House of Notes

Q 6:  Discuss George Eliot as a modern novelist.   Answer:  George Eliot has a distinction of being regarded as the first modern novelist in the real sense of the word. She introduced a conception of novel which is still a continuing effect on the current pattern of novel writing. The main reason of her fame is that she is first modern novelist in English. The first period of the English novel begins with Fielding and ends with Trollope. The second period is of  Henry James and Meredith. Third period started with George Eliot and is hardly over today. Though, she was not are evolutionary genius like Emily Bronte, yet her mode of writing and her personal temperament were cautious and scholarly. Her books do have a shadow of his predecessors as she learnt a lot from them. Although, her mode of writing was very much like Victorian yet there are some important differences as well. Though, she does not break the old tradition which she inherited, yet she altered its funda

Q5:  Discuss the local colour and comic relief in Adam Bede.   Answer:  As a literary term, local colour refers to description of life and character in particular locality. The customs of the people, their speeches, their particular way of looking at things is presented to the reader often in a slightly sentimentalized or desirous way. Dickens and Bret Harte are probably the best known practitioners of this type. Comic relief is familiar term which needs careful examination. An author wants to relive the intensity of the serious plot-line by inserting comic characters or situations. These entertaining devices help keep the reader’s interest lively and balance out the fictional picture of the half tragic, half comic world. Probably, the most famous comic relief in English literature is the knocking at the gate in “Macbeth”, where sight of drunken porter relaxes the audiences after the murder of Duncan. Eliot uses both these devices in “Adam Bede”. In a strict sense most of th

Q 4:  Give a character sketch of Dinah Morris.   Answer:   To most of the readers sweet pity of  Dinah seems distasteful. It seems like too much of a good thing. But this reaction is based on an unhistorical view of the character, it is not valid . Dinah Morris’s style of speech seems quite odd to the modern reader but this was a fact that such type of speech was common in 18 th century. The reader of 21 st century finds it unnatural but George Eliot was creating a historically accurate picture and this should be kept in mind while judging her characters. On the other hand, this wrong reaction to Dinah’s character is quite valid. Most critics of the world urge that Dinah  is not a realistic character. She is an ideal and a perfect woman who has no fault. Perhaps she is the personification of abstract goal of Eliot’s ethical system. There are perfect no women in the world, nor there likely to be. Dinah is rather clearly inhuman in her piety. Without any doubt Din

Is swift a misanthrope? Swift is not a misanthrope rather he is a philanthrope. It is the misconception of those who think Swift as a misanthrope. Swift only wants to reform mankind out of their follies and stupidities. He says that the chief end of all his labour is: “to vex the world rather than divert it”. Secondly, he declares that: “I have ever hated all nations, professions, and communities and all his love is towards individuals.” Thirdly, though Swift does not believe that: “Man is a rational animal”. Yet he believes that: “Man is capable of becoming rational if he makes the necessary efforts.” But we see that Swift is notorious for being misanthrope. He was subjected to this allegation during his lifetime because the critics, identifying Gulliver with Swift, attributed Gulliver’s blunders to Swift. That Gulliver, in the last voyage, becomes a misanthrope is undeniable and indisputable. Prima facie, it appears that

“A Tale of Two Cities” is a historical novel . Discuss. Or  “A Tale of Two Cities” is related to a most influential incident of history, but it is not complete historical book. Comment.  Answer: “A tale of two cities” is a historical novel related to the period before and all through the French Revolution. Previously, Dickens had written one historical novel, Barnaby Rudge, which dealt with a period of English history. When he wrote “A Tale of Two Cities” he was feeling great interest in history. However, “A Tale of Two Cities” is not a complete story of French Revolution. As a historical novel, “ A Tale of Two Cities” has obvious limitations. It does not give a complete picture of either the English or the French political world of those critical years (1775-1793). In this novel, Dickens describe the beginning of discontent in France, the rising dissatisfaction of people with the aristocrats and the turmoil caused by the public fury and the cruelties committ