and Adela Quested when they
first meet him. However, the racial prejudices he faces from the British—exemplified in the
false accusations made against him—highlight the inherent mistrust and racial divide of
colonial society. Dr. Aziz's character evolves as he becomes more disillusioned with the
British, which mirrors the rising resentment among the Indian population toward their
colonial rulers.
- **Adela Quested**: Adela, a young British woman, arrives in India with the hope of
understanding the country and its people. However, her misunderstanding of Indian culture,
her own repressed emotions, and the pressure from the colonial social environment lead to
the false accusation of assault against Dr. Aziz. This accusation is a pivotal moment in the
novel, as it reveals the extent of racial tension. Adela’s confusion, inability to navigate
cultural differences, and the influence of her British social circle show how even well-
intentioned individuals can perpetuate prejudice without fully understanding the
complexities of race relations in a colonized country.
- **Mrs. Moore**: Unlike Adela, Mrs. Moore’s initial interactions with Dr. Aziz are based on
mutual respect and curiosity, and she is somewhat sympathetic to the Indian people.
However, she too struggles with understanding the intricacies of Indian society. Mrs.
Moore’s death and her final moments of spiritual doubt reflect the alienation she feels in a
society divided by racial barriers. Her experiences highlight the challenges of truly bridging
the gap between British and Indian cultural worlds.
In this thematic framework, the characters illustrate the deep-seated racial prejudices and
cultural misunderstandings that mar relationships between the British and the Indians.
Forster critiques the British colonial system, showing that despite individual goodwill, the
colonial power structure and racial prejudices are often insurmountable.
### 2. **The Quest for Spiritual Truth**
Another key theme in *A Passage to India* is the search for spiritual truth, which is
portrayed through the contrasting perspectives of Dr. Aziz, Mrs. Moore, and the character of
Godbole. The theme is symbolized by the mysterious and sacred Marabar Caves, which serve
as both a literal and metaphorical space for the exploration of spirituality, truth, and the
limitations of human understanding.
- **Dr. Aziz**: Dr. Aziz, initially portrayed as a secular man focused on modernity and
scientific progress, undergoes a transformation over the course of the novel. His experiences
in the Marabar Caves challenge his rational worldview, particularly after the traumatic
events surrounding the trial. The caves symbolize an unknowable, chaotic force that disrupts
human certainty and belief in reason. Aziz's later reflections on his spirituality suggest a
more complex, though still somewhat skeptical, approach to religion. His experiences in the
caves and his search for truth represent a journey toward understanding that transcends
colonial boundaries and personal pride.
- **Mrs. Moore**: Mrs. Moore’s spiritual journey is perhaps the most profound in the
novel. Early in the story, she finds herself drawn to the sacredness of India, feeling a spiritual
connection with the land and its people. However, the hollow echoes of the Marabar Caves,
which confound her sense of spiritual certainty, mark a turning point in her character. The
caves echo the emptiness and confusion she feels toward her Christian faith and the
limitations of Western religious thinking. Her death symbolizes a retreat from a world that
no longer provides answers to her spiritual longing.
- **Godbole**: The character of Professor Godbole, a Hindu spiritual leader, offers a
contrasting response to the quest for spiritual truth. He represents a kind of detached,
transcendent spirituality that accepts the paradoxes and mysteries of life without attempting
to impose reason or logic upon them. His enigmatic presence in the novel, particularly
during the climactic scenes in the caves, suggests that spiritual truth in India is experienced
in a different, less linear way than the British characters can comprehend. Godbole's attitude
toward spirituality is one of acceptance and humility, in stark contrast to the Western
insistence on clarity and certainty.
The Marabar Caves themselves serve as a powerful symbol of spiritual mystery, as the
echo inside them represents both the incomprehensible nature of the universe and the
failure of human language and understanding to fully capture the essence of truth. Forster
suggests that the search for spiritual truth in India, especially for the British characters, is
marked by confusion, fragmentation, and a sense of the unknowable.
In conclusion, *A Passage to India* is intricately structured around the themes of **racial
prejudice and cultural misunderstanding** and **the quest for spiritual truth**, with key
characters like Dr. Aziz, Mrs. Moore, and Adela Quested embodying the tension between
these opposing forces. Through their experiences and interactions, Forster critiques both
colonialism and Western approaches to spirituality, highlighting the profound differences
and challenges that arise when two cultures collide.

Q24. Examine how Muriel spark engages with issues of religious faith in the prime of miss
jeans brodie.
Ans- In *The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie*, Muriel Spark engages with issues of religious faith
through the character of Miss Jean Brodie and her influence on her pupils, as well as
through the contrasting religious backgrounds and attitudes of the girls in her charge.
Religion, particularly in its institutionalized forms, plays a central role in the characters'
development and the novel's thematic exploration of morality, power, and individual agency.
### 1. **Miss Jean Brodie's Challenge to Conventional Religious Faith**
Miss Jean Brodie, the central character, presents a direct challenge to conventional
religious faith. She is a teacher who prides herself on her independence from the constraints
of conventional authority, including religious institutions. Although Miss Brodie is not openly
antagonistic to religion, she dismisses the traditional moral frameworks of Catholicism, the
religion of many of her pupils, in favor of a more personal, idiosyncratic worldview. She
fosters a kind of "secular religion" centered around her own authority, using the girls to
further her own vision of life, often at odds with the teachings of the Catholic Church and
the broader societal norms.
- **Brodie's Secular "Faith"**: Miss Brodie creates a cult-like following among her pupils,
particularly the "Brodie's set." She seeks to mold them into women who will reject societal
norms, including religious norms, and instead adopt her personal ideas on art, politics, and
the nature of life. Her concept of “Brodie’s girls” involves a form of ideological faith in herself
as a teacher and a guide, and she positions her pupils as disciples to her vision of life. She
encourages them to embrace what she calls "free thinking," which is meant to be in
opposition to the rigidity of institutionalized religion, particularly the Catholicism taught by
the school.

- **Brodie and Catholicism**: Miss Brodie's antagonism towards Catholicism is evident in

her frequent criticism of the religious education the girls receive. She sees Catholicism,
especially the figure of the priest, as a symbol of submission and authority that stifles
intellectual freedom. For example, she dismisses the Catholic faith’s traditional values,
encouraging her students to embrace art, beauty, and political ideologies over the teachings
of the Church. Brodie's challenge to religion is not limited to Catholicism; she advocates for a
form of individualism that resists religious conformity.
### 2. **The Girls’ Religious Struggles**
The pupils of Miss Brodie, particularly the girls who make up the core of the set, are
shaped by their religious upbringing in a Catholic school. Their relationship with faith and
religion is complex and reflects broader tensions between individual autonomy and the
forces of tradition and authority.
- **Sandy's Religious Development**: Among the girls, Sandy's journey is most notably
marked by a growing disillusionment with Miss Brodie's influence, as well as with the
religious environment in which she is raised. Sandy’s eventual rejection of Miss Brodie’s
teachings parallels her growing recognition of the limitations of both the religious and
ideological systems that have shaped her. In many ways, Sandy’s conversion to a more
traditional form of religious faith (Catholicism) is symbolic of her search for a higher moral
authority that Miss Brodie’s free-spirited, secular influence could not provide. Sandy’s
eventual betrayal of Miss Brodie, which ultimately leads to the teacher’s downfall,
represents her spiritual awakening and the realization that the kind of moral certainty Miss
Brodie promotes is insufficient and dangerous. Her decision reflects a deeper engagement
with Catholic ideas of sin, morality, and retribution.
- **The Catholic School and the Church's Influence**: While Miss Brodie undermines the
school's religious teachings, the girls are still influenced by Catholic values and rituals. The
tension between Miss Brodie's secular teachings and the Catholic faith of the institution
creates a conflict within the girls, particularly as they approach adulthood and begin to
develop their own sense of identity. For some of the girls, religion becomes a source of
comfort, structure, and morality in opposition to the chaos and manipulation they
experience under Miss Brodie's tutelage.
### 3. **Religion as a Tool of Power**
Throughout the novel, religion is also portrayed as a tool for control and power,
particularly through the figure of Miss Brodie. By positioning herself as a teacher of
"superior" knowledge and wisdom, Miss Brodie mirrors the role of a religious leader who
wields influence over her followers. Her imposition of her worldview on her students
becomes a form of ideological manipulation, akin to the control that religious figures or
institutions can exert over individuals.
- **Brodie as a "Cult Leader"**: The way Miss Brodie encourages her students to reject
their religious upbringing in favor of following her personal doctrines can be seen as a kind
of secular religion. She replaces traditional religious faith with devotion to her own sense of
authority and control. For Brodie, religion is not so much about faith in a higher power but
about asserting control over her followers, manipulating them to view the world through her
eyes. In this sense, she becomes a substitute for a priest or a religious leader, molding the
girls' beliefs to suit her own desires.
### 4. **The Novel's Ambivalence Towards Faith**
Spark's engagement with religion in *The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie* is not overtly critical,
but it does suggest a profound ambivalence about the role of faith—whether religious or
ideological—in shaping individuals' lives. The novel does not present religion as a singular,
fixed entity but rather as a complex, multifaceted force. For Miss Brodie, religion is just one
of many systems of thought that can either oppress or liberate, depending on how it is
wielded. For the girls, religion can be both a source of repression and a means of personal
liberation, depending on their individual journeys.
The tension between faith, personal autonomy, and the power of authority figures
(whether religious or secular) is at the heart of the novel’s exploration of the human
condition. The girls' eventual reactions to Miss Brodie’s influence reflect the ongoing search
for meaning and truth, which often involves rejecting or embracing the religious and
ideological systems that have shaped them.
### Conclusion:
In *The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie*, Muriel Spark intricately weaves issues of religious faith
into the fabric of her characters’ lives, particularly through the relationship between Miss
Brodie and her pupils. Miss Brodie’s secular challenge to Catholicism and her creation of a
personal, cult-like following exemplify the manipulation of belief systems for control and
power. Meanwhile, the girls' evolving relationship with religion—from rebellion against
institutionalized faith to a return to Catholic morality—reflects the broader tension between
individual autonomy, ideological influence, and the search for spiritual truth. Through these
characters, Spark critiques the ways in which faith, whether religious or ideological, can
shape, distort, and sometimes liberate individuals.

Q25. Write a critical essay on Muriel sparks’s narrative techniques in the prime of miss jean
brodie.
Ans-Character-Centered Narrative:
Muriel Spark’s narrative technique in “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie” is character-centered,
focusing intensely on the thoughts, feelings, and inner worlds of the novel’s characters. The
narrative delves into the minds of various characters, offering readers insight into their
motivations, desires, and conflicts. This character-driven approach allows for a deep
exploration of the novel’s ensemble cast and their complex relationships with Miss Brodie.
The narrative frequently shifts between characters, presenting their perspectives and
experiences. This technique provides a multi-faceted portrayal of the characters and invites
readers to empathize with their individual struggles and desires. The characters come to life
through their inner monologues, and the narrative style enables readers to intimately
engage with their personal journeys.
Ambiguity and Moral Complexity:
One of the most compelling aspects of Spark’s narrative technique is the ambiguity and
moral complexity it introduces into the story. Miss Jean Brodie is a charismatic and enigmatic
figure, and the narrative reflects the ambivalence of her character. She is both a dedicated
teacher and an unapologetic manipulator, and her actions blur the lines between right and
wrong
Comment on Muriel Spark’s narrative technique in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
The novel’s narrative does not pass moral judgment on Miss Brodie but allows readers to
make their own assessments of her character and actions. The narrative style refrains from
providing a definitive moral standpoint, leaving room for interpretation and debate. This
ambiguity underscores the novel’s exploration of the complexities of human nature and the
dualities that exist within individuals.
Symbolism and Metaphor:
Spark’s narrative technique in “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie” is rich in symbolism and
metaphor. The narrative is replete with images, symbols, and metaphors that contribute to
the novel’s thematic depth. These symbolic elements serve to underscore the emotional and
psychological states of the characters and the broader social and cultural context of the
narrative.
One recurring motif is the idea of betrayal, symbolized by Mary Macgregor’s tragic fate and
Miss Brodie’s ultimate betrayal of her pupils. The use of symbolism adds layers of meaning
to the narrative, prompting readers to reflect on the novel’s themes and the intricate
relationships between the characters.
Irony and Satire:
Muriel Spark’s narrative style is infused with irony and satire. The novel presents a satirical
critique of the educational and social norms of the time, especially in the context of a
conservative girls’ school in Edinburgh. Miss Brodie’s unorthodox teaching methods, her
romanticized view of fascism, and her personal relationships all become subjects of satire
and irony.
The narrative’s ironic tone invites readers to critically examine the characters’ behavior and
societal values, highlighting the gap between appearances and reality. This satirical approach
contributes to the novel’s exploration of the complexities of human behavior and the
contradictions of human nature.
Thematic Exploration:
Muriel Spark’s narrative technique is intricately tied to the thematic exploration of the novel.
The narrative style effectively conveys the themes of memory, influence, betrayal, and the
passage of time. Miss Brodie’s prime and its lasting impact on her students are depicted
through the non-linear structure, character-centered narration, and the fluidity of memory.
Multiple Perspectives:
The novel frequently shifts between different characters’ perspectives and provides insight
into their inner thoughts and motivations. This narrative strategy allows readers to see the
story from various angles and gain a comprehensive understanding of the characters’
individual experiences and emotions.
The Influence of Modernist Literature:
Muriel Spark’s narrative technique in “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie” is influenced by
modernist literary techniques, which were gaining prominence in the mid-20th century. The
use of non-linear storytelling, interior monologues, and a fractured narrative structure aligns
the novel with modernist approaches to literature. Spark’s narrative style reflects the shifting
and often unreliable nature of memory and perception, a hallmark of modernist literature.
Conclusion
Muriel Spark’s [Link]/biography/[Link]/biography/Muriel-
Sparknarrative technique in “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie” is a testament to her literary
prowess and her ability to craft a complex, multifaceted narrative. The novel’s use of an
unreliable narrator, a non-linear structure, character-centered storytelling, ambiguity, and
rich symbolism contributes to the depth and sophistication of the narrative. Spark’s narrative
technique reflects the intricacies of human perception, the lasting impact of influence, and
the moral complexities that lie beneath the surface of the story. It invites readers to engage
actively with the text, challenging them to consider the blurred lines between right and
wrong, the fluid nature of memory, and the various perspectives that shape our
understanding of events and characters.

[Link] any two characters from spark’s novel the prime of miss jean brodie bringing
out their ideological difference.
Ans- In *The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie* by Muriel Spark, two characters who embody
significant ideological differences are Miss Jean Brodie and Sandy, one of her students.
1. **Miss Jean Brodie**:
Miss Jean Brodie, the central figure of the novel, is a fiercely independent and
unconventional teacher at an all-girls secondary school in Edinburgh. Her philosophy of
education is radical and centered on the idea of cultivating young minds that are free from
the constraints of traditional schooling. She believes in shaping her students to be
"individuals" who reject conventional norms and embrace their own judgment, often
imparting her personal political and social views. Miss Brodie champions a lifestyle that
embraces personal freedom, resistance to authority, and defiance of societal expectations.
Her beliefs align with a form of authoritarianism wrapped in idealism, where she sees herself
as a mentor leading her students to their "prime" by challenging norms and guiding them to
"enlightenment," particularly in matters of art, politics, and relationships.
2. **Sandy**:
Sandy is one of Miss Brodie's students, but she represents a stark contrast to the teacher’s
ideas. Initially, Sandy is devoted to Miss Brodie, but as the novel progresses, she begins to
develop a more critical perspective. Sandy's ideological shift occurs as she grows more
attuned to the complexity of Miss Brodie’s influence and the consequences of her ideas.
Sandy, increasingly disillusioned, realizes that Miss Brodie's pursuit of individualism and
rejection of societal norms can lead to manipulation and destruction. Unlike Miss Brodie,
who values personal freedom above all, Sandy begins to appreciate the importance of
morality, discipline, and the broader implications of one's actions on others. Sandy becomes
more intellectually skeptical of Miss Brodie's influence, understanding the dangers of blind
allegiance to a single, charismatic figure.
### Ideological Differences:
- **Individualism vs. Collective Responsibility**: Miss Brodie promotes a radical
individualism where students should be independent and free from societal conventions. In
contrast, Sandy begins to favor a more socially responsible and ethical worldview,
recognizing the importance of collective well-being over unchecked individualism.
- **Idealism vs. Reality**: Miss Brodie's ideals are disconnected from the reality of the lives
of her students and the consequences of their actions. Sandy's ideological shift comes from
her growing realization that Miss Brodie’s idealism lacks practical grounding and can harm
people.
The tension between Miss Brodie's authoritarian yet idealistic freedom and Sandy’s growing
intellectual and ethical concerns drives much of the novel’s narrative, ultimately leading to
Sandy’s betrayal of Miss Brodie, signaling her complete rejection of the teacher's ideology.