IGNOU MEG-03 British Novel Important Questions from each block- Based on previous years Question paper

MEG 03 - British Novels : Important Questions for EXAM 2025

MEG 16 Important questions based on previous year’s question Papers

Attempt a critical essay on the growth of folklore studies in India.  Attempt a critical essay on the beginning and growth of folklore studies, in India in particular, and in other parts of the world in general.Comment on 'Folklore as an expression of life.' Why do you consider folklore as an expression of social existence ?"Folklore is an expression of our existence." Elucidate. What do you understand by the term `Folklore' ? Do you think that the study of folklore changed after World War II ? Discuss two pioneer folklorists of India. Write about Ramanujan and his growth as a folklorist.Elucidate A. K. Ramanujan as a pioneer folklorist of India. Attempt a critical essay on two academic approaches and the schools of thought they belongs to, centered on the study of folklore. 

What are the thematic and the narrative concern of folk literature ? 

 Do you consider folk narrative poems as an essential part in the social and cultural life of India ?  Discuss any two folk narrative poems which are extensively used in folktales.  

Discuss the issues of identity and hybridity of folk forms in ‘Kshetra’ and ‘Desha’

Define 'myths' and analyse the characteristics of myths with examples.

‘Folk literature may or may not be realistic literature; sometimes it may be an amalgamation of reality and myth.’ Comment.

 Give your views on the future of oral epics in India. Discuss ‘Oral Epics of India’ by Stuart H. Blackburn as compendium of myths of various regions of India.  Enumerate and explain the differences between the 'oral' and the 'written' cultures

Give a critical overview of the prehistoric rockart or cave painting to the living tradition of folk painting at present.

Discuss folk theatre practised across the various states of India. What are the characteristic features of folk theatre in India ? Discuss with reference to Pala and Nautanki.

Discuss, how folk forms voice or constitute `protest'. Give examples from folk ballads and folk songs. What do you understand by the term ‘Protest’ ? How is it expressed through folk riddles ?

Discuss the critical debates related to the innate wisdom of the tribal communities, with special reference to 'When the World Was Young' by Verrier . Why and how did Verrier Elwin collect and document tribal tales ? DiScuss with reference to 'When the World Was Young'. Critically appreciate the rich imaginative faculty of the tribal communities with special reference to 'When the World was Young'. Bring out the themes and motifs of the text, ‘When the World Was Young’

Critically analyze Ramayana in Modern South India' by Paula Richman. With reference to the conflict between individual interest and the public good. Discuss the dynamism of the epic, ‘Ramayana’, with reference to Paula Richman’s ‘Ramayana in Modern South India.’

Discuss the critical debate in Sitakant Mahapatra's `The Awakened Wind : The Oral Poetry of the Indian Tribes'.  “The Awakened Wind : The Oral Poetry of the Indian Tribes” by Sitakant Mahapatra is his major contribution to Indian folk literature. Comment.

Critically examine 'The Legend of Pensam' as a modern response to an ancient and traditional culture. 

Critically appreciate `Pather Panchali' and the idea of folk in it.  Discuss Bibhuti Bhushan Bandopadhyay's engagement with myth and history with reference to Pather Panchali'. Discuss the ideas of the folk in the novel ‘Pather Panchali’.  Identify/Discuss the ‘folk’ and ‘popular’ in Satyajeet Ray’s ‘Pather Panchali’.

Attempt a critical note on eco-systems of the `Paraja' tribe with reference to the novel `Paraja'. 

Discuss the idea of ‘folk’ from the perspective of Habib Tanvir and his body of theatre work.

Discuss 'The Dilemma' as a contemporary novel, bringing out the folk elements in it.“Folk is a form of resistance, a critique of the prevelant norms of the society.” Discuss with reference to ‘The Dilemma’ by Vijayadan Detha. 

Charandas Chor' is a benchmark for theatre practitioners, scholars and folklorists. Discuss. ‘Charandas Chor is a sort of modern proverbial Robin Hood’ – Comment

How does caste hierarchy operate in the novel ‘Chemmeen’ ?

Discuss `Maila Anche as a Bhasha novel, bringing out the folk elements in it. 

Discuss Girish Karnad's engagement with myth, history and folklore with reference to 'Naga Mandala'. 

10. Attempt short notes on any two of the following : 10x2=20 

• Folk Theatre 

• 'The Oral Poetry of Indian Tribes' by Sitakant Mahapatra 

•  Folk elements in Kanthapura' 

•  Brahminization vs. Sanskritization

• Hayavadana Jatra, Kathakali, Tamasha, Nautanki, Pala 

•  Palace Paradigm and Epic Discourse 

•  Songs of love and wedding songs in Indian Folklore 

• Jatra and Kathakali 

•  The folk and film 

• Naga Mandala 

•  Charandas Chor

•  Sanskritization 

• Growth of Folklore Studies in India 

• Folklore : A Counter Discourse 

• Palace Paradigm

• Myths and rituals 

• Folklore of North East India

• Jatka and Pala

 

 

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IGNOU MEG-3 British Novel Cheat sheet

MEG-3 British Novel Cheat sheet

Block-1 Henry Fielding: Tom Jones in 1749

Characters

• Mr. Squire Allworthy

• Bridgit (sister)

• Debra (housemaid)

• Jenny Jones (Mother of Tom the Foundling)

• Thomas = Tom Jones (Protagonist)

• Dr. Bilfil brother to Cpt Bilfil, who wants to marry Bridgit

• Black George (servant) has a daughter Molly(fake pregnant by Tom)

• Squire Western (neighbour) has a daughter Sophia (Tom is Lover)

• Square & Thwackum - Tutors who hate Tom and love Bilfil

People Tom meets After getting kicked out of the house-

• Benjamin (Surgeon/teacher/barber)

• Partridge (Suggested father/friend)

• Mrs. Waters (Tom rescues her from getting robbed)

• Mr. Fitzpatrick (Mrs. Water’s husband gets killed by Tom)

• Mrs. Miller (Tom lives with her & her daughters)

• Nightingale (also a tenant at Mrs. millers)

• Lady Bellaston (sophia’s relative)

Tom had a relationship with -

• Molly ( servant’s daughter)

• Sophia ( neighbour)

• Mrs. Water (Mother)

• Nancy ( Miller’s)

• Bellaston (Sophia's House owner)

Points-

• Comic Novel

• Bildungsroman & Picaresque - episodic style adventures

• Dishonest but appealing hero

• Imaginative novel in realistic form

• Dedicated to George Lyttlton

• Bestseller with 4 edition in 1st year

• 18 books

Block-2 Jane Austen: Pride and Prejudice in 1813

Mr & Mrs. Bennet’s 5 daughters-

1. Jane

2. Elizabeth

3. Mary

4. Kitty

5. Lydia

• Charles Bingley (marries Jane)

• Darcy (marries Elizabeth)

• Collin (wants to marry elizabeth but marries her friend charlotte)

• Wickhem (soldier marries Lydia)

• Lady Catherine de Burgh (Collin’s Patron & Darcy’s Aunt)

• Georgine Darcy (Darcy’s Sister)

• Mr & Mrs Gardener (brother of Mrs Bennet)

• Title of the novel

• Love & marriage

• Position of women

• Inheritance

• Gender

• Narrative technique-sentimental & comedy along with wit & irony

Block-3 Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte in 1847

Setting in 1801 England in flashback

Lockwood- Tenant

Heathcliff

Catherine

Nelly & Dean - Servants

Earnshaw & his Wife - 

• Hindley - son

• Catherine - daughter

• Heathcliff - adopted son

Another house from the cliff has two kids-

• Edgar - son

• Isabelle - daughter

Catherine & Edgar Marry and have a daughter - Cathay

Hindley marries and has a son - Hareton

Heathcliff marries Issabella and has a son - Linto

Important points-

• Writing style - Chinese whisper box - Stories inside stories.

• Multiple narrations from servants, reading diary, lockwood.

• Byronic Hero - Heathcliff -  Gift of God

• Marriage in Victorian society

Block-4 Charles Dickens: Great Expectations in 1860-62

• Pip - Protagonist

• Mr. Joe - Pip’s brother in law & companion’

• Mrs. Joe - Pip’s sister

• Miss Havisham - Crazy rich lady

• Estella - Havisham’s adopted daughter

• Abel Magwitch - Escaped prisoner

• Biddy - Pip’s friend

• Pumblechook - Pip’s uncle who bullies him

• Oreleg - Joe’s apprentice

• Mr. Jaggers - Lawyer

• Wemmick - Jagger’s assistant

• Molly - Estella’s birth mother and Jagger’s maid

• Mr. Pocket - Pip stays in their house in London

• Mrs. Pocket - wanna be noble woman who doesn’t take care of her kids or house

• Herbert - Son of Mr. Pocket and Pip’s friend

• Claira - Herbert’s wife

• Drummle - Estella’s husband

• Startop - Drummle’s friend

• Compeyson - Partner of magwitch who cheated Miss Havisham and tips police to catch Magwitch

Bildungsroman - One’s formative years of spiritual education

The situations are organised not with intentions of affirming the hero’s growth but of testing it. 

Great expectation as a fairytale

Block-5 George Eliot: Middlemarch - 1869-71

• George Elliot is the pseudonym her real name is Mary Anne Evans(1818-1880)

• Complete name of the novel - Middlemarch- Study of Provincial life. Printed in instalments from 1871-72.

• Setting is in a fictional town of Middlemarch from 1829-32.

• Point of view is 3rd person.

• 
  

• Story 1-

• Dorothea - 19 years old orphan.

• Celia - Dorothea’s sister

• Brook - Dorothea’s uncle

• Sir James Chettam- Proposed to Dorothea but she refused so he married Celia.

• Edward Casaubon - 45years old man who worked in research. Later marries Dorothea. 

• Ladislaw- Edward’s brother who marries Dorothea after Edward’ death.

• Story 2-

• Town mayor has 2 kids - Rosamund and Fred.

• Rosamund- Selfish woman marries Lydgate for money and fame

• Dr. Tertius Lydgate - A doctor who wants to bring medical reforms in Middlemarch.

• Fred - A good for nothing failure waiting for his uncle to die to inherit his property.

• Featherstone - Rich uncle who leaves his property to his illegitimate son - Joshua.

• Bulstrode Nicholas - an ex-middlemarch resident came back to help people of his town but has some dark secrets for which he is blackmailed.

• Mr. Raffles - Blackmailer

• Mary - Marries Fred; moves in Bulstrode’s House

Life of Dorothea

Career of Tertius Lydgate

Courtship of Mary Garth

Disgrace of Nicholas Bulstrode.

Criticism & admiration 

Feminism

Structure of novel to complexity of issues

Themes- 

Theme of Vocatio -Failed intellectualism.

Marital compatibility

Birth rank & class

Politics, science, religion, egotism

Block-6 Joseph Conrad: heart of darkness 1898-99

Themes-

• Racism

• Greed & imperialism

• Hypocrisy & indifference

• Civilization & barbarism

Marlow

Marlow’s Aunt

Kurtz

Kurtz’s Mistress

General Manager

Brickmaker

Kurtz’s intended

Freselven- The man in Marlow's position who was killed before.

Character list - https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/heart-of-darkness/characters/

Block-7 James Joyce: A Portrait of The Artist As A Young Man in 1916

• Modernist writer

• Strong autobiographical presence

• Stream of consciousness technique

• At least dual consciousness 1 of Stephen’s another pf Maturer consciousness which runs parallel to stephen’s point of view.

• Ironic/Aesthetic Autobiography

• Bildungsroman

• Kunstlerroman - Artist novel

• 5 Chapters of 19 sections

3 principles of theory of aesthetics-

1. Art is stasis brought by formal rhythm of beauty

2. Art of beauty of good and evil

3. 3 stages of apprehension in Aquinas:

• Integritas(wholeness)

• Consonatia(harmony)

• Claritas(radiance)

Women & stephen -

• Mother

• Dantee

• Mercedees-from movie

• Woman in brothel

• Eileen - First crush

• Emma - Never gets over her

Block-8 Edward Morgan Forester: A Passage to India in 1912-14

Published in 1924

History & Psychology

3rd person point of view

Setting in early 20th century in India in Chandrapur village

Dr.Aziz

Adela - Young british girl; Ronny’s fiance

Mrs. Moore - Ronny’s mother

Ronny - British administrator in India

Mr. Turton - At his party everyone meets

Cyril Fielding- Noble British man principle in Indian school

Professor Godbole - Aziz’s Professor

Block-9 Muriel Spark: The prime of Miss Jean Brodie

Miss Jean Brodie and Her  group of 5-

1. Sandy Stranger

2. Rose Stanley

3. Mary Macgregor

4. Jenny Gray

5. Eunice Gardiner

• Mr. Teddy Lloyd

• Mr. Gordon Lowther

• Miss Mackay

• Miss Lockhart

• Joyce Emily Hammond

• Miss Ellen and Alison Kerr

• Miss Gaunt

• Hugh

Link for character analysis - https://www.litcharts.com/lit/the-prime-of-miss-jean-brodie/characters

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