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Generate QuizLiterature – True/False – GK Questions
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Ismat Chughtai faced an obscenity trial for her Urdu short story 'Lihaaf' (The Quilt).
- True
- False
Answer: True
Published in 1942, 'Lihaaf' explored female sexuality and homosexuality, leading to an obscenity trial in Lahore which Chughtai successfully fought.
Harivansh Rai Bachchan was the first recipient of the Saraswati Samman.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Instituted in 1991, the first Saraswati Samman was awarded to Harivansh Rai Bachchan for his four-volume autobiography.
Thomas Hardy's 'Tess of the d'Urbervilles' is set in the fictional region of Wessex.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Hardy set most of his major novels in Wessex, a semi-fictionalized representation of the south and west of England.
Muhammad Iqbal's 'Bang-e-Dara' (The Call of the Marching Bell) was his first major collection of poetry, written primarily in Urdu.
- True
- False
Answer: False
'Bang-e-Dara' was written primarily in Persian, though Iqbal is famous for his Urdu poetry as well. His later works like 'Bal-e-Jibril' are in Urdu/Persian.
Franz Kafka's novel 'The Trial' features a protagonist named Josef K. who is arrested for a crime that is never revealed to him.
- True
- False
Answer: True
'The Trial' (1925) is a hallmark of surrealism and bureaucratic nightmare, where Josef K. navigates an incomprehensible legal system.
Saadat Hasan Manto's famous short story 'Toba Tek Singh' is a satire on the absurdity of the Partition of India.
- True
- False
Answer: True
'Toba Tek Singh' uses the setting of a lunatic asylum to highlight the madness of the Partition and the arbitrary drawing of borders.
Mahadevi Varma was the first woman to win the Jnanpith Award.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Ashapoorna Devi was the first woman to win the Jnanpith Award (1976). Mahadevi Varma won it later in 1982.
Geoffrey Chaucer's 'The Canterbury Tales' is a collection of stories told by pilgrims traveling to the shrine of Thomas Becket.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Written in the 14th century, 'The Canterbury Tales' features a storytelling contest among a group of pilgrims traveling to Canterbury Cathedral.
Banabhatta's 'Harshacharita' is considered the first historical poetic biography in Sanskrit literature.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Banabhatta, the court poet of Emperor Harsha, wrote 'Harshacharita' in the 7th century. It is a biographical account of Harsha's early life and rise to power.
The 'Sahitya Akademi Award' is given only for works written in the 22 languages listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution.
- True
- False
Answer: False
While it primarily recognizes the 22 scheduled languages, the Sahitya Akademi also gives awards for English and Rajasthani, Bhojpuri, and other recognized languages not in the 8th Schedule.
Vijay Tendulkar's controversial Marathi play 'Ghashiram Kotwal' is set in 18th-century Pune during the Peshwa era.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Written in 1972, 'Ghashiram Kotwal' deals with political violence and hypocrisy. It caused significant controversy due to its depiction of the Brahmin elite of Pune.
The 'Natya Shastra', an ancient Indian treatise on the performing arts, is attributed to the sage Bharata Muni.
- True
- False
Answer: True
The Natya Shastra is a foundational text for Indian classical dance, music, and theatre. It is traditionally attributed to Bharata Muni.
The 'Man Booker Prize' was renamed to the 'Booker Prize' in 2019 after the Man Group stepped down as sponsor.
- True
- False
Answer: True
In 2019, the Crankstart Foundation became the new sponsor, and the prize reverted to its original name, 'The Booker Prize'.
Margaret Atwood's 'The Handmaid's Tale' is set in the theocratic dictatorship of Gilead, located in what used to be the United States.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Published in 1985, 'The Handmaid's Tale' depicts a totalitarian society built on the subjugation of women, following a Second American Civil War.
Aravind Adiga won the Booker Prize for his novel 'The White Tiger', which is written as a series of emails to the Premier of China.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Aravind Adiga's 'The White Tiger' (2008) is structured as a letter/email written by the protagonist, Balram Halwai, to the Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao over seven nights.
The 'Progressive Writers' Movement' in India was heavily influenced by Marxist ideology and focused on the struggles of the working class.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Formed in the 1930s, the Progressive Writers' Association aimed to use literature to highlight social inequalities and advocate for socialist ideals. Premchand and Mulk Raj Anand were key figures.
The 'Sahitya Akademi Fellowship' is the highest honor conferred by the Sahitya Akademi, ranking above the Sahitya Akademi Award.
- True
- False
Answer: True
The Sahitya Akademi Fellowship (Immortals of Literature) is the highest literary honor in India, awarded for lifetime achievement, whereas the Akademi Award is for specific books.
The 'Kalevala' is the national epic of Finland, compiled by Elias Lönnrot.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Elias Lönnrot compiled the Kalevala in the 19th century from Finnish and Karelian oral folklore and mythology. It played a crucial role in the Finnish national awakening.
Bertolt Brecht developed the concept of 'Epic Theatre', which aimed to alienate the audience from the emotional involvement of the play to provoke rational thought.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Brecht used the 'Verfremdungseffekt' (alienation effect) in his Epic Theatre to prevent the audience from losing themselves in the character and instead think critically about the social message.
U.R. Ananthamurthy was a prominent writer in Kannada literature associated with the 'Navya' (New) movement.
- True
- False
Answer: True
U.R. Ananthamurthy was a pioneer of the Navya movement in Kannada literature, which focused on modernism and questioning traditional values.