History of the Novel

HISTORY OF THE NOVELIntroduction The novel is a modern form of literature. It is born from print, a mechanical invention. We cannot think of the novel without the printed book. In ancient times manuscripts were handwritten. Circulated among very few people. In contrast, because of being printed, novels were widely read and became popular very quickly. The Rise of The Novel Þ The novel first took firm root in England and France. Novels began to be written from the seventeenth century, but they really flowered from the eighteenth century. New groups of lower-middle-class people such as shopkeepers and clerks, along with the traditional aristocratic and gentlemanly classes in England and France now formed the new readership for novels. Þ As readership grew and the market for books expanded, the earnings of authors increased. This freed them from financial dependence on the patronage of aristocrats, and gave them independence to experiment with different literary styles. 1. Henry Fielding, a novelist of the early eighteenth century, claimed he was ‘the founder of a new province of writing’ where he could make his own laws. The novel allowed flexibility in the form of writing. 2. Walter Scott remembered and collected popular Scottish ballads which he used in his historical novels about the wars between Scottish clans. 3. The epistolary novel, on the other hand, used the private and personal form of letters to tell its story. Samual Richardson’s Pamela, written in the eighteenth century, told much of its story through an exchange of letters between two lovers. These letters tell the reader of the hidden conflicts in the heroine’s mind. The Publishing Market Soon people had easier access to books with the introduction of circulating libraries in 1740. Technological improvements in printing brought down the price of books and innovations in marketing led to expanded sales. There were several reasons for the popularity or novels. 1. The worlds created by novels were absorbing and believable, and seemingly real. 2. While reading novels, the reader was transported to another person’s world, and began looking at life as it was experienced by the characters of the novel. 3. Besides, Novels allowed individuals the pleasure of reading in private, as well as the joy of publicaly reading or discussing stories with friends or relatives. 4. In rural areas people would collect to hear one of them reading a novel aloud, often becoming deeply involved in the lives of the characters. Serialisation allowed readers to relish the suspense. Þ Emile Zula’s Germinal (1885) on the life of a young miner in France explores in detail the conditions of miners lives. he is no match to his manager and rival Donald Farfrae who-runs his business on efficient managerial lines and is well regarded for he is smooth and even-tempered with everyone. He can also be both unpredictably generous and cruel with his employees. Consequently. business profits increased and the economy grew. The old rural culture with its independent farmers was dying out. Cities expanded in an unregulated way and were filled with overworked and underpaid workers. Þ His Oliver Twist (1838) is the tale of a poor orphan who lived in a world of petty criminals and beggers. wrote about traditional rural communities of England that were fast vanishing. who becomes the mayor of the farming town of Casterbridge. The novel created in them a feeling of connection with the fate of rural communities. It ends on a note of despair: the strike the hero leads falls.In 1836 a notable event took place when Charles Dickens’s Pickwick Papers was serialised in a magazine. The growth of industry was accompanied by an economic philosophy which celebrated the pursuit of profit and undervalued the lives of workers. Brought up in a cruel workhouse. But at the same time. He is an independent-minded man who follows his own style in conducting business. Þ In the nineteenth century. Þ Hardy’s Mayor of Casterbridge (1886) is about Michael Henchard. as a grim place full of machinery. a fictitious industrial town. Here workers are known as ‘hands’. Community and Society Þ The vast majority of readers of the novel lived in the city. even as he is aware of its problems and the advantages of the new order. rivers polluted purple and buildings that all looked the same. his co-workers turn against: him. His novel Hard Times (1854) describes Coketown. smoking chimneys.British novelist Thomas Hardy. . Þ Deeply critical of these developments. novelists such as Charles Dickens wrote about the terrible effects of industrialisation on people’s lives and characters. This was actually a time when large farmers fenced off land. We can see that Hardy mourns the loss of the more personalised world that is disappearing. Factories came up. Þ The nineteenth-century. Magazines were attractive since they were illustrated and cheap. Europe entered the industrial age. Dickens criticised nor just the greed for profits but also the ideas that reduced human beings into simple instruments of production. Oliver was finally adopted by a wealthy man and lived happily ever after. The unemployed poor roamed the streets for jobs. bought machines and employed labourers to produce for the market. a successful grain merchant. and the homeless were forced to seek shelter in workhouses. discuss the characters of a novel and live for weeks with their stories — like viewers of television soaps today. workers faced problems. and hopes are shattered. as if they had no identity other than as operators of machines. Stevenson’s Treasure-Island(1883) or Rudyard Kipling’s Jungle Book (1894) became great hits. Jane at the age often protests against the hypocrisy of her elders with startling bluntness.their emotions and identities. Such stories allowed women readers to sympathise with rebellious actions. But women novelists did not simply popularise the domestic role of women. Women got more leisure to read as well as write novels. Novels for the Young Þ Novels for young boys idealised a new type of man: someone who was powerful. assertive. Þ In Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre. Þ A novel may take a classical language and combine it with the language of the streets and make them all a part of the vernacular that it uses. Þ The novels of Jane Austen give us a glimpse of the world of women in genteel rural society in early-nineteenth-century Britain. The New Woman Þ The most exciting element of the novel was the involvement of women. While girls of her time were expected to be quiet and well behaved. who wrote under the pen-name Susan Coolidge. the novel brings together many cultures. Often their novels dealt with women who broke established norms of society before adjusting to them. young Jane is shown as independent and assertive. They were set in Mexico. notably Ramona (1884) by Helen Hunt Jackson and a series entitled What Katy Did (1872) by Sarah Chauncey Woolsey . independent and daring.A.L. especially in the US. Alexandria. their experiences and problems. published in 1874. the language that is spoken by common people. Colonialism and After Þ The early novel contributed to colonialism by making the readers feel they were part of a superior community of fellow colonialists. Þ Love stories written for adolescent girls also first became popular in this period. Most of these novels were full of adventure set in places remote from Europe. They aroused the excitement and adventure of conquering strange lands. Henty’s historical adventure novels for boys were also wildly popular during the height of the British empire.Þ The novel uses the vernacular. adapting to native life as well as changing it. The colonisers appear heroic and honourable — confronting ‘native’ peoples and strange surroundings. Siberia and many other countries. the novel produces the sense of a shared world between diverse people in a nation. They make us think about a society which encouraged women to look for ‘good’ marriages and find wealthy or propertied husbands. By coming closer to the different spoken languages of the people. Novels also draw from different styles of language. Þ Books like R. And novels began exploring the world of women . Like the nation. . Þ G. colonising territories and then developing nations there. ... Crusoe treats coloured people not as human beings equal to him..Þ The hero of Daniel Defoe ‘Robinson Crusoe (1719) is an adventurer and slave trader... and ........ Which of the following novels was not written by Charles Dickens? (A) Hard Times Pickwick papers 2... in the twentieth century.. (C) Oliver Twist The term vernacular refers to (A) Charotte Bronte of the above 4. (B) Germinal (B) Pariksha Guru (C) Sewasadan (D) Godan Why was the writings of Rokeya Hossein important? (A) She wrote about the need for education (B) She resisted against the caste system (C) She focussed on the need for reform of the women’s condition in society (D) She inspired the people with nationalism 6... for most writers of the time saw colonialism as natural.. It was only later........ Þ Colonised people were seen as primitive and barbaric....... qqqqq 1. that writers like Joseph Conrad (1857-1924) wrote novels that showed the darker side of colonial occupation. The novel first took a firm root in ... But at the time.. to make them fully human.. and colonial rule was considered necessary to civilise them... (A) German (B) French (C) Russian (D) Indian . He rescues a ‘native’ and makes him his slave........ Shipwrecked on an island. Crusoe’s behaviour was not seen as unacceptable or odd...... but as inferior creatures. 3... less than human.. (D) Who wrote Pamela ? (A) Samuel Richardson (C) Jane Austen 8. (A) England and India (B) USA and China France and China 7..... (C) England and France (B) Charles Dickens (D) Charlotte Bronte Leo Tolstoy was a . novelist... He does not ask for his name but arrogantly gives him the name Friday. (D) (A) A language spoken by the elite class common people (B) A language spoken by (C) A language spoken for official use rural areas (D) A language spoken ain Novels of which of the following authors give us a glimpse of women of 19th century rural society in Britain? (B) Jane Austen (C) Emily Bronte (D) None The novel that generally reflected the inner and outer world of the newly emerging middle class (A) Chandrakanta 5.. the readership of novels began to include poorer people. (c) After 1740. (C) Hard Times (D) The novel describes the life of a young miner in France. Explain how did novels become a popular medium of entertainment among the middle class during the late nineteenth century in India. . (A) Only (I) and (II) Only (IV) 10. What kind of novels were written for young boys in the 19th century ? Explain. Which of the following is not a feature of Hard Times ? (I) The novel was written by charles Dickens.L.:” Explain. (II) The writer wrote about the terrible effects of industrialisation sation on people’s lives and characters (III) The novel describes Coketown. the early Bengali novelists lived in two worlds’ Explain. How did Charles Dickens focus on the life of the industrial workers and the terrible conditions of urban life in his novels ? Explain with examples. What did G. (IV) The novelist describes the life of a young miner. for a long time. 3. (D) Which one of the following novels was not written by Charles Dickens ? (A) Pickwick Papers Treasure Island 11. excluded in the publishing market in eighteenth century Europe? Explain any two reasons. 2. Explain the following (a) Social changes in Britain which led to an increase in women readers.” Identify the novel. With the help of an example show how the early novels in Europe contributed to colonialism ? 1. Who was Charlotte Bronte ? How has she presented the picture of a woman in her novels ? 9. a fictitious industrial town. (A) Hard Times Pamela 12. (B) Oliver Twist 13.9. (b) What actions of Robinson Crusoe make us see him as a typical coloniser. must be in want of a wife. Stevenson (D) Samuel 1. 4. 6. (A) Pride and Prejudice (B) Mayor of Casterbridge (C) Hard Times (D) Oliver Twist Who wrote Jungle Book ? (A) Rudyard Kipling Richardson (B) Charlotte Bronte (C) R. that a single man in possession of a good fortune. “The novels bring together many cultures. (B) Only (II) and (III) (C) Only (III) and (IV) (B) Oliver Twist (C) Germinal (D) “It is a truth universally acknowledged. 5. How were the poor people.A. 8. ‘During the 19th century. Henty write about in his novel ? 7. Bharatendu Harishchandra the pioneer of modern Hindi literature. Banabhatta’s Kadambari . Chandu Menon. encouraged many members of his circle of poets and writers to recreate and translate novels from other languages the first proper modern novel was written by Srinivas Das of Delhi. which used a simple style of storytelling to speak about the plight of widows. He abandoned this plan for similar reasons and instead wrote an original Telugu novel called Rajasekhara Cartiamu in 1878. ways of speaking. published in 1889. was the first modern novel in Malayalam. The earliest novel in Marathi was Baba Padmanji’s Yamuna Paryatan (1857) . and manners were unknown to them. Þ The Novel in Hindi In the north. Þ The modern novel form developed in India in the nineteenth century as Indians became familiar with the Western novel. But he quickly realised that his readers in Kerala were not familiar with the way in which the characters in English novels lived: their clothes. This was not a realistic novel. . On the other hand. 3. is an early example. it presented an imaginary ‘romance’ narrative with a moral purpose. print and a reading public helped in this process. Þ Colonial rulers regarded the contemporary culture of India as inferior. Þ He gave up this idea and wrote instead a story in Malayalam in the manner of English novel books. written in Sanskrit in the seventh century. The development of the vernaculars. Tales of adventure and heroism in Persian and Urdu were Known as dastan. Þ Kandukuri Viresalingam (1848-1919) began translating Oliver Goldsmith’s Vicar of Wakefield into Telugu. a subjudge from Malabar. tried to translate an English novel called Henrietta Temple written by Benjamin Disraeli into Malayalam. The Novel in South India Þ Novels began appearing in south Indian languages during the period of colonial rule. This was followed by Lakshman Moreshwar Halbe’s Muktamala (1861). Write a note on: (a) The Oriya novel (b) Jane Austen’s portrayal of women qqqqq Þ Stories in prose were not new to India. Outline the changes in technology and society which led to an increase in readers of the novel in eigthteenth-century Europe.2. Translations of novels into different regional languages helped to spread the popularity of the novel and stimulated the growth of the novel in new areas. Indian novelists wrote to develop a modern literature of the country that could produce a sense of national belonging and cultural equality with their colonial masters. This delightful novel called Indulekha. O. Chandrakanta . published in 1916. was titled Pariksha-Guru (The Master Examiner). as it was perhaps too moralising in its style. Many of these novels were located in the past. He drew on the traditional art of kissa-goi (storytelling). His best-seller. ParikshaGuru could not win many readers. moralising and simple entertainment to a serious reflection on the lives of ordinary people and social issues. Þ The writings of Devaki Nandan Khatri created a novel-reading public in Hindi. Þ The world of colonial modernity seems to be both frightening and irresistible to the characters. Þ It cautioned young men of well-to-do families against the dangerous influences of bad company and consequent loose morals. I. change the use of Indian languages. and ro live with dignity and honour. The characters in the novel are caught in the difficulty of adapting to colonised society and at the same time preserving their own identity. Pariksha-Guru reflects the inner and outer world of the newly emerging middle classes. He began writing in Urdu and then shifted to Hindi. to remain rooted in the values or their own tradition and culture. the early Bengali novels lived in two worlds. Þ In the novel we see the characters attempting to bridge two different worlds through their actions: they take to new agricultural technology. events and love stories based on historical events. modernise trading practices. Many critics think that his novel Sewasadan (The Abode of Service). The novel tries to reach the render the ‘right way’ to live and expects all ‘sensible men’ to be worldly-wise and practical. Sewasadan deals mainly with the poor condition women in society. remaining an immensely influential writer in both languages. published in 1882. It also tells us about the way. The young are urged to cultivate the ‘healthy habit’ of reading the newspapers. Þ It was with the writing of Premchand that the Hindi novel achieved excellence. With all its good intentions. their characters.a romance with dazzling elements of fantasy . Although it was apparently written purely for the ‘pleasure of reading’.is believed to have contributed immensely in popularising the Hindi language and the Nagari script among the educated classes of those times. Novels in Bengal In the nineteenth century. But the novel emphasises that all this must be achieved without sacrificing the traditional values of the middle-class household. making them capable of transmitting both Western sciences and Indian wisdom. . Issues like child marriage and dowry are woven into the story of the novel.Srinivas Das’s novel. this novel also gives some interesting insights into the fears and desires of its reading public. lifted the Hindi novel from the realm of fantasy. in which the Indian upper classes used whatever little opportunities they got from colonial authorities to govern themselves. his first novel. often by British administrators or Christian missionaries. The prose style became a new object of enjoyment. In contrast. This style was quickly replaced by Bankim’s prose which was Sanskritised but also contained more vernacular style. The new bhadralok found himself at home in the more private world of reading novels. Indians used the novel as a powerful medium to criticise what they considered defects in their society and to suggest remedies. Colonial admmistrators found ‘Vernacular’ novels a valuable source of information on native life and customs. their beliefs and practices. Sometimes the household of the great Bangla novelist Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay would host a jatra in the courtyard where members of the family would be gathered. Many of them told thrilling stories of adventures and intrigues set in the past.II. As outsiders. and so on. these novels helped in creating a sense of national pride among their readers. people from all walks of life could read novels so long as they shared a common language. Writers like Viresalingam used the novel mainly to propagate their ideas about society among a wider readership. This helped in creating a sense of collective belonging on the basis of one’s language. It also used meyeli. With the coming of novels. Novels also helped in establishing a relationship with the past. the British knew little about life inside Indian house hold The new novels in Indian languages often had descriptions of domestic life. with its large variety of communities and castes. Some of these books were translated into English. Such information was useful for them in governing Indian society. the language associated with women’s speech. Þ Bankim read out Durgeshnandini (1865). 6. the power of telling stories in simple language made Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay (1876-1938) the most popular novelist in Bengal and probably in the rest of India. 5. Thus novels made their readers familiar with the ways in which people in other parts of their land spoke their language. 3. their forms of religious worship. Þ The old merchant elite of Calcutta patronised public forms of entertainment such as kabirlarai (poetry contests) . 2. Initially the Bengali novel used a colloquial style associated with urban life. 4. Through glorified accounts to the past. such variations entered the world of print for the first time. Another group of depicted the inner world of domestic life in contemporary settings Domestic novels frequently dealt with the social problems and romantic relationships between men and women. By the twentieth century. musical soirees and dance performances.The novel rapidly acquired popularity in Bengal. They showed how people dressed. The way characters spoke in a novel began to indicate their region. Uses of the Novel 1. Þ Novels were read individually. At the same time. to such a gathering of people who were stunned to realise that the Bengali novel had achieved excellence so quickly. . class or caste. But. in India too. he kept a long tuft of hair. out of their children’s reach. Pleasures of Reading Þ As elsewhere in the world. But they also teared that a wholesale adoption of Western values would destroy their traditional ways of living. Women and the Novel Þ Many people got worried about the effects of the novel on readers who were taken away from their real surroundings into an imaginary world where anything could happen. the hero of the novel. according to the Nayar custom. Young people often read them in secret. the novel offered a special world of imagination into which the reader could slip.showed women who could choose or refuse their partners and relationships. The circulation of printed books allowed people to amuse themselves in new ways. Individuals sitting at home or travelling in trains enjoyed them. Þ Picture books. Under colonial rule. artistic talent.popular songs sometimes composed on contemporary events. at the same time. Even in a crowded room. Þ Some parents kept novels in the lofts in their houses. they were seen as easily corruptible. Older women — some of whom could not read — listened with fascinated attention to popular Tamil novels read out to them by their grandchildren. many of the English-educated class found new-Western ways of living and thinking attractive. He dressed in Western clothes. In this. Þ The heroes and heroines in most of the novels were people who lived in the modern world. and with an education in English and Sanskrit. Þ Chandu Menon portrayed Indulekha as a woman of breathtaking beauty. the novel became a popular medium of entertainment among the middle class. translations from other languages. But women did not remain mere readers of stories written by men soon they also began to write novels. and be all alone. who their readers could admire and imitate. stories in newspapers and magazines .The Problem of Being modern Social novelists often created heroes and heroines with ideal qualities. Þ A reason for the popularity of novels among women was that it allowed for a new conception of womanhood. Women and children were often singled out for such advice. Þ Madhavan. It showed women who could . reading a novel was like daydreaming. Þ The novel also assisted in the spread of silent reading. He was also a ‘first-rate Sanskrit scholar’. Stories of love .all these offered new forms of entertainment. Characters tike Indulekha and Madhavan showed readers how Indian and foreign lifestyles could be brought together in an ideal combination. Some of them wrote in newspapers and magazines. was also presented in ideal colours. advising people to stay away from the immoral influence of novels. He was a member of the newly English-educated class of Nayars from the University of Madras. high intellectual abilities. the judge reveals his true identity. Caste Practices. began arguing strongly against Narnbuthiri alliances with Nayar women. the foolish landlord who comes to marry Indulekha. the villagers. Meanwhile. Þ Nambuthiris were also major landlords in Kerala at that time. At the conclusion of the trial. a community to fisherfolk who live off fishing in the river Titash. The intelligent heroine rejects him and chooses Madhavan.In the twentieth century. Her novel Padmarag also showed the need for women to reform their condition . wrote Anovel called Saraswativijayam in 1892. Potheri Kunjambu. a ‘lower-caste’ writer from north Kerala. Sailabala Ghosh Jaya.to some extent control their lives. The novel is about three generations of the Mallahs. tells her readers that she wrote. and the young couple move to Madras. about their recurring tragedies and the story of . and returns as the judge in the local court. a Christian missionary and the author of Karuna o Phulmonir Bibaran (1852). ‘Lower-Castes’ and Minorities Þ Indulekha was not only a love story but also about an issue that debated an issue that was notly debated at the time when the novel was written. leaving his village to escape the cruelty of his Brahmin landlord. is the focus of much satire in the novel. This novel shows a young man from an “untouchable’ caste. the educated and handsome Nayar as her husband. file a case. Titash Ekti Nadir Naam(1956) is an epic about the Mallahs. Þ Chandu Menon clearly wanted his readers to appreciate the new values of his hero and heroine and criticise the ignorance and immorality of Suri Nambuthiri. Þ Suri Nambuthiri. She wrote a satiric fantasy in English called Sultana’s Dream(1905) which shows a topsy-turvy-world in which women take the place of men. Þ Hannah Mullens. desperate to find a partner for himself. a younger generation of english-educated Nayar men who had acquired property and wealth on their own. This concerned the marriage practices of upper-caste Hindus in Kerala.started a girl’s school in Calcutta. It is not surprising that many men were suspicious of women writing novels or reading them. This suspicion cut across communities. after she was widowed. where Madhavan joins the civil service. thinking that the landlord’s men had killed him. finally marries a poorer relation from the same family and goes away pretending that he has married Indulekha. Þ Suri Nambuthiri. especially the Nambuthiri Brahmins and the Nayars. Saraswativijayam stresses the importance of education for the upliftment of the lower castes. In late-nineteenth-century Kerala. mounting a strong attack on caste oppression. a popular novelist could only write because her husband protected her. He converts to Christianity. and a large section of the Nayars were their tenants.by their own actions. obtains modern education. Þ Rokeya Hossein(1880-1932) was a reformer who. and the Nambuthiri repents and reforms his ways. They warned new laws regarding marriage and property. reputedly the first novel in Bengali. Vaikkom Muhammad Basheer (1908-96). their Holi and Kali Puja festivals. insanity and life in prisons. What gives him courage and tenacity is his belief that he is a nationalist fighting for the freedom of Hindus.Ananta. Þ Many historical novel imagined the nation to be full of adventure. Later he spent years wandering in different parts of India and travelling even to Arabia. their relationships of friendship and animosity. Basheer’s short novels and stories were written in the ordinary language of conversation. While novelists before Burman had featured low castes as their protagonists. Realising that Aurangzeb intended to confine him as a house prisoner. Man Singh persuades Shivaji to make peace with Aurangzeb. Þ Bhudeb Mukhopadhyay’s (1827-94) Anguriya Binimoy (1857) was the first historical novel written in Bengal. Such minds wanted a new view of the past that would show that Indians could be independent minded and had been so in history. Slowly the community breaks up and the Mallas start fighting amongst themselves as new cultural influences from the dry start penetrating their lives. boat races. Most of his works were based on his own rich personal experience rather than on books from the past. His novel describes the community life of the Mallas in great detail. working in a ship. . was one of the early Muslim writers to gain wide renown as a novelist in Malayalam. Ananta leaves the community to get educated in the city. the community dies too. The history written by colonial historians tended to depict Indians as weak. as the river dries up. events and dates. The life of the community and that of the river is intimately tied. living with Sufis and Hindu sanyasis. songs.with the peasants and the oppression of the upper castes. Its hero Shivaji engages in many battels against a clever and treacherous Aurangzeb. filled with the fantastic and the supernatural .qualities that could not be found in the offices and streets of the nineteenth-century world. Basheer’s novels spoke about details from the everyday life of Muslim households. Titash is special because the author is himself from a ‘low-caste’ fisher folk community. places. divided and dependent on the British. The novel provided a solution. Nor did the traditional Puranic stories of the past— peopled by gods and demons. Basheer left home to take-part in the Salt Satyagraha. Their end comes together. When he was in class five at school. In it the nation could be imagined in a past that also featured historical characters. The novel allowed the colonised to give shape to their desires. The imagined nation of the novel was so powerful’ that it could inspire actual political movements. a child born of parents who were tragically separated after their wedding night. He also brought into Malayalam writing themes which were considered very unusual at that time — poverty. and training as a wrestler. Shivaji escapes and returns to battle. heroism.Basheer had little formal education.seem convincing to those educated and working under the English system. romance and sacrifice . It was a novel that inspired many kinds of freedom fighters. Premchand’s characters create a community based on democratic values. Yet Hori and Dhania retain their dignity to the end. a peasant couple. (C) Saraswativijayam (D) Which was Munshi Premchand best known work? (A) Rangbhoomi Indirabai 4. Landlords. Premchand rejected the nostalgic obsession with ancient history. (B) Indulekha (B) Sultana’s Dream (C) Dwigesh Nandini (D) Which of the following best explains the term “dastan”? (A) Tradition of prose tales of adventure and heroism in Persian and Urdu (B) Long stories of love written in Hindi (C) Poem depicting nature written in Urdu .Novels of Premchand Þ In his novels you meet aristocrats and landlords. It is an epic of the Indian peasantry. Þ The central character of his novel Rangbhoomi (The Arena). especially those who come from rhe lower classes and are not modernised Unlike many of his contemporaries. qqqqq 1.Þ Bankim’s Anandamath (1882) is a novel about a secret Hindu militia that fights Muslims to establish a Hindu kingdom. his novels look towards the future without forgetting the importance of the past. The Novel and Nation Making .and those who hold power in society — form a network of oppression. (B) Godan (C) Ghare Baire (D) Which was the first historical novel written in Bengal? (A) Anandamath Anguriya Binimoy 5. priests and colonial bureaucrats . Instead. is a visually impaired beggar from a so-called ‘untouchable’ caste. middle-class professionalsand people from the margins of society. middle-levels peasants and landless labourers. We see Surdas struggling against the forcible takeover of his land for establishing a tobacco factory. The women characters are strong individuals. remains Premchand’s best-known work. Drawn from various strata of society. Surdas. The novel tells the moving story of Hori and his wife Dhania. rob their land and make them into landless labourers. published in 1936. It makes the lives of the most oppressed section of society as worthy of literary reflection. Þ Godan (The Gift ot Cow). Who is the pioneer of modern Hindi literature? (A) Bharatendu Harishchandra (B) Srinivas Das (C) Devkinandan Khatri (D) Munshi Premchand Which of the following novels deals with caste opression? (A) Sultana’s Dream Padmarag 3. 2. The very act of choosing such a person as the ‘hero’ of a novel is significant. moneylenders. As we read the story we wonder about industrialisation and its impact on society and people. (B) 1889 (C) Raja Ram Mohan Roy (C) 1890 (D) 1891 (B) Munshi Premchand (D) Mahatma Gandhi When was Sewasadan published? (A) 1914 15.(D) None of the above 6. Through his novel Indulekha. what message did the author Chandu Menon want to convey? (A) He wanted his authors to appreciate the new values of his heroes and heroines (B) He criticised the ignorance and immortality of foolish landlords (C) Stressed on the woman’s freedom of choice in marriage (D) All the above 10. Why can Sultana’s dream written by Rokeya Hussein be called a Satire? (A) She criticised society in the book (B) She criticized men for opposing women (C) The book shows a topsy turvy world in which women take the place of men (D) None of the above 11. (B) Muktamala (B) 1915 (C) 1916 (D) 1917 Which of the following is a Bengali novelist? (A) Srinivas Das (B) Devaki Nandan Khatri . (D) Who is known as the pioneer of modern Hindi literature ? (A) Bharatendu Harishchandra 14. The first Malayalam novel was (A) Padmarag Chandrakanta 12. (C) Indulekha When was Indulekha published? (A) 1888 13. In Bengal what was meant by Kabir larai? (A) Contest of archers (B) Contest of poets Musical contest 7. (C) Wrestling contests (D) The term “Kissagoi” refers to (A) Traditional art of story telling poetry (B) (C) Traditional art of writing folktales 8. Traditional art of writing (D) None of above Why is the writing of Vaikkom Muhammad Basheer significant? (A) His novels give details of everyday life of Muslim households (B) He writes about communal conflict between Hindus and muslims (C) He writes about the need for reform of society (D) He preached the need for satyagraha 9. discuss the ways in which they tried to make readers think about existing social issues. Name the countries where the novel first took a firm root. 6. a novel based on exchange of letters between two lovers ? 7. 10. 2. In what ways was the novel in colonial India useful for both the colonisers as well as the nationalise? 4. Dhania. answer the following questions: (D) (i) Who is the author of the novel ? (ii) What is the importance of the novel for the Hindi literature ? (iii) What was the theme of the novel ? 1. 17. What was the impact of serialisation of a novel ? 8. Describe how the issue of caste was included in novels in India. Name a novelist. With reference to Sewasadan. Name any three novelists who used to write for the young generation. Describe the ways in which the novel in India attempted to create a sense of pan-India belonging. who has written about the terrible effects of industrialisation on people’s lives and character. What are the major differences between a novel and a manuscript ? 3. 5.(C) Munshi Premchand Chattopadhyaya 16. By referring to any two novels. What is a novel ? 2. Define the term ‘serialised’. 4. 2. Who formed the readership for the novels ? 5. Novelists in colonial India wrote for political cause. What does this suggest about how women were viewed? 3. Identify the novel. . Summarise the concern in both nineteenth-century Europe and India about women reading novels. qqqqq 1. Who was the author of Pickwick Papers which was serialised in 1836 ? 9. Explain the contribution of Premchand in Hindi novels. Who was the author of Pamela. (A) Rangbhoomi Indulekha (B) Godan (C) Sewasadan 1. (D) Bankim Chandra Which of the following novels is not written by Rokeya Hossein? (I) Sultana’s Dream Indulekha (II) Padmarag (III) Sewasadan (A) Only (I) and (II) All of these (B) Only (II) and (III) (C) Only (III) and (IV) (IV) (D) The novel is an epic of the Indian peasantry and tells the moving story of Hori and his wife. (B) (C) 2. (D) 16.2 . (A) (B) 2. (C) 9. (D) 10. (C) 15. (D) 10. Which was the proper modern Hindi novel ? What was the main theme of the novel ? 13. 7. (B) 3. (D) 5. (B) PART . (A) (A) 8. (B) 5. (A) 1. 15. (C) 12. (A) 9. (C) 6. (C) 11.11. (B) 4. (B) 3. (C) 17. (B) 4. Also mention any one novel written by him. 13. Name a novelist who wrote for lower castes. (A) 6. (C) 12. (D) 11. 13. Who is referred to as the pioneer of Hindi literature? What did he encourage? 14. What was the theme of Saraswativijayam? PART . What was the name of the novel written by Samuel Richardson in the 18th century ? 12. (A) (B) 8. (A) 14.1 1. 7.