JUPEB 2025 LITERATURE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

LIT 001: Introduction to Drama

1. Examine Temptation as a dramatic motif in T. S. Eliot’s Murder in the Cathedral.

Temptation is a central motif in Murder in the Cathedral, reflecting the inner and spiritual conflict of Thomas Becket. The play dramatizes his moral and religious trial as he faces temptations that test his faith and resolve.

1.First Temptation – Personal Comfort:

Becket is tempted to seek safety and peace by reconciling with King Henry II. This represents worldly security and fear of suffering.

2.Second Temptation – Power and Influence:

He is offered political power and influence through compromise. This appeals to human ambition.

3.Third Temptation – Revenge and Pride:

The third tempter appeals to his pride, suggesting he can use the church’s power against the king.

4.Fourth Temptation – Spiritual Pride:

The most dangerous, it tempts Becket to seek martyrdom for glory rather than for God’s will. He resists by surrendering his will to divine purpose.

Through these temptations, Eliot portrays Becket’s purification and spiritual victory. Temptation, thus, serves as the dramatic engine that leads to his martyrdom and ultimate sanctification.

⸻

2. Discuss Tawfiq Al-Hakim’s Fate of a Cockroach as a dramatization of the tragic failure of leadership in Africa.

Al-Hakim’s Fate of a Cockroach uses allegory and satire to explore failed leadership, social injustice, and disconnection from the masses — issues also relevant to postcolonial Africa.

1.The Cockroach King’s Arrogance:

The King of the cockroaches symbolizes leaders obsessed with power and status rather than the welfare of their people.

2.Lack of Communication and Understanding:

The King ignores advice from the Queen and Ministers, reflecting authoritarian rule and lack of inclusivity.

3.Symbolism of the Sink:

The cockroach trapped in the sink represents helplessness of ordinary citizens under ineffective rulers.

4.Parallel Human World:

The doctor and his wife in the human world mirror the same lack of empathy and moral decay.

The play, though Egyptian, mirrors many African societies where leadership failure stems from pride, corruption, and disconnection from people’s realities.

⸻

LIT 002: Introduction to Prose Fiction

3. Discuss Saro-Wiwa’s portrayal of the ills in the society in Warri No Dey Carry Last.

Ken Saro-Wiwa’s Warri No Dey Carry Last exposes moral and social corruption in Nigerian society through humor and satire.

1.Corruption and Greed:

Characters engage in bribery, exploitation, and deceit to survive, revealing moral decay.

2.Poverty and Unemployment:

The stories depict the struggle of the urban poor, showing how hardship forces people into unethical acts.

3.Moral Hypocrisy:

Religious and political figures are shown as corrupt and hypocritical.

4.Ethnic Prejudice and Division:

The author mocks tribalism and class inequality in Nigerian society.

Through humor, irony, and local pidgin, Saro-Wiwa criticizes societal vices while celebrating the resilience and wit of the Niger Delta people.

⸻

4. Examine the portrayal of women and their values in the Victorian setting of Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre.

In Jane Eyre, Brontë challenges the limited roles of women in Victorian society and presents Jane as a symbol of independence and moral strength.

1.Jane’s Independence:

Jane insists on equality with men, refusing to be dominated by Mr. Rochester or society’s expectations.

2.Moral Integrity:

She values personal dignity over wealth or social position, rejecting Rochester when he tries to make her his mistress.

3.Critique of Patriarchy:

The novel exposes how women were confined to domestic roles and deprived of autonomy.

4.Other Female Characters:

Blanche Ingram represents vanity and materialism, while Helen Burns symbolizes spiritual endurance.

Brontë thus portrays women as morally and intellectually capable, challenging the gender norms of her time.

⸻

LIT 003: Introduction to Poetry

5. Examine the horrors experienced by Africans at nightfall in Oswald Mtshali’s Nightfall in Soweto.

Mtshali’s poem captures the fear and suffering of black South Africans under apartheid, using nightfall as a symbol of oppression.

1.Night as Terror:

Nightfall brings fear, as police raids and violence occur under cover of darkness.

2.Loss of Freedom:

Africans are prisoners in their own land, unable to move freely after dark.

3.Imagery of Horror:

The poet uses powerful images—blood, screams, and shadows—to evoke emotional impact.

4.Symbolism:

“Night” symbolizes apartheid oppression, while “day” stands for freedom and hope.

Through vivid imagery and emotional tone, Mtshali reveals the physical and psychological trauma of racial injustice.

⸻

6. Appraise Robert Browning’s style in My Last Duchess.

Browning’s style in My Last Duchess is marked by his mastery of dramatic monologue, which reveals character through speech.

1.Dramatic Monologue:

The Duke’s single speech exposes his arrogance, jealousy, and cruelty.

2.Conversational Tone:

The poem flows like natural speech but carries deep irony.

3.Irony and Symbolism:

The Duke’s words condemn himself; the portrait of the Duchess symbolizes control and objectification.

4.Imagery and Diction:

Browning’s precise diction and imagery paint a vivid picture of pride and moral corruption.

Browning’s style effectively combines psychological depth, irony, and realism to critique power and possessiveness.

⸻

LIT 004: Literary Appreciation and Practical Criticism

7. Read the passage and answer the questions which follow.

(Since the passage text in the image is partial, we’ll analyze the fragment given.)

“As they trooped off down the field with their sulled dogs, the farmer started the tractor up and down the cutter blades blurred into life…”

Interpretation and Analysis:

1.Imagery:

Vivid visual imagery (“cutter blades blurred into life”) creates a dynamic and rural scene.

2.Tone:

The tone suggests routine, perhaps weariness or acceptance of hard labor.

3.Theme:

The passage likely explores man’s relationship with nature, labor, and machinery.

4.Style:

Simple, descriptive language captures movement and realism, reflecting the everyday life of rural workers.