Additional English

St. Joseph’s College of Commerce (Autonomous)

End Semester Examination – April 2013

B.Com – II Semester (Travel & Tourism)

 Additional English

Time: 3 Hrs                                                                                                     Max Marks: 100

Note: Exceeding the word limit will result in loss of marks.

SECTION – A

Answer any six in less than 100 words each.                             (6 x 6 = 36)

1. What is your understanding of the title of the poem ‘A Ring to Me is Bondage’? Is it a suitable title to the poem?
2. Comment on the way in which the monologue ‘Girl’ is written. Which do you think would be more effective: a performance of ‘Girl’ or a reading of it?
3. Describe the process of mending the wall in the poem ‘Mending Wall’.
4. Comment on any two advice that Abraham Lincoln gives to his son’s teacher.
5. Narrate the way in which misunderstanding arises between Muni and the foreign traveller because of the language barrier.
6. Mention any two things that Narayan Murthy says that we must learn from the west and explain their relevance to the present times.
7. Why do you think Muni’s wife did not believe him when he said that he sold the goats to a foreigner? Comment on the nature of their relationship.
8. What is the lesson that Sudha Murthy learnt by meeting the villagers?

 

 

SECTION B

Read the following poem titled Four Walls by Zeeshan Sahil and answer all the three questions in about 200-250 words each.                                      9 x 3 = 27

Four Walls

 

You could call where we live
a house.
A room, very high up
with a very low ceiling,
one window, quite large,
and one very small door
that you could pass through
with your hands folded over your breast,
never lifting your feet from the floor.
You can look out this window, too,
out the window in the very high room
with the very low ceiling
if you like;
you can sleep without stretching your legs;
you can live never lifting your head.

 

1. What are the different actions that the poem describes? Comment on any one interesting feature of the poem.
2. How is this poem different from the other poems that you have read on the theme of ‘Wall’? Comment on any one or two differences in detail.
3. Write about a story/documentary/movie which has a similar theme (the theme of Wall) and also give your thoughts on the concept of ‘Wall’.

 

 

SECTION C

Read the following Britannica Encyclopaedia entries and answer all the three questions in about 200-250 words each.                                              9 x 3 = 27

Gift exchange or ceremonial exchange:

Gift exchange is the transfer of goods or services that, although regarded as voluntary by the people involved, is part of the expected social behaviour. Gift exchange may be distinguished from other types of exchange in several respects: the first offering is made in a generous manner and there is no haggling between donor and recipient; the exchange is an expression of an existing social relationship or of the establishment of a new one that differs from impersonal market relationships; and the profit in gift exchange may be in the sphere of social relationships and prestige rather than in material advantage.

The gift-exchange cycle entails obligations to give, to receive, and to return. Sanctions may exist to induce people to give, disapproval or loss of prestige resulting from a failure to do so. Refusal to accept a gift may be seen as refusal of social relations and may lead to enmity. The reciprocity of the cycle rests in the obligation to return the gift; the prestige associated with the appearance of generosity dictates that the value of the return be approximately equal to or greater than the value of the original gift.

The French anthropologist Marcel Mauss made the first extended application of the idea of gift exchange to various aspects of social life, stressing the social concomitants of the exchange rather than its economic functions. A gift exchange may not only provide a recipient with what amounts to credit for a period but also validates, supports, and expresses a social relationship in terms of the status of those concerned. The concept of reciprocity behind gift exchange has been extended into the field of ritual and religion. Thus, some sacrifices may be viewed as gifts to supernatural powers from which a return in the form of aid and approval is expected. Reciprocal social relations, as in the transfer of women in marriage between kin groups, is similar in terms of obligations and types of relationships to gift exchange. Gift exchange such as the potlatch (q.v.) of the Northwest Pacific coast Indians has also been analyzed as an adaptive subsistence aspect of a socioeconomic system allowing for redistribution of surplus wealth and food in certain ecological settings.

Potlatch:

Potlatch is a ceremonial distribution of property and gifts to affirm or reaffirm social status, as uniquely institutionalized by the American Indians of the Northwest Pacific coast. The potlatch reached its most elaborate development among the southern Kwakiutl from 1849 to 1925. Although each group had its characteristic version, the potlatch had certain general features. Ceremonial formalities were observed in inviting guests, in speechmaking, and in the distribution of goods by the donor according to the social rank of the recipients. The size of the gatherings reflected the rank of the donor. Great feasts and generous hospitality accompanied the potlatch, and the efforts of the kin group of the host were exerted to maximize the generosity. The proceedings gave wide publicity to the social status of donor and recipients because there were many witnesses.

A potlatch was given by an heir or successor to assert and validate his newly assumed social position. Important events such as marriages, births, deaths, and initiations into secret societies were also occasions for potlatches; but trivial events were used just as often, because the main purpose of a potlatch was not the occasion itself but the validation of claims to social rank. The potlatch was also used as a face-saving device by individuals who had suffered public embarrassment and as a means of competition between rivals in social rank.

Kula:

Kula is an exchange system among the people of the Trobriand Islands of southeast Melanesia, in which permanent contractual partners trade traditional valuables following an established ceremonial pattern and trade route. In this system, described by the Polish-born British anthropologist Bronisław Malinowski, only two kinds of articles, traveling in opposite directions around a rough geographic ring several hundred miles in circumference, were exchanged. These were red shell necklaces and white shell bracelets, which were not producers’ capital, being neither consumable nor media of exchange outside the ceremonial system. Kula objects, which sometimes had names and histories attached, were not owned in order to be used but rather to acquire prestige and rank.

Every detail of the transaction was regulated by traditional rules and conventions, and some acts were accompanied by rituals and ceremonies. A limited number of men could take part in the kula, each man keeping an article for a relatively short period before passing it on to one of his partners from whom he received the opposite item in exchange. The partnerships between men, involving mutual duties and obligations, were permanent and lifelong. Thus the network of relationships around the kula served to link many tribes by providing allies and communication of material and nonmaterial cultural elements to distant areas.

1. Explain the process of gift exchange in your own words and comment on Marcel Mauss’ application of the idea on social life.
2. What are the similarities and differences between Potlatch and Kula? Which do think is more interesting? Why?
3. What according to you is the purpose of gift exchange? What kind of gifts would you like to give or receive? Why?

SECTION D

Answer in about 250 words:                                                                 1 x 10 = 10

One of the definitions of Aphorism is: a brief sentence or phrase that expresses an opinion or a statement and which embodies universal or general truth.  “A penny saved is a penny earned” is an example of an aphorism.

Think of an aphorism that you have heard or read or create a new one and explain it in detail.

 

1. JOSEPH’S COLLEGE OF COMMERCE (AUTONOMOUS)

END SEMESTER EXAMINATION – APRIL 2013

B.COM – IV SEMESTER

ADDITIONAL ENGLISH

Duration::3 HOURS                                                                                                Max. Marks:100

Section – A

1. Answer the following questions in two or three sentences.                  (5×2=10)

• The ‘lion’ in the ‘The Lion and the Lamb’ belonged to which menagerie?
• How did the male raven treat the female raven in Bertrand Russell’s lesson?
• Where are the feet of the hawk locked up in the poem by Ted Hughes?
• What takes hold on the loam in Sylvia Plath’s poem?
• List two things that Rupert Brooke has loved in ‘The Great Lover’.

Section – B

1. Write short notes on any four of the following.                       (4×5=20)

• The Vicar in ‘The Lion and the Lamb’
• ‘Whatever changes or disappears love last forever’ in reference to the poem ‘The Great Lover’.
• Russell’s examples of Yokel and the Lord of the Manor.
• Humour in ‘The Lion and the Lamb’.

10)  Imagery in the poem ‘Hawk Roosting’.

 

III Answer any three questions in about two pages.                                       (3×10=30)

• How does Russell justify the use of force in the formation of international government? Do you agree with his views? Give reasons.
• Write a critical summary of the poem ‘Hawk Roosting’.
• What does the ‘mushroom’ stand for in Sylvia Plath’s poem? What do you think their message in for us?
• In what ways do you think Rupert Brook’s poem ‘The Great lover’ is an                    example of an unusual love poem.

Section – C

Swami and Friends

1. IV) Write short notes on the following.  (2×5=10)

• Malgudi Cricket Club
• Sketch the character of Mani

1. V) Answer any two of the following questions.      (2×10= 20)

17) Describe the nature of the relationship between Swami and Rajam. How does it              end?

18)  What led to Swaminathan’s exit from Board school? Describe his ordeal after that incident.

19)  How does Narayan portray Swami’s struggle to gain acceptance in the adult world? Give suitable examples from the text to prove the above point.

Section – D

1. V) Write an essay on any one of the following topics.                            (1×10=10)                                                                   

20)  Rise in crimes against women in India, and possible counter measures.

Or

21) Should there be mandatory qualifications and retirement age for politicians.

 

 

St. Joseph’s College of Commerce (Autonomous)
End Semester Examination- april 2013

B.Com – Ii Semester

ADDITIONAL  ENGLISH
Duration: 3 hours                                                                                   Max.Marks:100

Section- A

I Answer FIVE questions from the following. Each carries 2 marks.                      (5X2=10)

1. What does Sudha Murthy mean when she says that forests are difficult to negotiate during the rains?
2. Why did Muni try to humour the shopkeeper? Was he successful in his attempts?
3. “For every scoundrel there is a hero,” – what do you think this means?
4. “He moves in darkness as it seems to me” what kind of darkness is this? What makes the poet think his neighbor walks in this darkness?
5. What happens if a wall is built around a brain?
6. Why does the poet envy the sea in the poem “Ring to me is Bondage”?

Section – B
II Answer any FOUR questions.                                                                             (4X5=20)

7. Critically analyze the value of Intellectual Independence and value of Honouring contracts?
8. What were the things that Sudha Murthy found impressive about the school and its students?
9. The speaker constantly harping on one point-warning the other girl not to do certain things and behave in a certain way what does this tells you about the speaker?
10. How the proverb Blessing in Disguise does comes true in Muni’s life?
11. How does Lincoln link the boy’s faith in him to the development of his character?
12. Do you believe “good fences make good neigbours”? Why? Give reasons to support your answer.

Section- C
III.      Answer any THREE questions.  Each carries 10 marks.                         (3X10=30)

 

13. Can a person enjoy freedom even when there is a wall built around him? How is this possible? Discuss with reference to the poem “Wall is just a Wall”.
14. Do you agree that a ring is bondage? Give reasons to support your answer.
15. “Only the test of fire makes fine steel”. What are the various ‘tests of fire’ the boy will have to go through? What lesson will he have to learn to be a successful person?
16. … the time will come when no servant will be hired without a diploma from some training school, and a girl will as much expect to fit herself for house-maid or cook, as for dressmaker or any trade.

Comment on the above statement with reference to the instructions given to a girl as she grows.

Section- D

 

 

17. What does this picture suggest to you? Write a brief personal response in about 150 words.                                                                                                     (10marks)

 

18. Read the following passage and answer the questions given below (5×2=10)

In his thought-provoking work, Philosophical Investigations, Ludwig Wittgenstein uses an easily conceptualized scenario in an attempt to clarify some of the problems involved in thinking about the mind as something over and above the behaviors that it produces. Imagine, he says, that everyone has a small box in which they keep a beetle. No one is allowed to look in anyone else’s box, only in their own. Over time, people talk about what is in their boxes and the word “beetle” comes to stand for what is in everyone’s box.

Through this curious example, Wittgenstein attempts to point out that the beetle is very much like an individual’s mind; no one can know exactly what it is like to be another person or experience things from another’s perspective—look in someone else’s “box”—but it is generally assumed that the mental workings of other people’s minds are very similar to that of our own (everyone has a “beetle” which is more or less similar to everyone else’s). However, it does not really matter—he argues—what is in the box or whether everyone indeed has a beetle, since there is no way of checking or comparing. In a sense, the word “beetle”—if it is to have any sense or meaning—simply means “what is in the box”. From this point of view, the mind is simply “what is in the box”, or rather “what is in your head”.

Wittgenstein argues that although we cannot know what it is like to be someone else, to say that there must be a special mental entity called a mind that makes our experiences private, is wrong. His rationale is that he considers language to have meaning because of public usage. In other words, when we talk of having a mind—or a beetle—we are using a term that we have learned through conversation and public discourse (rooted in natural language). The word might be perceived differently in each of our minds, but we all agree that it signifies something; this allows us to develop language for talking about conceptualizations like color, mood, size and shape. Therefore, the word “mind” cannot be used to refer specifically to some entity outside of our individualized conception, since we cannot see into other people’s boxes.

 

Questions                                                                                           

• Based on information in the passage, Wittgenstein apparently believes that

 

1. it is best to think of mental states as nothing over and above the behaviors they produce
2. the public use of language is responsible for misconceptions about the mind

III. through the use of precise language, it is possible to accurately describe the shared properties of the mind

 

1. I only
2. II only
3. I and II only
4. II and III only
5. I, II, and III

 

2) Which of the following literary devices best describes Wittgenstein’s use of the “beetle in a box” scenario?

1. Authorial intrusion, characterized by a point at which the author speaks out directly to the reader.
2. Aphorism, characterized by the use of a concise statement that is made in a matter of fact tone to state a principle or an opinion that is generally understood to be a universal truth.
3. Amplification, characterized by the embellishment or extension of a statement in order to give it greater worth or meaning.
4. Allegory, characterized by the use of symbolic representation to convey the meaning of an often abstract concept.
5. Ambiguity, characterized by the expression of an idea in such a way that it becomes possible to glean more than one meaning from it.

 

3) Wittgenstein would most likely disagree with which of the following statements?

1. It is impossible to know another person’s thoughts.
2. The mind is a special mental substance.
3. The color green may actually look different to everybody.
4. Words do not always accurately represent the things they symbolize.
5. It takes time for public discourse to create a new word with a common meaning.

 

4) As used in paragraph 3, which is the best synonym for discourse?

1. exchange
2. conversation
3. announcement
4. knowledge
5. setting

 

 

 

 

5) Based on his use of the “beetle in a box” comparison in the passage, it can be inferred that Wittgenstein might similarly compare a room full of people to a

1. deck of cards
2. box of chocolates
3. collection of rocks
4. library of books
5. group of drinking glasses filled with water

 

19. Write an essay of 250 words             (12 marks)

Should a city try to preserve its old, historic buildings or destroy them and replace them with modern buildings? Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.

20. Fill in the Blanks with suitable verb forms (4×1=4)
21. The Earth ___ round the Sun. (Move)
    b. This paper ___ thrice weekly. (Appear)
    c.   He usually ___ at the back of the class. (Sit)
    d.   He ___ here for the last five years. (Work)

 

21. 21. Use the following pairs of words correctly in sentences of your own (4 marks)

 

1. Devise – Device
2. Inquire – Enquire

 

 

 

 

1
ST. JOSEPH’S COLLEGE OF COMMERCE (AUTONOMOUS)
END SEMESTER EXAMINATION OCTOBER 2013
B.COM – III SEMESTER (TRAVEL AND TOURISM)
ADDITIONAL ENGLISH
Time: 3 hours. Max Marks: 100
SECTION -A
I. Answer ANY FIVE questions in a word, phrase or a sentence. (5×2= 10)
1. Who was murdered by Adams in the story ‘The Case for the Defence’?
2. Name the instrument used for public executions in the story ‘The Adventures of a
German Student?
3. Who was the first person to share the news of Conqueror’s escape?
4. What did the father do every day, to keep himself busy in the lesson ‘My Mother’s
Hands’?
5. What are the things to the advantage of the Hawk in hunting?
6. In the poem ‘Mushrooms’, ‘who shall by morning inherit the earth’?
SECTION –B
II Write short notes on ANY FOUR of the following in about 100 words. (4×5 =20)
7. Imagery used in Hawk Roosting.
8. Ending of ‘Adventures of a German Student’.
9. Human body parts described in’ Mushrooms’
10. Witnesses in ‘A Case for the Defence ’.
11. Bostock Wombwell’s menagerie.
SECTION –C
III. Answer ANY FOUR of the following in about 250 words. (4×10 =40)
12. What are the various dimensions of love and understanding explored in the story
‘My Mother’s Hands’?
13. What were the conflicting thoughts in Wolfgang’s mind when he took the woman to
his room? Describe the incident which led to his death at the end.
2
14. How has Ted Hughes fused admiration and horror into a unified response in the
poem ‘Hawk Roosting’? Give appropriate illustrations from the poem to write your
answer.
15. Comment on the title of the story ‘A Case For The Defence’. What made the murder
trial the strangest?
16. Write a critical appreciation of the poem ‘Mushrooms’.
SECTION – D
IV. Write short notes on ANY TWO of the following. (2×5=10)
17. Swami’s teachers in Albert Mission School.
18. Swami called as ‘Rajam’s tail’
19. The coachman
V. Answer ANY TWO of the following in about two pages. (10×2=20)
20. Do you think the harmonious existence between Swami and his friends is threatened
with the arrival of Rajam? Give reasons for your answer.
21. Describe the role played by the grandmother in Swami’s life.
21. Sketch the character of Swaminathan.

1
ST. JOSEPH’S COLLEGE OF COMMERCE (AUTONOMOUS)
END SEMESTER EXAMINATION – OCTOBER 2013
B.COM (T.T.) – I SEMESTER
ADDITIONAL ENGLISH
Time: 3 Hrs Max Marks: 100
Note: 1.Exceeding the paragraph limit will result in loss of marks.
2. Each paragraph should contain about six sentences.
SECTION – A
I) Answer ANY TWO of the following questions in about three paragraphs.
(2×10 = 20)
1. What is the argument that Mario Vargas Llossa presents in defense of reading
literature in the essay “The Premature Obituary of the Book. Why Literature?” Comment
on his opinion about literature.
2. “The life of Man, viewed outwardly, is but a small thing in comparison with forces of
Nature” writes Bertrand Russell in his essay Free Man’s Worship. Comment on this
statement and also give your thoughts on Free Will and Worship.
3. How have the readings and discussions that you did as part of the course helped you
in widening the horizons of your mind? Narrate the experience. You can use the
classroom discussions and other readings that you have done in your answer.
II)Read the following passage and answer the questions below in about four paragraphs.
(2×15 = 30)
The below passage is an excerpt from the book The Art of Character by David Corbett.
The key to any relationship is to understand clearly what the other person wants. This is
true whether that person is a spouse, an employee, a boss, or a friend. It is a task that is
made more difficult by the fact that many people don’t truly understand what it is they
want, or have many wants that contradict or compete with each other. But that difficulty
does not lessen the importance of understanding those wants, both within yourself and
within those people that are most important to you. It was the key insight of the founder of
the “method” acting, the great acting teacher Constantin Stanislavski (1863-1938), that in this
same spirit, understanding a fictional character’s wants was the key to great acting and great
dramatic writing:
One of Constantin Stanislavski’s key innovations was recognizing the central role of desire
in our depiction of the human condition. The fundamental truth to characterization, he
asserted, is that characters want something, and the deeper the want, the more compelling
the drama.
Desire is the crucible that forges character because it intrinsically creates conflict. If we want
nothing, then nothing stands in our way. This may lead to a life of monastic enlightenment –
– or habitual evasion — but it’s thin gruel for drama. By giving the character a deep-seated
2
need or want, you automatically put her at odds with something or someone, for the world
is not designed to gratify our desires.
And a profound, unquenchable longing almost always forces us to do things we normally
would never imagine ourselves doing — even things seemingly contradictory to our natures.
When confronted with overwhelming obstacles of a kind we’ve never faced before in pursuit
of something we cannot live without, we are forced to change, to adapt, to dig deeper into
ourselves for some insight, passion, or strength that will give us the power we need to keep
going.
In a sense, Stanislavski’s desire took the place of Aristotle’s telos (meaning an end or
purpose).Where once man lived to fulfill his basic purpose, he now, in Stanislavski’s
interpretation, lived to fulfill his most basic ambition, craving, or need.
Peter Brooks put it somewhat differently in his book Reading for Plot, remarking that, in the
absence of desires, stories remain stillborn. This reflects a simple truth: Desire puts a
character in motion.
There may be no more important question to ask of a character than: What does she want in
this scene, in this chapter, in this story? Thinking more globally, one should ask what she
wants from her life — has she achieved it? If not, why not? If so, what now?”
4. Give an account of what you understood when you read the above passage in your
own words. (Do not copy sentences or paragraphs from the passage)
5. What do the words “want” and “desire” mean to Stanislavski and Peter Brooks?
Comment on what they have to say about desire, character and human condition.
SECTION – B
III) Answer ANY TWO of the following questions in less than three paragraphs.
( 2×10 = 20)
6. What aspect of Harriet Jacob’s account of her past as a slave disturb you very much?
If you have come across a similar experience, either in fiction or non-fiction, describe
it briefly and give your thoughts on it.
7. Narrate briefly Siddalingaiah’s childhood experiences and write about an experience
of yours which is in some way similar to Siddalingaiah’s.
8. What do you think would happen if people did not write about themselves? Do you
think writing about one’s self serves any purpose? Give reasons to defend what you
say.
SECTION – C
IV)Answer the following TWO questions in about four paragraphs each. (2×15 = 30)
9. There is a certain kind of stigma attached to contemporary politics in India. How
does Ramachandra Guha’s prologue to Makers of Modern India deal with politics,
thinkers and Indian Independence Movement? After reading the essay do you think
that people who are engaged in politics and political thinking deserve the stigma that
is attached to them? Give your thoughts.
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1
ST. JOSEPH’S COLLEGE OF COMMERCE (AUTONOMOUS)
END SEMESTER EXAMINATION – OCTOBER 2013
B.COM – III SEMESTER
ADDITIONAL ENGLISH
Time: 3 hours Max Marks: 100
SECTION –A
I. Answer ANY FIVE of the following in a word, phrase or a sentence. (5×2= 10)
1. What was the father’s gift to the mother in ‘My Mother’s Hands’?
2. Who diets on water in the poem ‘Mushrooms’?
3. Where is the Hawk roosting in the poem by Ted Hughes?
4. Name the square where public execution was performed in Washington Irving’s
Story?
5. What was the announcement made by the town crier in Leonard Clark’s story?
6. What did it take to produce the foot and the feather of the Hawk?
II Write short notes on ANY FOUR of the following in about 100 words. (4×5 =20)
7. Imagery used in Hawk Roosting.
8. The bonding between the mother and father in ‘My Mother’s Hands’.
9. Gottfried Wolfgang’s student life.
10. Mrs Salmon in ‘The Case for Defence’.
11. Bostock Wombwell’s menagerie.
III. Answer ANY FOUR of the following in about 250 words. (4×10 =40)
12. What do the ‘Mushrooms’ symbolize in Plath’s poem? Give necessary references
from the text in your answer.
13. Bring out the elements of humour discussing the reactions of the people towards the
escaped lion in the story ‘The Lion and the Lamb’
14. Attempt a critical appreciation of the poem ‘Hawk Roosting’.
2
15. Towards the end of the story in ‘A Case for the Defence’ do you think justice
prevailed and who did it fall upon Adams or Mrs Salmon? Give reasons for your
answer.
16. Describe Wolfgang’s prolonged distractions and the incident that led to his death.
SECTION – B
IV. Write short notes on ANY TWO of the following. (2×5=10)
17. Swami’s preparation for the Examination
18. Sketch the character of Mani
19. Swami’s and Mani’s visit to Rajam’s house
V. Answer ANY TWO of the following in about 200 words. (10×2=20)
20. Describe the relationship shared between Swami and his four friends in ‘Swami and
Friends’.
21. How was Rajam different from the other boys in the school? Elaborate your answer
by giving examples from the text.
21. Describe the relationship shared between Swami and his grandmother. Give
appropriate incidents from the text to elaborate your answer.

1
ST. JOSEPH’S COLLEGE OF COMMERCE (AUTONOMOUS)
END SEMESTER EXAMINATION – OCTOBER 2013
B.COM – I SEMESTER
ADDITIONAL ENGLISH
Time: 3 Hrs Max Marks: 100
Note: 1.Exceeding the paragraph limit will result in loss of marks.
2. Each paragraph should contain about six sentences.
SECTION – A
I) Answer ANY TWO of the following questions in about three paragraphs.
(2×10 = 20)
1. What is the argument that Mario Vargas Llossa presents in defense of reading
literature in the essay “The Premature Obituary of the Book. Why Literature?” Comment
on his opinion about literature.
2. “The life of Man, viewed outwardly, is but a small thing in comparison with forces of
Nature” writes Bertrand Russell in his essay Free Man’s Worship. Comment on this
statement and also give your thoughts on Free Will and Worship.
3. How have the readings and discussions that you did as part of the course helped you
in widening the horizons of your mind? Narrate the experience. You can use the
classroom discussions and other readings that you have done in your answer.
II)Read the following passage and answer the questions below in about four paragraphs.
(2×15 = 30)
The below passage is an excerpt from the book The Art of Character by David Corbett.
The key to any relationship is to understand clearly what the other person wants. This is
true whether that person is a spouse, an employee, a boss, or a friend. It is a task that is
made more difficult by the fact that many people don’t truly understand what it is they
want, or have many wants that contradict or compete with each other. But that difficulty
does not lessen the importance of understanding those wants, both within yourself and
within those people that are most important to you. It was the key insight of the founder of
the “method” acting, the great acting teacher Constantin Stanislavski (1863-1938), that in this
same spirit, understanding a fictional character’s wants was the key to great acting and great
dramatic writing:
One of Constantin Stanislavski’s key innovations was recognizing the central role of desire
in our depiction of the human condition. The fundamental truth to characterization, he
asserted, is that characters want something, and the deeper the want, the more compelling
the drama.
Desire is the crucible that forges character because it intrinsically creates conflict. If we want
nothing, then nothing stands in our way. This may lead to a life of monastic enlightenment –
– or habitual evasion — but it’s thin gruel for drama. By giving the character a deep-seated
2
need or want, you automatically put her at odds with something or someone, for the world
is not designed to gratify our desires.
And a profound, unquenchable longing almost always forces us to do things we normally
would never imagine ourselves doing — even things seemingly contradictory to our natures.
When confronted with overwhelming obstacles of a kind we’ve never faced before in pursuit
of something we cannot live without, we are forced to change, to adapt, to dig deeper into
ourselves for some insight, passion, or strength that will give us the power we need to keep
going.
In a sense, Stanislavski’s desire took the place of Aristotle’s telos (meaning an end or
purpose).Where once man lived to fulfill his basic purpose, he now, in Stanislavski’s
interpretation, lived to fulfill his most basic ambition, craving, or need.
Peter Brooks put it somewhat differently in his book Reading for Plot, remarking that, in the
absence of desires, stories remain stillborn. This reflects a simple truth: Desire puts a
character in motion.
There may be no more important question to ask of a character than: What does she want in
this scene, in this chapter, in this story? Thinking more globally, one should ask what she
wants from her life — has she achieved it? If not, why not? If so, what now?”
4. Give an account of what you understood when you read the above passage in your
own words. (Do not copy sentences or paragraphs from the passage)
5. What do the words “want” and “desire” mean to Stanislavski and Peter Brooks?
Comment on what they have to say about desire, character and human condition.
SECTION – B
III) Answer ANY TWO of the following questions in less than three paragraphs.
( 2×10 = 20)
6. What aspect of Harriet Jacob’s account of her past as a slave disturb you very much?
If you have come across a similar experience, either in fiction or non-fiction, describe
it briefly and give your thoughts on it.
7. Narrate briefly Siddalingaiah’s childhood experiences and write about an experience
of yours which is in some way similar to Siddalingaiah’s.
8. What do you think would happen if people did not write about themselves? Do you
think writing about one’s self serves any purpose? Give reasons to defend what you
say.
SECTION – C
IV)Answer the following TWO questions in about four paragraphs each. (2×15 = 30)
9. There is a certain kind of stigma attached to contemporary politics in India. How
does Ramachandra Guha’s prologue to Makers of Modern India deal with politics,
thinkers and Indian Independence Movement? After reading the essay do you think
that people who are engaged in politics and political thinking deserve the stigma that
is attached to them? Give your thoughts.
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St. Joseph’s College of Commerce (Autonomous)

End Semester Examination – April 2014

B.COM (Travel and Tourism) – iv semester

 ADDITIONAL ENGLISH

Time 3 hours                                                                                                     Max. Marks: 100

Section -A

1. Answer any five of the following question in a word, phrase or a sentence.                                                                                                                   (5×2= 10)
2. Give any two reasons for which people read?
3. What does Bertrand Russell mean by filial piety?
4. What sort of activities exemplifies “the horror of modern pleasure”?
5. How does the author defy the concept of slavery in the chapter The Rule of Force?
6. What is the significance of the word ‘shelves’ and ‘tables’ in the poem Mushrooms?
7. Which pleasures of the Elizabethans are described in the essay Pleasures?

 

1. Write short notes on the following in about 100 words.                     (4×5 =20)
2. Problems of Readymade distraction.
3. Metaphors used in Mushrooms.
4. Explain the line,

“This one last gift I give:…………All these were lovely, say ,He loved”

10. Force as analyzed by Russell.

SECTION – B

III. Answer the following questions in about 200 words.                                   (4×10 =40)

11. Sylvia Plath uses mushrooms as a metaphor for the dormant power of the meek. Discuss the above statement with reference to the poem Mushrooms.
12. In what ways does the pleasure of modern times pose a threat to our civilization? Give references from the text Pleasures to substantiate your answer.
13. Comment on the variety of objects and experiences expressed in the poem The Great Lover.
14. Discuss the key ideas expressed by Russell in the essay ‘The Rule of Force’.

Section – B

1. Write short notes on any two of the following.             (2×5=10)
2. Sketch the character of Rajam.
3. Swami’s disappearance in the forest.
4. Ending of Swami and Friends.

 

1. Answer any two of the following in about 200 words. (2X10=20)
2. What aspects of colonial India have been described in the book Swami and Friends? Describe an incident or an event to elaborate your answer.
3. Describe the efforts and struggles of Swaminathan to negotiate and gain acceptance in the adult world.
4. Describe the importance of the cricket match in Swami and his friends’ lives.

 

 

St. Joseph’s College of Commerce (Autonomous)

End Semester Examination – April 2014

B.COM (Travel and Tourism) – II Semester

ADDITIONAL ENGLISH

Time: 3 hours                                                                                                     Max Marks: 100                                                                                                      

Section -A

1. Write short notes on the following in about 100 words.        (4×5 =20)
2. Supernatural element in Overcoat.
3. Sketch the character of Ottakkannan Pokker.
4. The class and caste system of Kirumallige village.
5. Human body as the abode of God in Basavana’s Vachanas.

Section -B

1. Answer any five of the following in about 200 words. (5×10 =50)
2. In Gogol’s story The Overcoat, how does the new overcoat change Akkay’s relationship with his co-workers?
3. In the prose poem Let’s beat up the poor, what drove the protagonist to beat up the beggar?
4. Bring out the significance of the names of the characters in The Card Sharper’s Daughter? How do the names describe the personalities of each one?
5. The story The Overcoat critiques the social structure of Russia. Do you agree with the statement? Justify your answer with examples from the text.
6. The poem Buddha in Glory celebrates the extraordinary embedded in the ordinary. Discuss the above statement with reference to the poem.
7. Compare and contrast the various themes and structures of the poem- Let’s Beat up the Poor, Buddha in Glory and Basavana.

 

 

 

Section – C

  Read the following passage and answer the following questions.

 

Who says Children’s books can’t be great Literature?

         The University of Kent did. But any serious reader should know that this is preposterous.

It’s been a strange few days. On Friday afternoon, I uploaded a screenshot of a University website to twitter. A few minutes later, it went viral; over the weekend the internet went ballistic. On Monday, the University changed its website.

It was all started by Richard Cooper, (@Richardh Cooper), a University of Kent graduate who was considering taking a creative writing course there. But he was troubled by a statement on their site.                                                                                                                                 

“We love great literature,” it said. “We are excited by writing that changes the reader, and ultimately – even if it is in a very small way – the world. We love writing that is full of ideas, but that is also playful, funny and affecting. You won’t write mass-market thrillers or children’s fiction on our programmes. You’ll be encouraged to look deep inside yourself for your own truth and your own experiences, and also outside yourself at the contemporary world around you. Then you’ll work out how to turn what you find into writing that has depth, risk and originality but is always compelling and readable.”

By the time I saw this, a number of children’s writers including Philip Reeve had already protested. At first, the University couldn’t see the problem. I tweeted the screenshot so everyone could see it and judge for themselves. It was picked up by the Guardian Children’s Books feed, then by writers such as Patrick Ness and Michael Rosen, and is still being retweeted every few minutes, often accompanied by expressions of outrage and dismay. It’s not hard to understand why. The statement sets up a rhetorical system that places “great literature” in opposition to children’s fiction and thrillers, making them mutually exclusive. It implies that children’s fiction cannot be great literature, and appears to belittle children’s fiction as a form that by definition cannot do the things great literature can. And yet, by every criterion listed, children’s fiction is entirely capable of being great literature. Indeed, if you’re looking for writing that changes the reader and the world, there may be no better form. I work with the CLPE (Centre for Literacy in Primary Education). I’ve visited countless schools and seen for myself the life-changing power of children’s books. It’s impossible to overstate the transformative effects they can have upon individual readers – and collectively, across generations, upon the world.

I already suspected this from my own experience. The books I read as a child shaped my deepest beliefs. When I was at university, my friends and I were thrilled to discover that our childhood favourites seemed even more powerful than we remembered. This was true of classic authors such as George MacDonald, Rudyard Kipling, E Nesbit and Tove Jansson; or 1960s writers like Alan Garner, Susan Cooper, Peter Dickinson and Ursula Le Guin.

In the work of such authors, we found stories that were compelling and readable; that had depth, risk and originality; that offered all the imaginative space and possibilities we wanted from literature. Garner and Cooper made connections between ancient myth and contemporary reality; Dickinson dealt with human origins, with politics and war; Le Guin with the interconnectedness of all life. These books were tackling the biggest ideas and questions imaginable. That was the kind of literature I wanted to write, and that was when I made the choice to do it in children’s fiction. I may or may not succeed, but I’ve never doubted the form itself. That’s why I found the Kent statement so hard to take.

The twit storm showed me how many other people share my feelings. Authors, critics, publishers, teachers, booksellers, and librarians, readers around the world: suddenly, there were hundreds of voices expressing exactly these beliefs. I’m far from the only one enthusing about Philip Pullman and JK Rowling, David Almond and Meg Rosoff, Malorie Blackman and Jacqueline Wilson, MT Anderson and Sally Gardner.

The list could go on. But Kent has now apologized for its statement. Changed it and asked for Children’s Literature recommendations.

III) Answer the following questions in a paragraph.                                           (5×2=10)

11. Why did the writer find University Kent’s statement preposterous?
12. What role did the social networking sites play in the above controversy?
13. IV) Answer the following questions in about 250 words   (2 x 10 =20)
14. Why should Children Literature be included as a part of the Great Literature? Give your view points.
15. What is your favourite Children’s fiction? What themes expressed in them can you still relate to? Write from your personal experience.

 

 

 

1. JOSEPH’S COLLEGE OF COMMERCE (AUTONOMOUS)

END SEMESTER EXAMINATION – APRIL 2014

B.COM – IV SEMESTER

ADDITIONAL ENGLISH

Duration::3 HOURS                                                                                                Max. Marks:100

Section – A

1. Answer the following questions in a word phrase or a sentence.     ( 5×2=10)                

• Who is the author of the essay ‘Reading for Pleasure’. ?
• Name any two objects the poet has loved in the poem ‘The great lover’.
• According to Aldous Huxley what is replacing literature in the present day world?
• What is the one thing required for the prevention of war, according to Bertrand Russell.?
• The superiority of men over women was originally entirely based on what according to Bertrand Russell?

Section – B

1. Write short notes on the following:                                                     (4×5=20)

• The authour’s advice on developing good reading habits.
• Imagery and emotion in the poem ‘The Great Lover’.
• Russell’s analysis of ‘force’ in the relationship between parents and children .
• The differences between the pleasure of earlier times as compared to modern pleasures.

 

III)  Answer the following questions in about two pages.                           (3×10=30)                   

• How does Russell justify the use of force in the formation of international government? Do you agree with his views on the use of force in human affairs? Give reasons.

 

• Write a critical summary of the poem “The great lover.”
• Analyse  Aldous Huxley’s comments on different types of pleasures. What are their effects on society and civilization in his opinion?

Section – C

Swami and Friends

1. IV) Write short notes on the following.  (2×5=10)

• Malgudi Cricket Club
• The parting of Swami and Rajam at the end of the novel.

1. V) Answer any two of the following questions.    (2×10= 20)

15)  What led to Swaminathan’s exit from Board school? Describe his ordeal after that incident.

16)  How does Narayan portray Swami’s struggle to gain acceptance in the adult world?Bring out the differences in Swamy’s experience of his world in the later part of the novel. Give suitable examples from the text.

Section – D

1. V) Write an essay on any one of the following topics.                            (1×10=10)                                                                   

17)  Rise in crimes against women in India, and possible counter measures.

Or

18) Is Democracy India’s strength or its weakness?

 

 

1
ST. JOSEPH’S COLLEGE OF COMMERCE (AUTONOMOUS)
END SEMESTER EXAMINATION – APRIL 2014
B.COM – II SEMESTER
ADDITIONAL ENGLISH
Duration: 3 Hours Max. Marks: 100
SECTION – A
Indian English Literature pertains to that body of work by writers from India, who pen
strictly in the English language and whose native or co-native language could be one of the
numerous regional and indigenous languages of India. English literature in India is also
intimately linked with the works of associates of the Indian diaspora, especially with people
like Salman Rushdie who was born in Indian but presently resides elsewhere.
Development of Indian English Literature
Indian English literature precisely conforming to its gradual evolution had all begun in the
summers of 1608 when Emperor Jahangir, in the court of the Mughals, had welcomed
Captain William Hawkins, Commander of British Naval Expedition Hector, in a gallant
manner. Though India was under the British rule, still, English was adopted by the Indians
as a language of understanding and awareness, education and literary expression with an
important means of communication amongst various people of dissimilar religions.
Indian English literature, quite understandably, spurs attention from every quarter of the
country, making the genre admired in its own right. Creative writing in English is looked at
as an integral part of the literary traditions in the Indian perspective of fine arts. In early
times of British rule, the novelistic writing, indeed the Indian English dramas and Indian
English poetry, had tremendously arrested attention of the native masses. Every possible
regional author was dedicated in their intelligence to deliver in the `British mother tongue`,
highly erudite and learned as they were even in such periods. The man that comes to
surface more than once in all the genres of Indian English literature is Rabindranath Tagore,
who possibly was an unending ocean of knowledge and intellect, still researched as an
institution in him.
The truthfulness and honesty of the writers writing in English is often made a theme of
suspect in their own country and in other English-speaking countries they are indeed
addressed as `marginal` to the mainstream of English literature. Indian English literature
writers are sometimes incriminated of forsaking the national or regional language and
penning in a western, “alien” language; their dedication to the nation is considered in much
suspicion, a rather unfortunate sensibility for such intelligent and cultured wonders.
Indian literature in English dates back to the 1830s, to Kashiprasad Ghosh, who is
considered the first Indian poet writing in English. SocheeChunderDutt was the first writer
of fiction, thus bringing in the tremendous attraction and brilliancy of admiration of Indian
English novels. In the beginning, however, political writing in the novel or essay format
2
was dominant, as can be seen in Raja Ram Mohan Roy and his extraordinary output. He
had written and dedicated pages about social reform and religion in India, solely in the
medium of English.
Style of Indian English Literature
`Stylistic influence` from the local languages appears to be an exceptional feature of much
of the Indian literature in English – the local language construction and system is very much
reflected in the illustrations, as is mirrored in the literal translation of local idioms. Yet one
more breathtaking and praiseworthy feature of these English Indian writers is that they
have not only `nativised` the `British mother tongue` in terms of stylistic features, but, they
have also acculturated English in terms of the `Indianised context`. A broad view that the
mother tongue is the primary means of literary creativity is still generally held across
cultural diversity. Creativeness in another tongue is often measured as a deviation from this
strict norm. The native language is considered `pure`, it is addressed as a standard model of
comparison. This however have caused difficulties for non-native writers of Indian English
literature and it is more than infrequently that they have to guard themselves writing again,
in English.
Writers of Indian English literature
Besides the legendary and hugely venerated Indian English literary personalities like
Rabindranath Tagore (Sadhana) or R K Narayan ( Malgudi days), later novelists like
Kamala Markandaya (Nectar in a Sieve, Some Inner Fury, A Silence of Desire, Two Virgins),
ManoharMalgaonkar (Distant Drum, Combat of Shadows, The Princes, A Bend in the
Ganges and The Devil`s Wind), Anita Desai (Clear Light of Day, The Accompanist, Fire on
the Mountain, Games at Twilight) and NayantaraSehgal, have ceaselessly captured the
spirit of an independent India struggling to break away from the British and traditional
Indian cultures and establish a distinct identity.
During the 1980`s and 90`s, India had emerged as a major literary nation. Salman Rushdie`s
`Midnight`s Children` had become a rage around the world, even winning the Booker
Prize. The worldwide success of Vikram Seth`s ` Midnight`s Children ` made him the first
writer of the Indian Diaspora to enter the sphere of elite international writers and leave an
indelible mark on the global literary scene. Other Indian English literature Novelists of
repute of the contemporary times include – V.S. Naipaul, Shobha De (Selective Memory),
G.V. Desani, M Ananthanarayanan, Bhadani Bhattacharya, Arun Joshi, Khushwant Singh,
O.V. Vijayan, Allan Sealy (The Trotternama), SashiTharoor (Show Business, The Great
Indian Novel), Amitav Ghosh (Circle of Reason, Shadow Lines) and others.
The writer in the genre of Indian English literature, who took the world with a storm, was
Arundhati Roy, whose `The God of Small Things` won the 1997 Booker Prize and became
an international best-seller overnight. Rohinton Mistry, Firdaus Kanga, Kiran Desai
(Strange Happenings in the Guava Orchard), SudhirKakar (The Ascetic of Desire),
ArdeshirVakil (Beach Boy) and JhumpaLahiri (Interpreter of Maladies) are some other
renowned writers of Indian origin. Former Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao`s The
Insider; Satish Gujral`s A Brush with Life; R.K. Laxman`s The Tunnel of Time, Prof. Bipin
Chandra`s India After Independence, Sunil Khilnani`s The Idea of India, J.N. Dixit`s Fifty
3
Years of India`s Foreign Policy, Yogesh Chadha`s Rediscovering Gandhi and Pavan
K.Varma`s The Great Indian Middle Class, are also outstanding works of the recent times.
The mid-20th century Indian literature in English had witnessed the emergence of poets
such as Nissim Ezekiel (The Unfurnished Man), P Lal, A K Ramanujan (The Striders,
Relations, Second Sight, Selected Poems), Dom Moraes (A Beginning), Keki .N . Daruwalla,
Geive Patel were profoundly influenced by literary movements taking place in the West,
like Symbolism, Surrealism, Existentialism, Absurdism and Confessional Poetry. These
authors heavily had made use of Indian phrases alongside English words and had tried to
reproduce a blend of the Indian and the Western cultures.
Indian English literature is an honest enterprise to demonstrate the ever rare gems of Indian
writing in English. From being a singular and exceptional, rather gradual native flare-up of
geniuses, Indian English has turned out to be a new form of Indian culture and voice in
which India converses regularly. While Indian authors – poets, novelists, essayists,
dramatists – have been making momentous and considerable contributions to world
literature since the pre-Independence era, the past few years have witnessed a gigantic
prospering and thriving of Indian English writing in the global market. Not only are the
works of Indian authors writing in English surging on the best-seller list, they are also
incurring and earning an immense amount of critical acclamation. Commencing from Mulk
Raj Anand, R. K. Narayan, Anita Desai, Sarojini Naidu, ToruDutt to Salman Rushdie,
Vikram Seth, Allan Sealy, Amitav Ghosh, JhumpaLahiri, Chitra Banerjee, Arundhati Roy,
Vikram Chandra – the panache of fine Indian writers is long and much augmented.
I) Answer the following questions in about a paragraph each. (3×5=15)
1. Comment on the influence of native essence on the core concept of Indian writings in
English.
2. What do you have to say about the influence of English Writers on Indian Writing in
English?
3. Track the way in which India emerged as a Literary Nation?
II) Answer the following questions in about 2 – 3 paragraphs each. (2×10=20)
4. “English literature in India is also intimately linked with the works of associates of the
Indian diaspora, especially with people like Salman Rushdie who was born in Indian but
presently resides elsewhere.” Comment on the idea of writers living abroad and writing
about India. How can their writings be different from those who are living here?
5. What are the major changes over the years in the world of Indian Writing in English?
Comment on those changes.
4
SECTION – B
III) Answer any THREE of the following questions in about 200 words each. (3×15=45)
6. Examine the village life in the stories of Mohammad Basheer and P. Lankesh.
7. What is your opinion on the element of supernatural in the short story – The Overcoat? Do
you think such stories could influence your belief in spirits/the supernatural?
8. Critically comment on the caste system mentioned in P. Lankesh’sClassmate. Support
your opinion with the references from the text.
9. Do you think Akakiy Akakievitch failed to get social justice? Whom do you consider to
be responsible for his death: society or the authority who could nothear an ordinary
man’s plea? Justify your stand.
SECTION – C
IV) Answer any TWO of the following questions in about 200 words each. (2×10=20)
10. How does Charles Baudelaire portraythe Philanthropist in his poem Let’s beat up the
Poor?
11. Comment on the concepts of conflict of mind and body in the poems you have read.
12. Interpret the followingVachana of Basavanna, Keeping in mind its implications for the
present world.
Do not steal, do not kill
Do not lie, do not lose your temper
Do not hate, other people
Do not praise yourself
Do not blame the enemy
This purity inner and outer
This is the way to please God KudalaSangama.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&