You Are Allowed to Use an English English Dictionary
Institutt for litteratur, områdestudium og europeiske språk
WRITTEN EXAMINATION
2015/SPRING
6 pages
ENG1303- Introduction to British Literature
Duration: 4 hours Wednesday3June
You are allowed to use an English – English dictionary.
The questions must be answered in English.
You must submit your paper only on copy-sheets.
Part 1 (25%: DO NOT SPEND MORE THAN AN HOUR ON THIS PART)
Answer any EIGHT of the following questions:
1. Who is Hephaestos, and in which work on the syllabus do we encounter this figure?
2. Give a brief account of the myth of Leda as it is treated in a work on your syllabus.
3. Why does Catherine Morland feel so alarmed when she spends her first night in Northanger Abbey?
4. What is the Grauballe Man?
5. Who is Brutus’ wife, and how does she die?
6. Who is Freddy Malins, and in which work does this character appear?
7.Who is Sally Seton in Mrs Dalloway, and what role does she play in the novel?
8.What is Labassecour?
9. What are the main formal distinctions that characterize sonnets?
10.Which of the works on the syllabus uses the phrase ‘carnal embrace’, and in what context?
Part 2 (75%)
Answer ONE question. The relevant texts are provided below.
1)DiscussChaucer’s portrait of the Monk (text providedbelow). What are the most important things Chaucer wants us to notice, and what conclusions may we draw from these observations? In which ways are we invited to form an opinion about the Monk? How do you respond to the way the narrator presents his own opinions?
OR
2)Discuss the speech Satan makes immediately after he overhears the poem’s first conversation between Adam and Eve in Eden (Paradise Lost IV.505—35, text providedbelow).What does this speech reveal about Satan?What is Milton trying to make the reader reflect about key themes in the poem? What do you think are the most important things to notice about thisspeech?
OR
3)Write an essay on the ending of either Northanger AbbeyorVillette. You may consider, for instance, how the ending relates to the concerns of the novel as a whole, and how it meets or chooses not to meet readers’ expectations. The last few paragraphs of each novel are reproduced below, but you may define ‘the ending’ more broadly if you want to.
Text for question 1:
Chaucer,The General Prologue to the Canterbury Tales, lines 165—207:
A MONK ther was, a fair for the maistrye, (a fair for the maistrye: in the highest degree)
An outridere, that lovede venerye, (ouridere: monk who supervises outlying property) (venerye: hunting)
A manly man, to been an abbot able.
Ful many a deintee hors hadde he in stable, (deintee: fine)
And whanne he rood, men mighte his bridel heere (rood: rode)
Ginglen in a whistlinge wind as cleere (ginglen: jingle)
And eek as loude as dooth the chapel belle.
Theras this lord was kepere of the celle, (kepere of the celle: monk in charge of a monastic cell)
The reule of Seint Maure or of Seint Beneit, (the Rule of St Maurus or St Benedict)
Bicause that it was old and somdel streit, (somdel streit: rather strict)
This ilke monk leet olde thinges pace, (leet olde thinges pace: allowed old things to pass by)
And heeld after the newe world the space.
He yaf nat of that text a pulled hen (yaf: gave) (pulled: plucked)
That seyth that hunters been nat holy men,
Ne that a monk, whan he is recchelees, (recchelees: negligent)
Is likned tila fissh that is waterlees - (waterlees: out of water)
This is to seyn, a monk out of his cloistre -
But thilke text heeld he nat worth an oystre. (thilke: that)
And I seide his opinioun was good:
What sholde he studye, and make himselven wood, (what: why) (wood: mad)
Upon a book in cloistre alwey to poure,
Or swinken with his handes and laboure, (swinken: labour)
As Austin bit? How shal the world be served? (Austin: St Augustine) (bit: ‘biddeth’=bids)
Lat Austin have his swink to him reserved!
Therfore he was a prikasour aright. (prikasour: huntsman)
Grehoundeshe hadde, as swift as fowel in flight;
Of priking and of hunting for the hare (priking: tracking)
Was al his lust; for no cost wolde he spare. (lust: pleasure)
I seigh his sleves purfiled at the hond (seigh: saw) (purfiled at the hond: trimmed at the edge)
With gris, and that the fineste of a lond; (gris: grey fur, often squirrel)
And for to festne his hood under his chin (festne: fasten)
He hadde of gold ywroght a curious pin; (curious: elaborate)
A love-knotte in the gretter ende ther was.
His heed was balled, that shoon as any glas,
And eek his face, as he hadde been anoint;
He was a lord ful fat and in good point. (in good point: in good shape)
Hise eyen stepe, and rollinge in his heed, (stepe: prominent)
That stemed as a forneis of a leed; (stemed: glowed) (forneis of a leed: furnace under a cauldron)
His bootes souple, his hors in greet estat. (souple: supple) (in greet estat: in excellent condition)
Now certeinly he was a fair prelat; (prelat: church dignitary)
He was nat pale as a forpined goost. (forpinedgoost: tormented soul (of a dead person))
A fat swan loved he best of any roost; (roost: roast)
His palfrey was as broun as is a berye. (palfrey: saddle-horse)
Text for question 2:
John Milton, Paradise Lost, Book 4, lines 505—35:
[Satan:] Sight hateful, sight tormenting! Thus these two
Imparadised in one another's arms
The happier Eden, shall enjoy their fill
Of bliss on bliss, while I to Hell am thrust,
Where neither joy nor love, but fierce desire,
Among our other torments not the least,
Still unfulfilled with pain of longing pines;
Yet let me not forget what I have gained
From their own mouths; all is not theirs it seems:
One fatal Tree there stands of Knowledge called,
Forbidden them to taste: knowledge forbidden?
Suspicious, reasonless. Why should their Lord
Envy them that? Can it be sin to know,
Can it be death? And do they only stand
By ignorance, is that their happy state,
The proof of their obedience and their faith?
O fair foundation laid whereon to build
Their ruin! Hence I will excite their minds
With more desire to know, and to reject
Envious commands, invented with design
To keep them low whom knowledge might exalt
Equal with gods; aspiring to be such,
They taste and die: what likelier can ensue?
But first with narrow search I must walk round
This garden, and no corner leave unspied;
A chance but chance may lead where I may meet
Some wand'ring Spirit of Heav'n, by fountain side,
Or in thick shade retired, from him to draw
What further would be learnt. Live while ye may,
Yet happy pair; enjoy, till I return,
Short pleasures, for long woes are to succeed.
Texts for question 3:
The ending of Northanger Abbey:
The marriage of Eleanor Tilney, her removal from all the evils of such a home as Northanger had been made by Henry's banishment, to the home of her choice and the man of her choice, is an event which I expect to give general satisfaction among all her acquaintance. My own joy on the occasion is very sincere. I know no one more entitled, by unpretending merit, or better prepared by habitual suffering, to receive and enjoy felicity. Her partiality for this gentleman was not of recent origin; and he had been long withheld only by inferiority of situation from addressing her. His unexpected accession to title and fortune had removed all his difficulties; and never had the General loved his daughter so well in all her hours of companionship, utility, and patient endurance as when he first hailed her "Your Ladyship!" Her husband was really deserving of her; independent of his peerage, his wealth, and his attachment, being to a precision the most charming young man in the world. Any further definition of his merits must be unnecessary; the most charming young man in the world is instantly before the imagination of us all. Concerning the one in question, therefore, I have only to add—aware that the rules of composition forbid the introduction of a character not connected with my fable—that this was the very gentleman whose negligent servant left behind him that collection of washing-bills, resulting from a long visit at Northanger, by which my heroine was involved in one of her most alarming adventures.
The influence of the Viscount and Viscountess in their brother's behalf was assisted by that right understanding of Mr. Morland's circumstances which, as soon as the General would allow himself to be informed, they were qualified to give. It taught him that he had been scarcely more misled by Thorpe's first boast of the family wealth than by his subsequent malicious overthrow of it; that in no sense of the word were they necessitous or poor, and that Catherine would have three thousand pounds. This was so material an amendment of his late expectations that it greatly contributed to smooth the descent of his pride; and by no means without its effect was the private intelligence, which he was at some pains to procure, that the Fullerton estate, being entirely at the disposal of its present proprietor, was consequently open to every greedy speculation.
On the strength of this, the general, soon after Eleanor's marriage, permitted his son to return to Northanger, and thence made him the bearer of his consent, very courteously worded in a page full of empty professions to Mr. Morland. The event which it authorized soon followed: Henry and Catherine were married, the bells rang, and everybody smiled; and, as this took place within a twelvemonth from the first day of their meeting, it will not appear, after all the dreadful delays occasioned by the general's cruelty, that they were essentially hurt by it. To begin perfect happiness at the respective ages of twenty-six and eighteen is to do pretty well; and professing myself moreover convinced that the general's unjust interference, so far from being really injurious to their felicity, was perhaps rather conducive to it, by improving their knowledge of each other, and adding strength to their attachment, I leave it to be settled, by whomsoever it may concern, whether the tendency of this work be altogether to recommend parental tyranny, or reward filial disobedience.
The ending of Villette:
And now the three years are past: M. Emanuel's return is fixed. It is Autumn; he is to be with me ere the mists of November come. My school flourishes, my house is ready: I have made him a little library, filled its shelves with the books he left in my care: I have cultivated out of love for him (I was naturally no florist) the plants he preferred, and some of them are yet in bloom. I thought I loved him when he went away; I love him now in another degree: he is more my own.
The sun passes the equinox; the days shorten, the leaves grow sere; but – he is coming.
Frosts appear at night; November has sent his fogs in advance; the wind takes its autumn moan; but – he is coming.
The skies hang full and dark – a wrack sails from the west; the clouds cast themselves into strange forms – arches and broad radiations; there rise resplendent mornings – glorious, royal, purple as monarch in his state; the heavens are one flame; so wild are they, they rival battle at its thickest – so bloody, they shame Victory in her pride. I know some signs of the sky; I have noted them ever since childhood. God watch that sail! Oh! guard it!
The wind shifts to the west. Peace, peace, Banshee – "keening" at every window! It will rise – it will swell – it shrieks out long: wander as I may through the house this night, I cannot lull the blast. The advancing hours make it strong: by midnight, all sleepless watchers hear and fear a wild south-west storm. That storm roared frenzied, for seven days. It did not cease till the Atlantic was strewn with wrecks: it did not lull till the deeps had gorged their full of sustenance. Not till the destroying angel of tempest had achieved his perfect work, would he fold the wings whose waft was thunder – the tremor of whose plumes was storm.
Peace, be still! Oh! a thousand weepers, praying in agony on waiting shores, listened for that voice, but it was not uttered—not uttered till; when the hush came, some could not feel it: till, when the sun returned, his light was night to some!
Here pause: pause at once. There is enough said. Trouble no quiet, kind heart; leave sunny imaginations hope. Let it be theirs to conceive the delight of joy born again fresh out of great terror, the rapture of rescue from peril, the wondrous reprieve from dread, the fruition of return. Let them picture union and a happy succeeding life.
Madame Beck prospered all the days of her life; so did Père Silas; Madame Walravens fulfilled her ninetieth year before she died. Farewell.
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