Master Literary Analysis: Explore Literary Theory and Criticism

Question 1

Which concept is fundamental to Marxist literary theory?

Accepted Answer

The socioeconomic context of a text's creation influences its meaning.

Answer

The author's intent is the primary factor in determining a text's meaning.

Answer

The reader's personal response is the sole determinant of a text's interpretation.

Answer

A text should be analyzed solely as an isolated work of art.

Question 2

In Marxist criticism, what is the significance of the 'base'?

Accepted Answer

It represents the economic and social foundation of society.

Answer

It consists of the literary form and style of a work.

Answer

It analyzes the author's personal experiences.

Answer

It examines the interpretations of the reader.

Question 3

Which literary theory emphasizes the role of the reader in constructing meaning?

Accepted Answer

Reader-Response Theory

Answer

New Critical Theory

Answer

Postcolonial Theory

Answer

Deconstructive Theory

Question 4

The concept of 'the death of the author' is primarily associated with which literary theory?

Accepted Answer

Postmodernism

Answer

Modernism

Answer

Structuralism

Answer

Feminist Criticism

Question 5

Which of the following is a key characteristic of feminist literary criticism?

Accepted Answer

Analysis of gender and power relations.

Answer

Disregard for historical context.

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Emphasis on formal analysis.

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Objectivity in interpretation.

Question 6

What is the meaning of the term 'intertextuality' in literary analysis?

Accepted Answer

The connections and relationships between texts.

Answer

The author's personal experiences reflected in the text.

Answer

The linguistic structures that create meaning.

Answer

The narrative structure of a work.

Question 7

Which of the following is a prominent figure associated with New Criticism?

Accepted Answer

T.S. Eliot

Answer

Karl Marx

Answer

Roland Barthes

Answer

Virginia Woolf

Question 8

What is the meaning of the term 'canon' in literary studies?

Accepted Answer

A group of widely recognized and studied literary works.

Answer

The complete body of an author's writings.

Answer

Works that are considered less significant.

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Texts that are experimental or innovative.

Question 9

Which concept is central to deconstructionist literary theory?

Accepted Answer

Historical and social context shape a text's meaning.

Answer

A text has a single, unchanging meaning.

Answer

The author's intention alone determines a text's meaning.

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The reader's interpretation is irrelevant to a text's meaning.

Question 10

Which assumption is not a characteristic of Marxist literary criticism?

Accepted Answer

Literature is unaffected by its social context.

Answer

Literature is shaped by socio-economic conditions.

Answer

Literature supports the dominant class.

Answer

Literature can promote social change.

Question 11

In Marxist literary criticism, which concept is central to the analysis of literature?

Accepted Answer

Economic determinism

Answer

Authorial intent

Answer

Structuralism

Question 12

According to Marxist criticism, what is the primary role of literature?

Accepted Answer

To expose social inequalities and promote revolutionary change

Answer

To provide aesthetic pleasure and escape from reality

Answer

To explore the complexities of human psychology

Answer

To promote religious and moral values

Question 13

Which concept is central to feminist literary theory?

Accepted Answer

Gender performativity

Answer

Deconstruction

Answer

Auteur theory

Answer

New Historicism

Question 14

According to New Historicist criticism, what is the most significant context for analyzing literary texts?

Accepted Answer

Their historical context and cultural influences

Answer

The author's biography and personal experiences

Answer

Universal themes and symbols

Answer

Formal and linguistic structures

Question 15

Which technique is commonly used in structuralist analysis?

Accepted Answer

Binary opposition

Answer

Free association

Answer

Character analysis

Answer

Historical research

Question 16

According to postmodernist theory, is the distinction between high and low culture:

Accepted Answer

Arbitrary and fluid

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Essential and unchangeable

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Based on aesthetic superiority

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Determined by market forces

Question 17

Which aspect is a key feature of psychoanalytic literary criticism?

Accepted Answer

Exploration of repressed desires and unconscious motivations

Answer

Emphasis on the author's intention and biography

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Analysis of the text's social and historical context

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Examination of the text's formal and stylistic features

Question 18

According to deconstructionist theory, literary texts:

Accepted Answer

Have no fixed meaning and are open to multiple interpretations

Answer

Reflect the author's unique perspective and intention

Answer

Can be definitively interpreted using objective criteria

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Are primarily concerned with aesthetic form and style

Question 19

What is a major advantage of intertextual analysis?

Accepted Answer

It reveals connections between texts and broader cultural contexts

Answer

It provides a definitive interpretation of a single text

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It focuses on the author's primary intention

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It ignores the historical and social influences on texts

Question 20

According to reader-response theory, who is responsible for creating the meaning of a literary text?

Accepted Answer

The reader in response to the text

Answer

The author through their intention

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Objective criteria that can be applied to the text

Answer

The historical context in which the text was written

Question 21

Who is widely regarded as the founder of deconstruction, a critical approach that focuses on the inherent instability and indeterminacy of meaning in texts?

Accepted Answer

Jacques Derrida

Answer

Jacques Lacan

Answer

Michel Foucault

Answer

Roland Barthes

Question 22

Which critical approach emphasizes the ways in which historical, social, and cultural contexts shape the creation, interpretation, and reception of literary works?

Accepted Answer

New Historicism

Answer

Structuralism

Answer

Formalism

Answer

Postcolonialism

Question 23

Which theory posits that the meaning of a literary text is not fixed or inherent but rather created through the active engagement and interpretation of the reader?

Accepted Answer

Reader-response theory

Answer

Marxist criticism

Answer

Deconstruction

Answer

New Criticism

Question 24

What is the primary focus of feminist literary criticism?

Accepted Answer

Exploring the experiences, perspectives, and representations of women in literature and their implications for gender roles, power dynamics, and social structures.

Answer

Analyzing the use of language and literary devices in literary texts.

Answer

Identifying the historical and cultural influences on the creation of literary works.

Question 25

Which of the following is a fundamental concept in structuralist literary theory that involves organizing elements of a text into contrasting pairs, such as good and evil or nature and culture?

Accepted Answer

Binary oppositions

Answer

Sublimation

Answer

Catharsis

Answer

Archetypes

Question 26

What is the primary objective of close reading in literary analysis?

Accepted Answer

To examine a literary text meticulously, focusing on its language, structure, imagery, and other literary devices, to uncover its meanings and significance.

Answer

To evaluate the author's writing style and assess its effectiveness.

Answer

To provide a comprehensive summary of the plot and main events in the text.

Question 27

Which of the following is a characteristic of postmodern literary theory that distinguishes it from earlier literary theories?

Accepted Answer

A rejection of traditional notions of truth, objectivity, and grand narratives, embracing fragmentation, multiple perspectives, and a playful exploration of language and form.

Answer

A belief in the power of literature to transform society and bring about social change.

Answer

An emphasis on the author's intention and the search for a single, definitive interpretation of a literary text.

Question 28

What is the primary role of theory in literary analysis?

Accepted Answer

To provide a framework and set of concepts that guide the interpretation and understanding of literary texts, offering different lenses through which to examine and analyze literature.

Answer

To provide a definitive and authoritative interpretation of a literary text, eliminating the need for individual interpretation.

Answer

To replace the need for close reading and engagement with the text itself.

Question 29

One potential limitation of literary theory is that it can sometimes be:

Accepted Answer

Overly abstract, complex, and challenging to apply to specific literary texts.

Answer

Essential for understanding every literary text and should always be used in literary analysis.

Answer

Always leads to a single, definitive interpretation of a literary text, eliminating ambiguity and open-endedness.