4th semester PAPER EN 401C: POPULAR LITERATURE

12-Mark Questions for PAPER EN 401C: POPULAR LITERATURE (Tripura University BA Honours in English, 4th Semester)


1. Analyze how Lewis Carroll uses nonsense and wordplay in *Through the Looking Glass* to challenge conventional logic and reality. Discuss with reference to key scenes.

2. Discuss Sukumar Ray's portrayal of absurdity and satire in *The Sons of Ramgaroor* and *Khichudi*, highlighting how they reflect Indian cultural elements in children's literature.

3. Compare the themes of identity and coming of age in *Through the Looking Glass* and Sukumar Ray's stories. How do these texts use fantasy to explore childhood psychology?

4. Examine the role of ethics and education in children's literature, using examples from Carroll and Ray. Reference Felicity Hughes' views on theory and practice in the genre.

5. How does *Through the Looking Glass* subvert traditional narrative structures? Discuss its impact on the distinction between sense and nonsense in popular children's fiction.

6. Critically evaluate Sukumar Ray's use of humor and cultural references in *Khichudi* as a means to engage young readers with social commentary.

7. Discuss the debate on canonical vs. popular in children's literature, drawing on Carroll's work and Leslie Fiedler's definition of popular literature.

8. Analyze how language and linguistic innovations in *Through the Looking Glass* contribute to its enduring popularity as a children's classic.

 Unit-II: Detective Fiction

9. Examine the narrative techniques in Arthur Conan Doyle's *The Five Orange Pips* or *The Adventures of the Speckled Band*, focusing on suspense and deduction. Reference Tzvetan Todorov's typology of detective fiction.

10. Discuss Satyajit Ray's *The Golden Fortress* as an example of Indian detective fiction. How does it adapt Western conventions to an Indian context?

11. Compare the detective figures in Doyle's stories and Ray's *The Golden Fortress*. What do they reveal about cultural differences in heroism and intellect?

12. Analyze the role of ideology in detective fiction, using Pawling's ideas on "Ideology or Utopia?" with reference to Doyle and Ray.

13. How does *The Adventures of the Speckled Band* exemplify the market-driven appeal of popular detective stories? Discuss Edmund Wilson's critique on the genre.

14. Critically assess the ethical dilemmas faced by detectives in *The Golden Fortress*, and how they reflect broader social issues in popular literature.

15. Discuss the evolution of detective fiction from Victorian England to modern India, using examples from Doyle and Ray.

16. Examine how mystery and resolution in Doyle's stories contribute to the genre's polysystem, as per debates on high and low culture.

 Unit-III: Romance/Chick Lit

17. Analyze the gothic elements and psychological tension in Daphne du Maurier's *Rebecca*. How do they enhance its status as popular romance?

18. Discuss Anuja Chauhan's *The Zoya Factor* as chick lit, focusing on themes of love, luck, and contemporary Indian society.

19. Compare the portrayal of female protagonists in *Rebecca* and *The Zoya Factor*. What insights do they offer into gender roles in romance genres?

20. Examine Janice Radway's analysis of romantic fiction in relation to *Rebecca* and *The Zoya Factor*. How does it address patriarchy and reader pleasure?

21. How does *The Zoya Factor* blend romance with cultural satire? Discuss its relevance to the popular market in India.

22. Critically evaluate the theme of identity and self-discovery in du Maurier's *Rebecca*, referencing its appeal as non-canonical literature.

23. Discuss the institutional matrix of publishing romance, using Radway's ideas, with examples from both texts.

24. Analyze how *Rebecca* uses suspense and unreliable narration to transcend traditional romance conventions.

 Unit-IV: Science Fiction

25. Examine the themes of fear and the unknown in Isaac Asimov's *Nightfal. How does it reflect human vulnerability in science fiction?

26. Discuss Satyajit Ray's first story in *The Diary of a Space Traveller and Other Stories* as an example of Indian science fiction. What unique cultural perspectives does it add?

27. Compare the apocalyptic visions in *Nightfal and Ray's space traveller story. How do they address universal vs. local concerns?

28. Analyze Darco Suvin's views on teaching SF critically, applying them to Asimov and Ray's works.

29. How does *Nightfal belong to its time, reflecting mid-20th-century anxieties? Discuss its role in the science fiction genre.

30. Critically assess the ethical implications of technology in Ray's story, drawing on broader debates in popular SF.

31. Discuss the polysystem of science fiction, using examples from Asimov and Ray to illustrate ideological shifts.

 General/Broader Topics (Crossing Units)

32. Trace the history of print culture and its impact on the emergence of popular genres like children's literature, detective fiction, romance, and SF. Reference Fiedler and Pawling.

33. Discuss the debates on high vs. low culture in popular literature, using texts from at least two units. How do canonical and non-canonical works interact?

34. Analyze how popular literature reflects its socio-historical context, with examples from Indian and Western texts across genres.

35. Examine the role of the market and readership in shaping popular fiction, referencing suggested critics like Radway and Todorov, with textual illustrations from the syllabus.


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