CBSE Class 10 Social Sciences Novels, Society and History
♦ Gentlemanly Classes : People, who claimed a noble birth and a high social position. They were supposed to set the standard for proper behaviour.
♦ Epistolary : The form of novel which used the private and personal form of letters to tell a story are known as epistolary. Samuel Richardson’s Pamela written in the 18th century explain much of its story through an exchange of letters between two lovers.
♦ Vernacular : The normal, spoken form of a language rather than the formal, literary form.
♦ Satire : A form of representation through writing, drawing, painting, etc., that provides a criticism of society in a manner that is witty and clever.
♦ Serialised : A format in which the story is published in instalments, each part in a new issue of a journal.
♦ Novel : Novel is a modem form of literature born from print, a mechanical invention.
Social Sciences CBSE Class 10 Novels, Society and History VSAQ
Q.1. What is a novel ?
Ans. Novel is a modern form of literature born from print, a mechanical invention.
Ans. Novel is a modern form of literature born from print, a mechanical invention.
Q.2. What are major differences between a novel and a manuscript ?
Ans: (i) Novel is born from print whereas manuscript is handwritten.
(ii) Manuscripts were difficult to prepare and there were only few readers whereas novels are easy to print and are widely read.
Ans: (i) Novel is born from print whereas manuscript is handwritten.
(ii) Manuscripts were difficult to prepare and there were only few readers whereas novels are easy to print and are widely read.
Q-3. Name the countries where the novel first took firm roots. [CBSE 2009 (o)]
Ans. The novel first took firm root in England and France.
Ans. The novel first took firm root in England and France.
Q.4. Who formed the readership for the novels ?
Ans. New groups of lower-middle-class people such as shopkeepers, clerks, aristocrats and gentlemanly classes formed the new readership for the novels.
Ans. New groups of lower-middle-class people such as shopkeepers, clerks, aristocrats and gentlemanly classes formed the new readership for the novels.
Q.5. Who was another of Pamela a novel based on exchange of letters between two lovers.
Ans. Samuel Richardson.
Ans. Samuel Richardson.
Q.6. What was impact of serialisation of a novel ?
Ans. It allowed readers to relish the suspense, discuss the character of a novel and live for weeks with its story.
Ans. It allowed readers to relish the suspense, discuss the character of a novel and live for weeks with its story.
Q.7. Who was the author of Pickwick Papers which was serialised in 1836 ? [CBSE 2014]
Ans. Charles Dickens.
Ans. Charles Dickens.
Q-8. Name a novelist who has written about terrible effects of industrialisation on people’s lives and character.
Ans. Charles Dickens.
Ans. Charles Dickens.
Q.9- Name any two most important novels written by Charles Dickens. What was the theme of the novels ?
Ans: (i) Hard Times (ii) Oliver Twist.
In both the novels, Dickens had written about the terrible effects of industrialisation on people’s lives and character.
Ans: (i) Hard Times (ii) Oliver Twist.
In both the novels, Dickens had written about the terrible effects of industrialisation on people’s lives and character.
Q.10. Identify the person given in the image.
Ans. Leo Tolstoy.
Ans. Leo Tolstoy.
Q.11. Who is the writer of the Novel Germinal ? What was the theme of the novel ?
Ans. Emile Zola, the French novelist wrote Germinal (1885). The novel is on the life of a young coalminer. In the novel, the writer tried his best to explain the harsh conditions under which the miners worked. It ends on a note of despair : the strike the hero leads fails, his coworkers turn against him and hopes are shattered.
Ans. Emile Zola, the French novelist wrote Germinal (1885). The novel is on the life of a young coalminer. In the novel, the writer tried his best to explain the harsh conditions under which the miners worked. It ends on a note of despair : the strike the hero leads fails, his coworkers turn against him and hopes are shattered.
Q.12. Name a novelist who wrote about traditional rural communities of England that were vanishing.
Ans. Thomas Hardy.
Ans. Thomas Hardy.
Q.13. How most of the novels of the 19th century represented the true picture of the community and the society ?
Ans. (i) In the 19th century, Europe entered the industrial age. Novelists such as Charles Dickens and Emile Zola wrote about the terrible effects of industrialisation on peoples lives and character.
(ii) British novelist Thomas Hardy wrote about traditional rural communities of England that were fast vanishing.
Ans. (i) In the 19th century, Europe entered the industrial age. Novelists such as Charles Dickens and Emile Zola wrote about the terrible effects of industrialisation on peoples lives and character.
(ii) British novelist Thomas Hardy wrote about traditional rural communities of England that were fast vanishing.
Q.14. Who was the author of Mayor of Casterbridge ?
Ans. Thomas Hardy.
Ans. Thomas Hardy.
Q.15. Who was Leo Tolstoy?
Ans. He was a famous Russian novelist who wrote extensively on rural life and community.
Ans. He was a famous Russian novelist who wrote extensively on rural life and community.
Q.16. Which novel supplied the adventurous text for the young English population ? [CBSE 2014]
Ans. Under Drake’s Flag by G.A. Henty.
Ans. Under Drake’s Flag by G.A. Henty.
Q.17. What was the theme of the novel Jane Eyre written by Charlotte Bronte?
Ans.He has shown the main character i.e. Jane as independent and assertive while girls of her time were expected to be quiet and well behaved.
Ans.He has shown the main character i.e. Jane as independent and assertive while girls of her time were expected to be quiet and well behaved.
Q.18. “It is a truth universally accepted acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife”. Name the novel and the author.
Ans. Pride and Prejudice-Jane Austen.
Ans. Pride and Prejudice-Jane Austen.
Q-19. Name some important novelists who use to write for the young generation.
Or
Name some of the important novels for the young. [CBSE 2014]
Ans. (i) R.L. Stevenson – Treasure Island
(ii) Rudyard Kipling – Jungle Book
(iii) Helen Hunt – Ramona
(iv) Sarah Chauncey Woolsey – What Katy Did
Or
Name some of the important novels for the young. [CBSE 2014]
Ans. (i) R.L. Stevenson – Treasure Island
(ii) Rudyard Kipling – Jungle Book
(iii) Helen Hunt – Ramona
(iv) Sarah Chauncey Woolsey – What Katy Did
Q.20. Who is the author of the novel “Robinson Crusoe ?
Ans. Daniel Defoe.
Ans. Daniel Defoe.
Q.21. Name the novelist who showed the darker ‘ side of colonial occupation.
Ans. Joseph Conrad.
Ans. Joseph Conrad.
Q.22. Who were the author’s of the following novels ?
Ans. (i) Yamuna Paryatan
(ii) Muktamala Ans. (i) Baba Radmaji’s
(ii) Lakshman Moreshwar Halbe
Ans. (i) Yamuna Paryatan
(ii) Muktamala Ans. (i) Baba Radmaji’s
(ii) Lakshman Moreshwar Halbe
Q.23. Which was the first modern novel in Nalayalam ? [CBSE 2014]
Ans. Indulekha.
Ans. Indulekha.
Q.24. Which was the first proper modem Hindi novel? Who was its author ?
Ans. The first proper modern Hindi novel was Pariksha Guru. It was written by Srinivas Das in 1882.
Ans. The first proper modern Hindi novel was Pariksha Guru. It was written by Srinivas Das in 1882.
Q.25. Who is known as the pioneer of modem Hindi literature ?
Ans. Bharatendu Harishchandra.
Ans. Bharatendu Harishchandra.
Q.26. Who was the author of Pariksha Guru ?
Ans. Srinivas Das.
Ans. Srinivas Das.
Q.27. How did the vernacular novels help Britishers to expand their rule in India ?
Ans. Novels provided valuable information to the colonial administrators regarding native life and customs.
Ans. Novels provided valuable information to the colonial administrators regarding native life and customs.
Q.28. Name any two novelists of South India. Also mention the names of the novels written by them.
Ans. (i) Chandu Menon – Indulekha
(ii) Kandukuri Viresalingam-Rajasekhara Caritamu.
Ans. (i) Chandu Menon – Indulekha
(ii) Kandukuri Viresalingam-Rajasekhara Caritamu.
Q.29. Name any two famous Hindi novelists. Also mention the names of the novels written by them.
Ans. (i) Srinivas Das – Pariksha Guru
(ii) Devaki Nandan Khetri – Chandrakanta
Ans. (i) Srinivas Das – Pariksha Guru
(ii) Devaki Nandan Khetri – Chandrakanta
Q.30.Name the Mala novelist who tried to translate an English novel called Henrietta Temple.
Ans. Chandu Menon.
Ans. Chandu Menon.
Q.31.Which was the first modem novel in Malayalam? When was it published ?
Ans. Indulekha published in 1889 was the first modem novel in Malayalam.
Ans. Indulekha published in 1889 was the first modem novel in Malayalam.
Q.32.Who is the author of the novel ‘Sewasadan’? What is the importance of the novel for the Hindi literature ?
Ans. Sewasadan was written by Munshi Premchand. The novel lifted the Hindi novel from the realm of fantasy, moralising and simple entertainment to a serious reflection on the lives of ordinary people and social issues.
Ans. Sewasadan was written by Munshi Premchand. The novel lifted the Hindi novel from the realm of fantasy, moralising and simple entertainment to a serious reflection on the lives of ordinary people and social issues.
Q.33.How was the sources of entertainment of the old merchant elite of Calcutta different from the new bhadralok ?
Ans. The old merchant elite of Calcutta patronised public forms of entertainment such as Kabirlarai, musical soirees and dance performances whereas new bhadraloks found himself at home in the more private world of reading novels.
Ans. The old merchant elite of Calcutta patronised public forms of entertainment such as Kabirlarai, musical soirees and dance performances whereas new bhadraloks found himself at home in the more private world of reading novels.
Q.34.‘During the 19th century, the early Bengali novelists lived in two worlds’. Explain.
Ans . (i) These were novelists who were located in the past, their characters, events and love stories based on historical events.
(ii) This group of novelists 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.
Ans . (i) These were novelists who were located in the past, their characters, events and love stories based on historical events.
(ii) This group of novelists 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.
Q.35.‘In many novels written during the colonial period, the ideal person successfully deals with one of the central dilemmas faced by colonial subject’. What was the dilemma ?
Ans. How to be modem without rejecting traditions, how to accept ideas coming from the West without losing one’s identity.
Ans. How to be modem without rejecting traditions, how to accept ideas coming from the West without losing one’s identity.
Q.36. Who was Rokeya Hossein ?
Ans. Rokeya Hossien (1880-1932) was a reformer who, after she was widowed, started a girl’s school in Calcutta. She wrote a satiric fantasy in English called Sultana’s Dream (1905) which shows a topsyturvy world in which women take the place of men. Her novel Padmarag also showed the need for women to reform their condition by their own actions.
Ans. Rokeya Hossien (1880-1932) was a reformer who, after she was widowed, started a girl’s school in Calcutta. She wrote a satiric fantasy in English called Sultana’s Dream (1905) which shows a topsyturvy world in which women take the place of men. Her novel Padmarag also showed the need for women to reform their condition by their own actions.
Q.37. Name some novelists who have written about caste practices.
Ans. (i) Potheri Kunjambu – Saraswativijayam
(ii) Advaita Malla Burman’s- Titash Ekti Nadir Naam.
Ans. (i) Potheri Kunjambu – Saraswativijayam
(ii) Advaita Malla Burman’s- Titash Ekti Nadir Naam.
Q.38. Name a novelist who wrote for lower- castes.
Ans. Potheri Kunjambu.
Ans. Potheri Kunjambu.
Q.39. ‘The Novel is about an epic about the Mallas, a community of fisherfolk who live off fishing in the river Titash. Identify the novel and the author.
Ans. Titash Ekti Nadir Naam-Advaita Malla.
Ans. Titash Ekti Nadir Naam-Advaita Malla.
Q.40. Which was the first historical novel written in Bengal ?
Ans. Bhadeb Mukhopadhyay’s Anguriya Binimoy.
Ans. Bhadeb Mukhopadhyay’s Anguriya Binimoy.
Q.41. Name a novel which is about a secret Hindu militia that fights Muslims to establish a Hindu Kingdom. It was a novel that inspired many kinds of freedom fighters. ‘
Ans. Bankim’s Anandamath.
Ans. Bankim’s Anandamath.
Q.42. How novels helped in popularising the sense of belonging to a common nation ?
Ans. (i) Imaging a heroic past.
(ii) Various classes were included so that they could be seen to belong to a shared world.
Ans. (i) Imaging a heroic past.
(ii) Various classes were included so that they could be seen to belong to a shared world.
Q.43. Name any two novels written by Munshi Premchand. [CBSE 2014]
Ans. (i) Rangbhoomi (ii) Godan
Ans. (i) Rangbhoomi (ii) Godan
Q.44. Why the novel Pariksha Guru could not win many readers ?
Ans. It could not win many readers, as it was perhaps too moralising in its style.
Ans. It could not win many readers, as it was perhaps too moralising in its style.
Q.45., Which was the first proper modem novel in Hindi ? What was its theme ?
Ans. Pariksha Guru was the first proper modern novel in Hindi. The novel reflects the inner and outer world of the newly emerging middle class which is caught in the difficulty of adapting to colonised society and at the same time preserving their cultural identify.
Ans. Pariksha Guru was the first proper modern novel in Hindi. The novel reflects the inner and outer world of the newly emerging middle class which is caught in the difficulty of adapting to colonised society and at the same time preserving their cultural identify.
Q.46. Who was the Hindi novelist whose writing took the Hindi novels to excellence ?
Ans. Munshi Premchand.
Ans. Munshi Premchand.
Q.47. Which was the first novel of Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay ?
Ans. Durgeshnandini in 1865.
Ans. Durgeshnandini in 1865.
Q.48. What is satire ? Give one example. [CBSE 2014]
Ans. A form of representation through writing, drawing, painting, etc. that provides a criticism of society in a manner that is witty and clever. For example, Sultana’s Dream by Rokeya Hossein.
Ans. A form of representation through writing, drawing, painting, etc. that provides a criticism of society in a manner that is witty and clever. For example, Sultana’s Dream by Rokeya Hossein.
Q.49. Who wrote Saraswativijayam ? [CBSE 2014]
Ans. Potheri Kunjambu.
Ans. Potheri Kunjambu.
Q.50. What was the theme of Saraswativijayam ?
Ans. Saraswativijayam stresses the importance of education for the upliftment of the lower caste.
Ans. Saraswativijayam stresses the importance of education for the upliftment of the lower caste.
Q.51. Who was the English author who showed the darker side of colonialism in his novels ? [CBSE. Sept.2011]
Ans. Joseph Conard.
Ans. Joseph Conard.
Q.52. Who wrote Anandmath ? [CBSE 2014]
Ans. Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay.
Ans. Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay.
Q.53. The novel revolves around Surdas who is visually impaired and belongs to an untouchable caste. Identify the novel.
Ans. Rangbhoomi.
Ans. Rangbhoomi.
Q.54. The novel is an epic of the Indian peasantry and tells the moving story of Hori and his wife, Dhania. Identify the novel. [CBSE. Sept. 2011]
Ans. Godan.
Ans. Godan.
Q.55. Who is the author of the novel ‘Robinson Crusoe’ ? [CBSE. Sept.2011, 12]
Ans. Daniel Defoe.
Ans. Daniel Defoe.
Q.56. Which of the following novel was written by Potheri Kunjambu and deals with the caste oppression ? [CBSE. Sept. 2011,12]
Ans. Saraswativijayam.
Ans. Saraswativijayam.
CBSE Class 10 Social Sciences Novels, Society and History SAQ
Q.1. What Is a novel ? Mention any two features of novel.
Ans. Novel is a modern form of literature that describes fictional characters and events, usually in the form of sequential story. Features:-
(I) Novels began to be written from the 17th century, but really flowered from the 18th century.
(ii) Most of the novels were written on social issues such as marriage relationship, the proper conduct of men and women etc.
Ans. Novel is a modern form of literature that describes fictional characters and events, usually in the form of sequential story. Features:-
(I) Novels began to be written from the 17th century, but really flowered from the 18th century.
(ii) Most of the novels were written on social issues such as marriage relationship, the proper conduct of men and women etc.
Q.2. Explain the themes and issues of the novels of Thomas Hardy. [CBSE 2011]
Ans. (i) Thomas Hardy was a British novelist of the 19th century. He wrote about traditional rural communities of England.
(ii) This was actually a time when large farmers fenced off land, bought machines and employed labourers to produce for the market. The old rural culture with its independent farmers was dying out.
(iii) In his novel Mayor of Casterbridge (1886) Thomas Hardy has exclusively written about industrialisation and rural life. The novel is about Michael Henchard, a successful grain merchant, who becomes the mayor of the farming town of Casterbridge. He is an independent-minded man who follows his own style in conducting business. He can also be both unpredictably generous and cruel with his employees. Consequently, he is no match for 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.
(iV) We can see that Hardy mourns the loss of the more personalised world that is disappearing, even as he is aware of its problems and the advantages of the new order.
Ans. (i) Thomas Hardy was a British novelist of the 19th century. He wrote about traditional rural communities of England.
(ii) This was actually a time when large farmers fenced off land, bought machines and employed labourers to produce for the market. The old rural culture with its independent farmers was dying out.
(iii) In his novel Mayor of Casterbridge (1886) Thomas Hardy has exclusively written about industrialisation and rural life. The novel is about Michael Henchard, a successful grain merchant, who becomes the mayor of the farming town of Casterbridge. He is an independent-minded man who follows his own style in conducting business. He can also be both unpredictably generous and cruel with his employees. Consequently, he is no match for 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.
(iV) We can see that Hardy mourns the loss of the more personalised world that is disappearing, even as he is aware of its problems and the advantages of the new order.
Q.3. What do you mean by epistolary novel ? Give One example.
Or
State the meaning of epistolary novel. Give one example for this type of novel. [CBSE 2013]
Ans. The form of novel which used the private and personal forrri of letters to tell a story are known as epistolary. Samuel Richardson’s Pamela written in the 18th century explain much of its story through an exchange of letters between two lovers.
Or
State the meaning of epistolary novel. Give one example for this type of novel. [CBSE 2013]
Ans. The form of novel which used the private and personal forrri of letters to tell a story are known as epistolary. Samuel Richardson’s Pamela written in the 18th century explain much of its story through an exchange of letters between two lovers.
Q.4. Mention any three features of Pickwick Papers.
Ans. (i) Pickwick Papers were written by Charles Dickens.
(ii) These papers were serialised in a magazine in 1836.
(iii) Serialisation allowed readers to relish the suspense, discuss the characters of a novel and live for weeks with their stories like viewers of television soaps today.
Ans. (i) Pickwick Papers were written by Charles Dickens.
(ii) These papers were serialised in a magazine in 1836.
(iii) Serialisation allowed readers to relish the suspense, discuss the characters of a novel and live for weeks with their stories like viewers of television soaps today.
Q.5- “The novels bring together many cultures”. Explain. [CBSE 2010, 11]
Or
How did the novels bring together different cultures ?
Ans. (i) Language : The novel uses the vernacular, the language that is spoken by common people. By coming closer to the different spoken languages of the people, the novel produces the sense of a shared world between diverse people in a nation. Novels also draw from different styles of language. 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.
(ii) Bridging the gap between rural and urban culture : Many novelist like that of Thomas Hardy write exclusively about vanishing rural communities.
(iiI) New culture : Under colonial rule, many of the English educated class found new Western ways of living and thinking attractive. So many Indian novelists started writing about this new culture developing in India.
Or
How did the novels bring together different cultures ?
Ans. (i) Language : The novel uses the vernacular, the language that is spoken by common people. By coming closer to the different spoken languages of the people, the novel produces the sense of a shared world between diverse people in a nation. Novels also draw from different styles of language. 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.
(ii) Bridging the gap between rural and urban culture : Many novelist like that of Thomas Hardy write exclusively about vanishing rural communities.
(iiI) New culture : Under colonial rule, many of the English educated class found new Western ways of living and thinking attractive. So many Indian novelists started writing about this new culture developing in India.
Q.6. Who is the writer of the novel Germinal ? What was the theme of the novel ?
Ans. Emile Zola, the French novelist wrote Germinal (1885). The novel is on the life of a young coalminer. In the novel, the writer tried his best to explain the harsh conditions under which the miners worked. It ends on a note of despair : The strike the hero leads fails, his co-workers turn against him, and his hopes are shattered.
Ans. Emile Zola, the French novelist wrote Germinal (1885). The novel is on the life of a young coalminer. In the novel, the writer tried his best to explain the harsh conditions under which the miners worked. It ends on a note of despair : The strike the hero leads fails, his co-workers turn against him, and his hopes are shattered.
Q.7. How most of the novels of the 19th century represented the true picture of the community and the society ?
Ans. (i) In the 19th century, Europe entered the industrial age. Novelists such as Charles Dickens and Emile Zola wrote about the terrible effects of industrialisation on people’s lives and character.
(ii) British novelist Thomas Hardy wrote about the traditional rural communities of England that were fast vanishing.
(iii) In ‘Pride and Prejudice’ novelist Jane Austen has written about the social status of women.
Ans. (i) In the 19th century, Europe entered the industrial age. Novelists such as Charles Dickens and Emile Zola wrote about the terrible effects of industrialisation on people’s lives and character.
(ii) British novelist Thomas Hardy wrote about the traditional rural communities of England that were fast vanishing.
(iii) In ‘Pride and Prejudice’ novelist Jane Austen has written about the social status of women.
Q-8. What did G.A. Henty write about in his novel ? [CBSE Sept. 2010]
Or
How did the novels for the young boys idealise a new type of man ? Explain. [CBSE Sept. 2010, 2011]
Ans. (i) He wrote about strange lands being conquered by the young Englishmen.
(ii) He wrote novels for young boys idealising a new type of man; someone who was powerful, assertive, independent and daring.
(iii) He represented the colonisers heroic and honourable.
(iv) His novels were about young boys who witness grand historical events, get involved in some military action and show what they called English courage.
Or
How did the novels for the young boys idealise a new type of man ? Explain. [CBSE Sept. 2010, 2011]
Ans. (i) He wrote about strange lands being conquered by the young Englishmen.
(ii) He wrote novels for young boys idealising a new type of man; someone who was powerful, assertive, independent and daring.
(iii) He represented the colonisers heroic and honourable.
(iv) His novels were about young boys who witness grand historical events, get involved in some military action and show what they called English courage.
Q.9. Who was Charlotte Bronte ? How has she presented the picture of a woman in her novels ?
Or
Describe the depiction of women in the novels of Charlotte Bronte. [CBSE 2013]
Or
In which way was women depicted in Charlotte Bronte’s novel ‘Jane Eyre’? [CBSE 2011]
Ans. Charlotte Bronte was an English novelist. Her novels dealt with women who broke the established norms of the society before adjusting to them. Such stories allowed women readers to sympathise with rebellious actions. In Charlotte Bronte’s, Jane Eyre, published in 1874, young Jane is shown as independent and assertive woman or girl. While girls of her time were expected to be quiet and well behaved, Jane at the age of ten protests , against the hypocrisy of her elders with startling bluntness. She tells her aunt, who is always unkind to Jane: “People think you a good woman, but you are bad You are
deceitful ! I will never call you aunt as long as I live.”
Or
Describe the depiction of women in the novels of Charlotte Bronte. [CBSE 2013]
Or
In which way was women depicted in Charlotte Bronte’s novel ‘Jane Eyre’? [CBSE 2011]
Ans. Charlotte Bronte was an English novelist. Her novels dealt with women who broke the established norms of the society before adjusting to them. Such stories allowed women readers to sympathise with rebellious actions. In Charlotte Bronte’s, Jane Eyre, published in 1874, young Jane is shown as independent and assertive woman or girl. While girls of her time were expected to be quiet and well behaved, Jane at the age of ten protests , against the hypocrisy of her elders with startling bluntness. She tells her aunt, who is always unkind to Jane: “People think you a good woman, but you are bad You are
deceitful ! I will never call you aunt as long as I live.”
Q.10. How did the early novels contribute to colonialism ?
Or
With the help of an example show how the early novels in Europe contributed to colonialism? [CBSE Sept. 2010, 2011]
Ans. (i) The early novels contributed to colonialism making the readers feel that they were a part of a superior community of fellow colonialists.
(ii) The hero of Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe is an adventurer and a slave trader, who treated the coloured people as sub-humans.
(iii) Most of the writers of that time saw colonialism as natural.
(iv) Colonised people were seen as primitive and barbaric, and colonial rule was considered necessary to civilize them.
Or
With the help of an example show how the early novels in Europe contributed to colonialism? [CBSE Sept. 2010, 2011]
Ans. (i) The early novels contributed to colonialism making the readers feel that they were a part of a superior community of fellow colonialists.
(ii) The hero of Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe is an adventurer and a slave trader, who treated the coloured people as sub-humans.
(iii) Most of the writers of that time saw colonialism as natural.
(iv) Colonised people were seen as primitive and barbaric, and colonial rule was considered necessary to civilize them.
Q.11. How were the poor people, for a long time, excluded in the publishing market in eighteenth century Europe ? Explain any two reasons. [CBSE 2010 (D)]
Ans. (i) For a long time the publishing market excluded the poor. Initially, novels did not come cheap. Henry Fielding’s Tom Jones (1749) was issued in six volumes priced at three shillings each-which was more than what a labourer earned in a week.
(ii) Literacy level of the poor was very low due
to non-availability of schools for poor.
Ans. (i) For a long time the publishing market excluded the poor. Initially, novels did not come cheap. Henry Fielding’s Tom Jones (1749) was issued in six volumes priced at three shillings each-which was more than what a labourer earned in a week.
(ii) Literacy level of the poor was very low due
to non-availability of schools for poor.
Q.12. Why did the readership of novel begin to include poorer people? Give any three reasons. [CBSE 2013]
Or
“For a long time the publishing market excluded the poor.” Give reasons for such an exclusion. [CBSE 2015]
Ans. (i) Introduction of libraries : But soon, people had easier access to books with the introduction of circulating libraries in 1740. (II) Cheap novels : Technological improvements in printing brought down the price of books and innovations in marketing led to expanded sales.
(iii) Hiring out novels : In France, publishers found that they could make super profits by hiring out novels by the hour. The novel was one of the first mass-produced items to be sold.
Or
“For a long time the publishing market excluded the poor.” Give reasons for such an exclusion. [CBSE 2015]
Ans. (i) Introduction of libraries : But soon, people had easier access to books with the introduction of circulating libraries in 1740. (II) Cheap novels : Technological improvements in printing brought down the price of books and innovations in marketing led to expanded sales.
(iii) Hiring out novels : In France, publishers found that they could make super profits by hiring out novels by the hour. The novel was one of the first mass-produced items to be sold.
Q.13. “Social changes in Britain led to an increase in women readers”. Explain.
Or
Explain the factors that led to women writing novels in Europe. [CBSE 2012]
Ans. (I) Industrialisation: Industrialisation provided an opportunity to the women to work in factories. This provided them economic freedom.
(ii) Urbanisation: Industrialisation led to urbanisation. The urban families started provided equal opportunities both to men and women.
(iii) Increase in income : The eighteenth century saw the middle classes become more prosperous. Women got more leisure to read as well as write novels. And novels began exploring the world of women – their emotions and identities, their experiences and problems. Many novels were about domestic life – a theme about which women were allowed to speak with authority. They drew upon their experience, wrote about family life and earned public recognition.
Or
Explain the factors that led to women writing novels in Europe. [CBSE 2012]
Ans. (I) Industrialisation: Industrialisation provided an opportunity to the women to work in factories. This provided them economic freedom.
(ii) Urbanisation: Industrialisation led to urbanisation. The urban families started provided equal opportunities both to men and women.
(iii) Increase in income : The eighteenth century saw the middle classes become more prosperous. Women got more leisure to read as well as write novels. And novels began exploring the world of women – their emotions and identities, their experiences and problems. Many novels were about domestic life – a theme about which women were allowed to speak with authority. They drew upon their experience, wrote about family life and earned public recognition.
Q.14. Mention some important characteristics of novels which increased their popularity among the readers.
Ans. (i) The most important characteristics of the novels were that they were about ordinary people, and were read by ordinary people. They were about the everyday life of the common people.
(ii) Most of the novels focused on the lives of the common people.
(iii) In the 19th century, Europe entered into the industrial age. This changed the social and economic structure of the society. Most of the novelists showed the terrible effects of industrialisation on people’s lives.
(iv) The novel uses the vernacular language that is spoken by the common people.
Ans. (i) The most important characteristics of the novels were that they were about ordinary people, and were read by ordinary people. They were about the everyday life of the common people.
(ii) Most of the novels focused on the lives of the common people.
(iii) In the 19th century, Europe entered into the industrial age. This changed the social and economic structure of the society. Most of the novelists showed the terrible effects of industrialisation on people’s lives.
(iv) The novel uses the vernacular language that is spoken by the common people.
Q.15. Explain the contribution of Devaki Nandan Khatri in Hindi novels. [CBSE 2014]
Or
Name the first Hindi modem novel which became a best seller. Who was its writer ? Why was it so popular ? [CBSE Sept. 2010]
Ans. Devaki Nandan Khatri was the first author of mystery novels in India. His writings created a novel-reading public in Hindi. His best-seller, Chandrakanta – a romance with dazzling elements of make-believe fantasy is believed to have contributed immensely in popularising the Hindi language. It also promoted the Nagari script among the educated classes of those times. Although, it was apparently written purely for the ‘pleasure of reading’, this .novel also gives some interesting insights into the fears and desires of its reading public.
Or
Name the first Hindi modem novel which became a best seller. Who was its writer ? Why was it so popular ? [CBSE Sept. 2010]
Ans. Devaki Nandan Khatri was the first author of mystery novels in India. His writings created a novel-reading public in Hindi. His best-seller, Chandrakanta – a romance with dazzling elements of make-believe fantasy is believed to have contributed immensely in popularising the Hindi language. It also promoted the Nagari script among the educated classes of those times. Although, it was apparently written purely for the ‘pleasure of reading’, this .novel also gives some interesting insights into the fears and desires of its reading public.
Q.16. Trace the history of novels of South India.
Ans. (i) Novels began appearing in South Indian languages during the period of colonial India.
(ii) O. Chandu Menon tried to translate an English novel, but as his readers were not familiar with the ways in which the character in English novel lived, so he wrote, Indulekha in Malayalam in 1889.
(iii) Kandukuri Viresalingam also started translating Oliver Goldsmith’s Vicar of Wakefield, but finished up in writing a Telugu novel called Rajasekhara Caritamu in 1878.
Ans. (i) Novels began appearing in South Indian languages during the period of colonial India.
(ii) O. Chandu Menon tried to translate an English novel, but as his readers were not familiar with the ways in which the character in English novel lived, so he wrote, Indulekha in Malayalam in 1889.
(iii) Kandukuri Viresalingam also started translating Oliver Goldsmith’s Vicar of Wakefield, but finished up in writing a Telugu novel called Rajasekhara Caritamu in 1878.
Q.17. Explain any three features of early Bengali novels . [CBSE 2010 (D)]
Or
Describe two kinds of novels that came to be written in Bengali in the 19th century. Name any two famous novelists of Bengal. [CBSE Sept. 2010]
Ans. (i) In the nineteenth century, the early Bengali novels lived in two worlds. Many of these novels were located in the past, their characters, events and love stories were based on historical events. Another group of novels 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.
(ii) Besides the ingenious twists and turns of the plot and the suspense, the novel was also relished for its language. The prose style became a new object of enjoyment.
(iii) Initially the Bengali novel used a colloquial style associated with urban life. It also used meyeli, the language associated with the women’s speech. This style was quickly replaced by Bankim’s prose which was Sanskritised but also contained a more vernacular style.
(iv) Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay and Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay were the two most popular novelists of Bengal.
Or
Describe two kinds of novels that came to be written in Bengali in the 19th century. Name any two famous novelists of Bengal. [CBSE Sept. 2010]
Ans. (i) In the nineteenth century, the early Bengali novels lived in two worlds. Many of these novels were located in the past, their characters, events and love stories were based on historical events. Another group of novels 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.
(ii) Besides the ingenious twists and turns of the plot and the suspense, the novel was also relished for its language. The prose style became a new object of enjoyment.
(iii) Initially the Bengali novel used a colloquial style associated with urban life. It also used meyeli, the language associated with the women’s speech. This style was quickly replaced by Bankim’s prose which was Sanskritised but also contained a more vernacular style.
(iv) Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay and Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay were the two most popular novelists of Bengal.
Q.18. What were the issues raised by the novel Indulekha written in Malayalam ? [CBSE Sept. 2010]
Or
What led Chandu Menon to write Indulekha ? [CBSE Sept. 2011,2014]
Ans. (i) The writer has written about the marriage practices of upper caste Hindus in Kerala.
(ii) The writer has raised the issue of wedge between landlords and tenants.
(iii) The writer has raised the issues of marriage and property.
(iu) Chandu Menon clearly wants his readers to appreciate the new values of his hero and heroine and criticise the ignorance and immorality of Suri Nambuthire.
Q.19. How did novels depict the lives of peasants and low castes ? Explain with examples from India.
[CBSE Sept. 2010, 2011] Ans. (i) Advaita Malla Burman’s (1914-51) Titash Ekti Nadir Naam (1956) is an epic about the Mallas, a community of fisherfolk who live off fishing in the river Titash.
(ii) The novel describes the community life of the Mallas in great detail, their Holi and Kali Puja festivals, boat races, bhatiali songs, their relationships of friendship and animosity with the peasants and the oppression of the upper castes.
(iii) Godan (The Gift of Cow), published in 1936, remains Premchand’s best-known work. It is an epic of the Indian peasantry. The novel tells the moving story of Hori and his wife Dhania, a peasant couple. Landlords, moneylenders, priests and colonial bureaucrats – all those who hold power in society-form a network of oppression, rob their land and make them into landless labourers.
Or
What led Chandu Menon to write Indulekha ? [CBSE Sept. 2011,2014]
Ans. (i) The writer has written about the marriage practices of upper caste Hindus in Kerala.
(ii) The writer has raised the issue of wedge between landlords and tenants.
(iii) The writer has raised the issues of marriage and property.
(iu) Chandu Menon clearly wants his readers to appreciate the new values of his hero and heroine and criticise the ignorance and immorality of Suri Nambuthire.
Q.19. How did novels depict the lives of peasants and low castes ? Explain with examples from India.
[CBSE Sept. 2010, 2011] Ans. (i) Advaita Malla Burman’s (1914-51) Titash Ekti Nadir Naam (1956) is an epic about the Mallas, a community of fisherfolk who live off fishing in the river Titash.
(ii) The novel describes the community life of the Mallas in great detail, their Holi and Kali Puja festivals, boat races, bhatiali songs, their relationships of friendship and animosity with the peasants and the oppression of the upper castes.
(iii) Godan (The Gift of Cow), published in 1936, remains Premchand’s best-known work. It is an epic of the Indian peasantry. The novel tells the moving story of Hori and his wife Dhania, a peasant couple. Landlords, moneylenders, priests and colonial bureaucrats – all those who hold power in society-form a network of oppression, rob their land and make them into landless labourers.
Q.20. Explain the role of novelists in the field of social reforms in India with the help of any three examples. [CBSE Sept. 2010]
Ans. (i) The novel Saraswativijayam stresses the importance of education for the upliftment of the lower castes.
Ans. (i) The novel Saraswativijayam stresses the importance of education for the upliftment of the lower castes.
(ii) The writer of novel Indulekha wanted his readers to appreciate the new values of education and criticise the ignorance.
(Hi) Novelist like Munshi Premchand wrote about the poor conditions of peasants and how they were being exploited by the landlords.
(Hi) Novelist like Munshi Premchand wrote about the poor conditions of peasants and how they were being exploited by the landlords.
CBSE Class 10 Novels, Society and History LAQ Social Sciences
Q.1. Mention some important reasons for the popularity of the novels. [CBSE Sept. 2010, 2011]
Or
Explain, how did novels become a popular medium of entertainment among the middle class during the late nineteenth century in India. [CBSE 2010 (D), Sept. 2013]
Or
Why were the novels widely read and become popular very quickly ? [CBSE Sept. 2011, 2012]
Or
How did novels become popular among masses ? (CBSE 2013)
Or
Assess the reasons for the popularity of the novel in Europe ? [CBSE 2012]
Ans. (i) Cheap : Novels were very cheap as compared to manuscript. These circulated among few people. In contrast, because of being printed, novels were widely read and became popular very quickly.
(ii) Novels catered to the need of common people : Printing created an appetite for new kinds of writing. As more and more people could now read, they wanted to see their own lives, experiences, emotions and relationships reflected in what they read. Novels, ideally catered to this need. It soon acquired distinctively Indian forms and styles. For readers, it opened up new worlds
of experience, and gave a vivid sense of the diversity of human lives.
(iii) New Readers : 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.
(iv) Hiring novels : Technological improvements in printing brought down the price of books and innovations in marketing led to expanded sales. In France, publishers found that they could make super profits by hiring out novels by the hour. The novel was one of the first mass-produced items to be sold.
(v) New absorbing and believable world : The worlds created by novels were absorbing and believable, and seemingly real. 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. Besides, novels allowed individuals the pleasure of reading in private, as well as the joy of publicly reading or discussing stories with friends or relatives. 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.
Or
Explain, how did novels become a popular medium of entertainment among the middle class during the late nineteenth century in India. [CBSE 2010 (D), Sept. 2013]
Or
Why were the novels widely read and become popular very quickly ? [CBSE Sept. 2011, 2012]
Or
How did novels become popular among masses ? (CBSE 2013)
Or
Assess the reasons for the popularity of the novel in Europe ? [CBSE 2012]
Ans. (i) Cheap : Novels were very cheap as compared to manuscript. These circulated among few people. In contrast, because of being printed, novels were widely read and became popular very quickly.
(ii) Novels catered to the need of common people : Printing created an appetite for new kinds of writing. As more and more people could now read, they wanted to see their own lives, experiences, emotions and relationships reflected in what they read. Novels, ideally catered to this need. It soon acquired distinctively Indian forms and styles. For readers, it opened up new worlds
of experience, and gave a vivid sense of the diversity of human lives.
(iii) New Readers : 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.
(iv) Hiring novels : Technological improvements in printing brought down the price of books and innovations in marketing led to expanded sales. In France, publishers found that they could make super profits by hiring out novels by the hour. The novel was one of the first mass-produced items to be sold.
(v) New absorbing and believable world : The worlds created by novels were absorbing and believable, and seemingly real. 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. Besides, novels allowed individuals the pleasure of reading in private, as well as the joy of publicly reading or discussing stories with friends or relatives. 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.
Q.2. 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. [CBSE 2008 (O)]
Or
Explain the themes and issues of the . novels of Charles Dickens with examples. [CBSE Sept. 2010]
Elaborate upon the contribution of Charles Dickens in the field of novel writing. [CBSE-2012]
Or
Novels of Charles Dickens deal with which changes of the 19th century Britain ? Mention any three such changes. [CBSE-2013]
Or
Which type of problems were highlighted by the novelist, Charles Dickens through his novel? Explain from any of his two novels. [CBSE-2013]
Or
Explain any three aspects highlighted by Charles Dickens in his novel “Hard Times”. [CBSE-2012]
Ans. Charles Dickens was the foremost English novelist of the Victorian era. He wrote about the terrible effects of industrialisation on people’s lives and characters. His novels Hard Times and Oliver Twist became world famous,
(i) Hard Times : His novel Hard Times (1854) describes Coketown, a fictitious industrial town, as a grim place full of machinery, smoking chimneys, rivers polluted purple and buildings that all looked the same. Here workers are known as ‘hands’, as if they had no identity other than as operators of machines. Dickens criticised not just the greed for profits but also the ideas that reduced human beings into simple instruments of production.
(ii) Oliver Twist : In other novels too, Dickens focused on the terrible conditions of urban . life under industrial capitalism. His Oliver Twist (1838) is the tale of a poor orphan who lived in a world of petty criminals and beggars. Brought up in a cruel workhouse, Oliver was finally adopted by a wealthy man and lived happily ever after.
Or
Explain the themes and issues of the . novels of Charles Dickens with examples. [CBSE Sept. 2010]
Elaborate upon the contribution of Charles Dickens in the field of novel writing. [CBSE-2012]
Or
Novels of Charles Dickens deal with which changes of the 19th century Britain ? Mention any three such changes. [CBSE-2013]
Or
Which type of problems were highlighted by the novelist, Charles Dickens through his novel? Explain from any of his two novels. [CBSE-2013]
Or
Explain any three aspects highlighted by Charles Dickens in his novel “Hard Times”. [CBSE-2012]
Ans. Charles Dickens was the foremost English novelist of the Victorian era. He wrote about the terrible effects of industrialisation on people’s lives and characters. His novels Hard Times and Oliver Twist became world famous,
(i) Hard Times : His novel Hard Times (1854) describes Coketown, a fictitious industrial town, as a grim place full of machinery, smoking chimneys, rivers polluted purple and buildings that all looked the same. Here workers are known as ‘hands’, as if they had no identity other than as operators of machines. Dickens criticised not just the greed for profits but also the ideas that reduced human beings into simple instruments of production.
(ii) Oliver Twist : In other novels too, Dickens focused on the terrible conditions of urban . life under industrial capitalism. His Oliver Twist (1838) is the tale of a poor orphan who lived in a world of petty criminals and beggars. Brought up in a cruel workhouse, Oliver was finally adopted by a wealthy man and lived happily ever after.
Q.3. Novels had explained and focussed on the terrible conditions of urban life under industrial capitalism. Justify.
Ans. (i) Industrialisation and Charles Dickens :
In the nineteenth century, Europe entered the industrial age. Factories came up, business profits increased and the economy grew. But at the same time, workers faced problems. Cities expanded in an unregulated way and were filled with overworked and underpaid workers. The unemployed poor roamed the streets for jobs, and the homeless were forced to seek shelter in workhouses. The growth of industry was accompanied by an economic philosophy which celebrated the pursuit of profit and undervalued the lives of workers. Deeply critical of these developments, novelists such as Charles Dickens wrote about the terrible effects of industrialisation on people’s lives and characters. His novel Hard Times (1854) describes Coketown, a fictitious industrial town, as a grim place full of machinery, smoking chimneys, rivers polluted purple and buildings that all looked the same. Here workers are known as ‘hands’, as if they had no identity other than as operators of machines. Dickens criticised not just the greed for profits but also the ideas that reduced human beings into simple instruments of production. In other novels too, Dickens focused on the terrible conditions of urban life under industrial capitalism. His Oliver Twist (1838) is the tale of a poor orphan who lived in a world of petty criminals and beggars. Brought up in a cruel workhouse Oliver was finally adopted by a wealthy man and lived happily ever after. But not all novels about the lives of the poor gave readers the comfort of a happy ending.
(ii) Emile Zola’s : Germinal (1885) on the life of a young miner in France explores in harsh detail the grim conditions of miners’ lives. It ends on a note of despair: the strike the hero leads fails, his co-workers turn against him, and hopes are shattered.
(iii) Writings of Thomas Hardy : Thomas Hardy the 19th century British novelist wrote extensively about traditional rural communities of England that were fast vanishing.
Ans. (i) Industrialisation and Charles Dickens :
In the nineteenth century, Europe entered the industrial age. Factories came up, business profits increased and the economy grew. But at the same time, workers faced problems. Cities expanded in an unregulated way and were filled with overworked and underpaid workers. The unemployed poor roamed the streets for jobs, and the homeless were forced to seek shelter in workhouses. The growth of industry was accompanied by an economic philosophy which celebrated the pursuit of profit and undervalued the lives of workers. Deeply critical of these developments, novelists such as Charles Dickens wrote about the terrible effects of industrialisation on people’s lives and characters. His novel Hard Times (1854) describes Coketown, a fictitious industrial town, as a grim place full of machinery, smoking chimneys, rivers polluted purple and buildings that all looked the same. Here workers are known as ‘hands’, as if they had no identity other than as operators of machines. Dickens criticised not just the greed for profits but also the ideas that reduced human beings into simple instruments of production. In other novels too, Dickens focused on the terrible conditions of urban life under industrial capitalism. His Oliver Twist (1838) is the tale of a poor orphan who lived in a world of petty criminals and beggars. Brought up in a cruel workhouse Oliver was finally adopted by a wealthy man and lived happily ever after. But not all novels about the lives of the poor gave readers the comfort of a happy ending.
(ii) Emile Zola’s : Germinal (1885) on the life of a young miner in France explores in harsh detail the grim conditions of miners’ lives. It ends on a note of despair: the strike the hero leads fails, his co-workers turn against him, and hopes are shattered.
(iii) Writings of Thomas Hardy : Thomas Hardy the 19th century British novelist wrote extensively about traditional rural communities of England that were fast vanishing.
Q.4. Who was Jane Austen ? How do her novels give us a glimpse of the world of women in the general rural society in the early 19th century Britain ?
Or
How did Jane Austen portray the women of 19th century in her novel ? [CBSE Sept. 2010, 2012]
Ans. Jane Austen was an English novelist who gives us a glimpse of the world of women in the general rural society in the early 19th century. Her novels make us think about a society which encouraged women to look for ‘good’ marriages, and find wealthy or propertied husbands. The first sentence of Jane Austen’s (1775-1817) Pride and Prejudice states : ‘It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.’ This observation allows us to see the behaviour of the protagonists, who are preoccupied with marriage and money, as typifying Austen’s society.
Or
How did Jane Austen portray the women of 19th century in her novel ? [CBSE Sept. 2010, 2012]
Ans. Jane Austen was an English novelist who gives us a glimpse of the world of women in the general rural society in the early 19th century. Her novels make us think about a society which encouraged women to look for ‘good’ marriages, and find wealthy or propertied husbands. The first sentence of Jane Austen’s (1775-1817) Pride and Prejudice states : ‘It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.’ This observation allows us to see the behaviour of the protagonists, who are preoccupied with marriage and money, as typifying Austen’s society.
Q.5. How did novels promote colonialism ? Explain with an example of a novel. [CBSE Sept. 2010]
Or
What kind of novels were written for young boys in the 19th century ? Explain. [CBSE Sept. 2010]
Or
How did novels make themselves relevant to young boys ? [CBSE Sept. 2011]
Or
Explain any five features of novels written for the young in the last stage of 19 th century. [CBSE 2012]
Ans. (i) New type of man : Novels for young boys idealised a new type of man : Someone who was powerful, assertive, independent and daring. Most of these novels were full of adventure set in places remote from Europe.
(ii) Colonisers as hero and honourable :
The colonisers appear heroic and honourable-Books like R.L. Stevenson’s’ Treasure Island (1883) or Rudyard Kipling’s Jungle Book (1894) became great hits.
(iii) English Courage : G.A. Henty’s historical adventure novels for boys were also widely popular during the height of the British empire. They aroused the excitement and adventure of conquering strange lands. They were always about young boys who witness grand historical events, get involved in some military action, and show what they called the ‘English’ courage.
(Iv) Love stories and the young : Love stories written for adolescent girls also first became popular in this period, especially in the United States, notably Ramona (1884) by Helen Hunt Jackson and a series entitles What Katy Did (1872) by Sarah Chauncey Woolsey, who wrote under the pen-name Susan Coolidge.
Or
What kind of novels were written for young boys in the 19th century ? Explain. [CBSE Sept. 2010]
Or
How did novels make themselves relevant to young boys ? [CBSE Sept. 2011]
Or
Explain any five features of novels written for the young in the last stage of 19 th century. [CBSE 2012]
Ans. (i) New type of man : Novels for young boys idealised a new type of man : Someone who was powerful, assertive, independent and daring. Most of these novels were full of adventure set in places remote from Europe.
(ii) Colonisers as hero and honourable :
The colonisers appear heroic and honourable-Books like R.L. Stevenson’s’ Treasure Island (1883) or Rudyard Kipling’s Jungle Book (1894) became great hits.
(iii) English Courage : G.A. Henty’s historical adventure novels for boys were also widely popular during the height of the British empire. They aroused the excitement and adventure of conquering strange lands. They were always about young boys who witness grand historical events, get involved in some military action, and show what they called the ‘English’ courage.
(Iv) Love stories and the young : Love stories written for adolescent girls also first became popular in this period, especially in the United States, notably Ramona (1884) by Helen Hunt Jackson and a series entitles What Katy Did (1872) by Sarah Chauncey Woolsey, who wrote under the pen-name Susan Coolidge.
Q.6. Explain the history of growth of novels in India. [CBSE 2014]
Or
Explain briefly the history of Hindi novel from starting to excellence. [CBSE 2011 ]
Ans. (i) Beginning of the novels:- The modern novel form developed in India in the nineteenth century, as Indians became familiar with the Western novel. The development of the vernaculars, print and a reading public helped in this process.
(ii) Earliest Novels : Some of the earliest Indian novels were written in Bengali and Marathi. The earliest novel in Marathi was Baba Padmanji’s Yamuna Paryatan (1857), which used a simple style of storytelling to speak about the plight of widows. This was followed by Lakshman Moreshwar Halbe’s Muktamala (1861). This was not a realistic novel; it presented an imaginary ‘romance’ narrative with a moral purpose.
(iii) Colonial period and novels : Novels began appearing in south Indian languages during the period of colonial rule. Quite a few early novels came out of attempts to translate English novels into Indian languages. For example, 0. Chandu Menon, a subjudge from Malabar, tried to translate an English novel called Henrietta Temple written by Benjamin Disraeli into Malayalam. But he quickly realised that his readers in Kerala were not familiar with the way in which the characters in English novels lived. So, he gave up this idea and wrote a delightful novel called Indulekha, which published in 1889 and, was the first modem novel in Malayalam.
(iv) First Hindi novel : Many novels were actually translated and adapted from English and Bengali, but the first proper modern novel i.e. Pariksha Guru was written by Srinivas Das of Delhi.
Q.7. Explain briefly the history of Hindi novel. [CBSE. Sep 2010, 12]
Ans. (i) Pioneer of modem Hindi literature : In the north, Bharatendu Harishchandra, the pioneer of modern Hindi literature, encouraged many members of his circle of poets and writers to recreate and translate novels from other languages. Many novels were actually translated and adapted from English and Bengali under his influence, but the first proper modem novel was written by Srinivas Das of Delhi.
(ii) Writings of Srinivas Das : Srinivas Das’s novel, Published in 1882, reflected the inner and outer world of the newly emerging middle class.
(iii) Writings of Devaki Nandan Khatri : The writings of Devaki Nandan Khatri created a novel-reading public in Hindi. His best-seller, Chandrakanta – a romance with dazzling elements of fantasy – is believed to have contributed immensely in popularising the Hindi language and the Nagari script among the educated classes of those times.
Although it was apparently written purely for the ‘pleasure of reading’, this novel also gives some interesting insights into the fears and desires of its reading public.
(iv) Munshi Premchand : It was with the writing of Premchand that the Hindi novel achieved excellence. He began writing in Urdu and then shifted to Hindi, remaining an immensely influential writer in both languages. He drew on the traditional art of kissa-goi (storytelling). Many critics think that his novel Sewasadan (The Abode of Service), published in 1916, lifted the Hindi novel from the realm of fantasy, moralising and simple entertainment to a serious reflection on the lives of ordinary people and social issues. Sewasadan deals mainly with the poor condition of women in society. Issues like child marriage and dowry.
Or
Explain briefly the history of Hindi novel from starting to excellence. [CBSE 2011 ]
Ans. (i) Beginning of the novels:- The modern novel form developed in India in the nineteenth century, as Indians became familiar with the Western novel. The development of the vernaculars, print and a reading public helped in this process.
(ii) Earliest Novels : Some of the earliest Indian novels were written in Bengali and Marathi. The earliest novel in Marathi was Baba Padmanji’s Yamuna Paryatan (1857), which used a simple style of storytelling to speak about the plight of widows. This was followed by Lakshman Moreshwar Halbe’s Muktamala (1861). This was not a realistic novel; it presented an imaginary ‘romance’ narrative with a moral purpose.
(iii) Colonial period and novels : Novels began appearing in south Indian languages during the period of colonial rule. Quite a few early novels came out of attempts to translate English novels into Indian languages. For example, 0. Chandu Menon, a subjudge from Malabar, tried to translate an English novel called Henrietta Temple written by Benjamin Disraeli into Malayalam. But he quickly realised that his readers in Kerala were not familiar with the way in which the characters in English novels lived. So, he gave up this idea and wrote a delightful novel called Indulekha, which published in 1889 and, was the first modem novel in Malayalam.
(iv) First Hindi novel : Many novels were actually translated and adapted from English and Bengali, but the first proper modern novel i.e. Pariksha Guru was written by Srinivas Das of Delhi.
Q.7. Explain briefly the history of Hindi novel. [CBSE. Sep 2010, 12]
Ans. (i) Pioneer of modem Hindi literature : In the north, Bharatendu Harishchandra, the pioneer of modern Hindi literature, encouraged many members of his circle of poets and writers to recreate and translate novels from other languages. Many novels were actually translated and adapted from English and Bengali under his influence, but the first proper modem novel was written by Srinivas Das of Delhi.
(ii) Writings of Srinivas Das : Srinivas Das’s novel, Published in 1882, reflected the inner and outer world of the newly emerging middle class.
(iii) Writings of Devaki Nandan Khatri : The writings of Devaki Nandan Khatri created a novel-reading public in Hindi. His best-seller, Chandrakanta – a romance with dazzling elements of fantasy – is believed to have contributed immensely in popularising the Hindi language and the Nagari script among the educated classes of those times.
Although it was apparently written purely for the ‘pleasure of reading’, this novel also gives some interesting insights into the fears and desires of its reading public.
(iv) Munshi Premchand : It was with the writing of Premchand that the Hindi novel achieved excellence. He began writing in Urdu and then shifted to Hindi, remaining an immensely influential writer in both languages. He drew on the traditional art of kissa-goi (storytelling). Many critics think that his novel Sewasadan (The Abode of Service), published in 1916, lifted the Hindi novel from the realm of fantasy, moralising and simple entertainment to a serious reflection on the lives of ordinary people and social issues. Sewasadan deals mainly with the poor condition of women in society. Issues like child marriage and dowry.
Q.8. How had the different novelists of the colonial period taken up the task of modernisation of the Indians ? Explain.
Ans. (i) Chandu Menon portrayed Indulekha, as a woman of breathtaking beauty, high intellectual abilities and artistic talent with an education in English and Sanskrit.
(ii) Madhavan, the hero of the novel, was also presented in ideal colours. He was a member of the newly English-educated class of Nayars from the University of Madras, presently known as Chennai.
(iii) The hero was also a ‘first-rate Sanskrit scholar’. He was dressed in Western clothes. But, at the same time, he kept a long tuft of hair, according to the Nayar customs.
(iv) The heroes and heroines in most of the novels were people who lived in the modern world. Thus, they were different from the ideal or mythological characters of the earlier poetic literature of India.
(v) Characters like Indulekha arid Madhavan showed readers how Indian and foreign lifestyles could be brought together in an ideal combination.
Ans. (i) Chandu Menon portrayed Indulekha, as a woman of breathtaking beauty, high intellectual abilities and artistic talent with an education in English and Sanskrit.
(ii) Madhavan, the hero of the novel, was also presented in ideal colours. He was a member of the newly English-educated class of Nayars from the University of Madras, presently known as Chennai.
(iii) The hero was also a ‘first-rate Sanskrit scholar’. He was dressed in Western clothes. But, at the same time, he kept a long tuft of hair, according to the Nayar customs.
(iv) The heroes and heroines in most of the novels were people who lived in the modern world. Thus, they were different from the ideal or mythological characters of the earlier poetic literature of India.
(v) Characters like Indulekha arid Madhavan showed readers how Indian and foreign lifestyles could be brought together in an ideal combination.
Q.9. Write about some of the important characteristics of the Hindi novels. [CBSE Sept. 2010]
Or
How did the Hindi novels reflect the true picture of the Indian society of the 19th century ?
Or
Explain the teachings given by Srinivas Das in his novel ‘Pariksha Guru’. [CBSE 2010 (F), 2014]
In what ways did novels help to give the people a vision of being ideal characters without losing one’s identity ? Explain. [CBSE 2012]
Ans. (i) Pariksha Guru reflects the inner and the outer world of the newly emerging middle classes. The characters in the novel are caught in the difficulty of adapting to the colonised society, and at the same time preserving their own cultural identity. The world of colonial modernity seems to be both frightening and irresistible to the characters.
In the novel, we see the characters attempting to bridge two different worlds through their actions: they take to new agricultural technology, modernise trading practices, change the use of Indian language, making them capable of transmitting both Western sciences and Indian wisdom. But the novel emphasises that all this must be achieved without sacrificing the traditional values of the middle class household.
(ii) Munshi Premchand’s novel Sewasadan (The Abode of Service), published in 1916, lifted the Hindi novel from the realm of fantasy, moralism and simple entertainment to a serious reflection on the lives of ordinary people and social issues. Sewasadan deals mainly with the poor condition of women . in the society. Premchand wrote on the realistic issues of the day, i.e., communalism, corruption, zamindari, debt, poverty, colonialism, etc. It also tells us about the ways in which the Indian upper classes used the space created by partial self-governance allowed under the colonial rule. Godan another novel written by Munshi Prem chand is an epic of the Indian peasantry. The novel tells the moving story of Hori and his wife Dhania, a peasant couple. Landlords, moneylenders, priests and colonial bureaucrats-all those who hold power in society-form a network of oppression, rob their land and make them into landless labourers. Ye Hori and Dhania retain their dignity to the end.
Or
How did the Hindi novels reflect the true picture of the Indian society of the 19th century ?
Or
Explain the teachings given by Srinivas Das in his novel ‘Pariksha Guru’. [CBSE 2010 (F), 2014]
In what ways did novels help to give the people a vision of being ideal characters without losing one’s identity ? Explain. [CBSE 2012]
Ans. (i) Pariksha Guru reflects the inner and the outer world of the newly emerging middle classes. The characters in the novel are caught in the difficulty of adapting to the colonised society, and at the same time preserving their own cultural identity. The world of colonial modernity seems to be both frightening and irresistible to the characters.
In the novel, we see the characters attempting to bridge two different worlds through their actions: they take to new agricultural technology, modernise trading practices, change the use of Indian language, making them capable of transmitting both Western sciences and Indian wisdom. But the novel emphasises that all this must be achieved without sacrificing the traditional values of the middle class household.
(ii) Munshi Premchand’s novel Sewasadan (The Abode of Service), published in 1916, lifted the Hindi novel from the realm of fantasy, moralism and simple entertainment to a serious reflection on the lives of ordinary people and social issues. Sewasadan deals mainly with the poor condition of women . in the society. Premchand wrote on the realistic issues of the day, i.e., communalism, corruption, zamindari, debt, poverty, colonialism, etc. It also tells us about the ways in which the Indian upper classes used the space created by partial self-governance allowed under the colonial rule. Godan another novel written by Munshi Prem chand is an epic of the Indian peasantry. The novel tells the moving story of Hori and his wife Dhania, a peasant couple. Landlords, moneylenders, priests and colonial bureaucrats-all those who hold power in society-form a network of oppression, rob their land and make them into landless labourers. Ye Hori and Dhania retain their dignity to the end.
Q.10. What was the importance of novels ?
Or
In what ways was the novel in colonial India useful for both the colonisers as well as the nationalists ? [CBSE 2009 (O), Sept. 2010, 2011, 2012]
Or
“Novels were useful for both the colonial administrators and Indians in colonial India.” Support the statement with example. [CBSE 2010 (O)]
Or
What Were the various uses of novels from the Indian point of view ? [CBSE Sept. 2010]
Ans. (i) Source of Information : Colonial administrators found the ‘vernacular’ novels a valuable source of information on native life and customs. Such information was useful for them in governing Indian society, with its large and a variety of communities and castes.
As outsiders, the British knew little about life inside Indian households. The novels in Indian languages often had descriptions of domestic life.
(ii) Novels and colonialism : The novel originated in Europe at a time when it was colonizing the rest of the world. The early novel contributed to colonialism by marking the readers feel they were part of a superior community of fellow colonialists.
(iii) The novel and nation making : The history written by colonial historians tended to depict Indians as weak, divided, and dependent on the British. These histories could not satisfy the tastes of the new Indian administrators and intellectuals. Nor did the traditional Puranic stories of the past- peopled by gods and demons, filled with the fantastic and the supernatural- seem convincing to those educated and working under the English system. Such minds wanted a new view of the past that would show that Indians could be independent minded and had been so in history. The novel provided a solution. In it, the nation could be imagined in a past that also featured historical characters, places, events and dates.
(iv) Novels and struggle for freedom : The imagined nation of the novel was so powerful that it could inspire actual political movements. Banking’s Anandamath (1882) is-a novel about a secret Hindu militia that fights Muslims to establish a Hindu Kingdom. It was a novel that inspired many kinds of freedom fighters.
(v) Novels and common sharing novelists included : Various classes in the novel in such a way that they could be seen to belong to a shared world. Premchand’s novels, for instance, are filled with all kinds of powerful characters drawn from all levels of society. In his novels you meet aristocrats and landlords, middle level peasants and landless labourers, middle class professionals and people from the margins of society. The women characters are strong individuals, especially those who come from the lower classes and are not modernised.
Or
In what ways was the novel in colonial India useful for both the colonisers as well as the nationalists ? [CBSE 2009 (O), Sept. 2010, 2011, 2012]
Or
“Novels were useful for both the colonial administrators and Indians in colonial India.” Support the statement with example. [CBSE 2010 (O)]
Or
What Were the various uses of novels from the Indian point of view ? [CBSE Sept. 2010]
Ans. (i) Source of Information : Colonial administrators found the ‘vernacular’ novels a valuable source of information on native life and customs. Such information was useful for them in governing Indian society, with its large and a variety of communities and castes.
As outsiders, the British knew little about life inside Indian households. The novels in Indian languages often had descriptions of domestic life.
(ii) Novels and colonialism : The novel originated in Europe at a time when it was colonizing the rest of the world. The early novel contributed to colonialism by marking the readers feel they were part of a superior community of fellow colonialists.
(iii) The novel and nation making : The history written by colonial historians tended to depict Indians as weak, divided, and dependent on the British. These histories could not satisfy the tastes of the new Indian administrators and intellectuals. Nor did the traditional Puranic stories of the past- peopled by gods and demons, filled with the fantastic and the supernatural- seem convincing to those educated and working under the English system. Such minds wanted a new view of the past that would show that Indians could be independent minded and had been so in history. The novel provided a solution. In it, the nation could be imagined in a past that also featured historical characters, places, events and dates.
(iv) Novels and struggle for freedom : The imagined nation of the novel was so powerful that it could inspire actual political movements. Banking’s Anandamath (1882) is-a novel about a secret Hindu militia that fights Muslims to establish a Hindu Kingdom. It was a novel that inspired many kinds of freedom fighters.
(v) Novels and common sharing novelists included : Various classes in the novel in such a way that they could be seen to belong to a shared world. Premchand’s novels, for instance, are filled with all kinds of powerful characters drawn from all levels of society. In his novels you meet aristocrats and landlords, middle level peasants and landless labourers, middle class professionals and people from the margins of society. The women characters are strong individuals, especially those who come from the lower classes and are not modernised.
Q.11. Who was Vaikkom Muhammad Basheer? Mention some features of his writing. [CBSE Sept. 2012]
Ans: Vaikkom Muhammad Basheer (1908-96) was one of the early Muslim writers to gain a wide popularity as a novelist in Malayalam.Basheer had little formal education. Most of his works were based on his own rich personal experience rather than on books from the past. When he was in class five at school, Basheer left home to take part in the Salt Satyagraha. Later, he spent years wandering in different parts of India, and travelling even to Arabia, working in a ship, living with sufis and Hindu sanyasis, and training as a wrestler. Basheer’s short novels and stories were written in the ordinary language of conversation. With wonderful humour, Basheer’s novels spoke about details from the everyday life of Muslim households. He also brought into the Malayalam writing themes which were considered very unusual at that time – poverty, insanity and life in prisons.
Ans: Vaikkom Muhammad Basheer (1908-96) was one of the early Muslim writers to gain a wide popularity as a novelist in Malayalam.Basheer had little formal education. Most of his works were based on his own rich personal experience rather than on books from the past. When he was in class five at school, Basheer left home to take part in the Salt Satyagraha. Later, he spent years wandering in different parts of India, and travelling even to Arabia, working in a ship, living with sufis and Hindu sanyasis, and training as a wrestler. Basheer’s short novels and stories were written in the ordinary language of conversation. With wonderful humour, Basheer’s novels spoke about details from the everyday life of Muslim households. He also brought into the Malayalam writing themes which were considered very unusual at that time – poverty, insanity and life in prisons.
Q.12. Discuss how the issue of caste was included in the novels in India. [CBSE Sept. 2011]
Or
Describe, the theme of the novel . ‘Saraswativijayam’ written by Potheri Kunjambu.
Or
Who is the author of novel “Saraswati vijayam” ? Describe the theme of it.
Or
How does ‘Saraswativijayam’ lay stress upon the importance of education for the upliftment of the lower castes ? [CBSE 2012]
Or
How did authors from so called low castes gain recognition in the world of literature? Explain with examples of any two such authors. [CBSE 2012]
Ans. (i) Novels like Indirabai and Indulekha were written by members of the upper castes, and were primarily about the uppercaste characters. But all novels were not of this kind.
(ii) Potheri Kunjambu, a ‘lower-caste’ writer from north Kerala, wrote a novel called Saraswativijayam in 1892, mounting a strong blow on caste oppression. This novel shows a young man from an ‘untouchable’ caste, leaving his village to escape the cruelty of his Brahmin landlord.
He converted himself to Christianity, obtained modem education and returned as the judge in the local court. Saraswativijayam stressed the importance of education for the upliftment of’the lower castes.
(iii) From the 1920s, in Bengal too a new kind of novel emerged that depicted the lives of peasants and ‘low’ castes. Advaita Malla Burmaris (1914-51) Titash Ekti Nadir Naam (1956) is an epic about the Mallas, a community of fisherfolk who live off fishing in the river, Titash.
(iv) While novelists before Advaita Malla had featured ‘low castes’ as their main character, Titash is special because the author is himself a ‘low caste’.
(v) The central character of Munshi Premchand’s novel Rangboomi, Surdas is. a visually impaired beggar from a so-called ‘untouchable caste.’
Or
Describe, the theme of the novel . ‘Saraswativijayam’ written by Potheri Kunjambu.
Or
Who is the author of novel “Saraswati vijayam” ? Describe the theme of it.
Or
How does ‘Saraswativijayam’ lay stress upon the importance of education for the upliftment of the lower castes ? [CBSE 2012]
Or
How did authors from so called low castes gain recognition in the world of literature? Explain with examples of any two such authors. [CBSE 2012]
Ans. (i) Novels like Indirabai and Indulekha were written by members of the upper castes, and were primarily about the uppercaste characters. But all novels were not of this kind.
(ii) Potheri Kunjambu, a ‘lower-caste’ writer from north Kerala, wrote a novel called Saraswativijayam in 1892, mounting a strong blow on caste oppression. This novel shows a young man from an ‘untouchable’ caste, leaving his village to escape the cruelty of his Brahmin landlord.
He converted himself to Christianity, obtained modem education and returned as the judge in the local court. Saraswativijayam stressed the importance of education for the upliftment of’the lower castes.
(iii) From the 1920s, in Bengal too a new kind of novel emerged that depicted the lives of peasants and ‘low’ castes. Advaita Malla Burmaris (1914-51) Titash Ekti Nadir Naam (1956) is an epic about the Mallas, a community of fisherfolk who live off fishing in the river, Titash.
(iv) While novelists before Advaita Malla had featured ‘low castes’ as their main character, Titash is special because the author is himself a ‘low caste’.
(v) The central character of Munshi Premchand’s novel Rangboomi, Surdas is. a visually impaired beggar from a so-called ‘untouchable caste.’
Q.13. Describe the reasons of the popularity of novels among the women. [CBSE 2013, 2014]
Ans. (i) World of women : The most exciting element of the novel was the involvement of women. The eighteenth century saw the middle classes become more prosperous. Women got more leisure to read as well as write novels. And novels began exploring the world of women – their emotions and identities, their experiences and problems. Many novels were about domestic life – a theme about which women ‘Were allowed to speak with authority. They drew upon their experience, wrote about family life and earned public recognition. The novels of Jane Austen give us a glimpse of the world of women.
(ii) Women character as independent and assertive : But women novelists did not simply popularise the domestic role of women. Often their novels dealt with women who broke established norms of society before adjusting to them. Such stories allowed women readers to sympathise with rebellious actions. In Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre, published in 1847, young Jane is shown as independent and assertive. While girls of her time were expected to be quiet and well behaved, Jane at the age of ten protests against the hypocrisy of her elders with startling bluntness.
(iii) New conception of womanhood : Another reason for the popularity of novels among women was that it allowed for a new conception of womanhood. Stories of love – which was a staple theme of many novels – showed women who could choose or refuse their partners and relationships. It showed women who could to some extent control their lives. Some women authors also wrote about women who changed the world of both men and women.
(iv) Women novelist : There were many women novelist who wrote about family life, autobiographies their personal experiences as women and earned public recognisation. Jane Austen, Charlotte Bronte, Rokeya Hossein, Rashsundari Devi all wrote exclusively on women.
Ans. (i) World of women : The most exciting element of the novel was the involvement of women. The eighteenth century saw the middle classes become more prosperous. Women got more leisure to read as well as write novels. And novels began exploring the world of women – their emotions and identities, their experiences and problems. Many novels were about domestic life – a theme about which women ‘Were allowed to speak with authority. They drew upon their experience, wrote about family life and earned public recognition. The novels of Jane Austen give us a glimpse of the world of women.
(ii) Women character as independent and assertive : But women novelists did not simply popularise the domestic role of women. Often their novels dealt with women who broke established norms of society before adjusting to them. Such stories allowed women readers to sympathise with rebellious actions. In Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre, published in 1847, young Jane is shown as independent and assertive. While girls of her time were expected to be quiet and well behaved, Jane at the age of ten protests against the hypocrisy of her elders with startling bluntness.
(iii) New conception of womanhood : Another reason for the popularity of novels among women was that it allowed for a new conception of womanhood. Stories of love – which was a staple theme of many novels – showed women who could choose or refuse their partners and relationships. It showed women who could to some extent control their lives. Some women authors also wrote about women who changed the world of both men and women.
(iv) Women novelist : There were many women novelist who wrote about family life, autobiographies their personal experiences as women and earned public recognisation. Jane Austen, Charlotte Bronte, Rokeya Hossein, Rashsundari Devi all wrote exclusively on women.
Q.14. What did the novels in the nineteenth- century India mean to :
(a) Women
(b) Children
Or
What was the attitude of people in India in the 19th century towards women reading ? How did women responded to this ? [CBSE Sept. 2010, 2011]
Ans. (i) 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. Women and children were advised not to read novels as they were seen as easily corruptible.
(ii) Some parents kept novels in the lofts of their houses, out of their children’s reach. Young people often read them in secret. This passion was not limited only to the youth. Older women-some of whom could not read— listened with fascinated attention to popular Tamil novels read out to them by their grandchildren.
(iii) But women did not remain mere readers of stories written by men. Soon they also began to write novels.
(iv) A reason for the popularity of novels among women was that it allowed for a new conception of womanhood. Stories of
love-which was a staple theme of many novels-showed women who could choose or refuse their partners and relationships. Some women authors also wrote about women who changed the world of both men and women. .
(v) Rokeya Hossein (1880-1932) in Sultana’s Dream (1905) showed a topsyturvy world in which women take the place of men. Her novel, Padmarag also showed the need for women to reform their condition by their own actions.
(vi) Hannah Mullens, a Christian missionary and the author of Karunao Phulmonir Bibaran (1852), reputedly the first novel in Bengali, tells her readers that she wrote in secret.
(vii) In the twentieth century, Sailabala Ghosh Jaya, a popular novelist, could only write because her husband protected her. As we have seen in the case of the south, women and girls were often discouraged from reading novels.
Q.15. Why were children prevented from reading novels ? Explain. (CBSE-2012)
Ans. (i) Children would get carried away from their real surroundings into an imaginary world.
(ii) It was feared that children would stay away from normal, disciplined life and would become rebels. .
(iii) The novel would have immoral influences on children and they would become corrupt.
(iv) Women and children were seen as easily corruptible, so they were advised to stay away from novels.
(a) Women
(b) Children
Or
What was the attitude of people in India in the 19th century towards women reading ? How did women responded to this ? [CBSE Sept. 2010, 2011]
Ans. (i) 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. Women and children were advised not to read novels as they were seen as easily corruptible.
(ii) Some parents kept novels in the lofts of their houses, out of their children’s reach. Young people often read them in secret. This passion was not limited only to the youth. Older women-some of whom could not read— listened with fascinated attention to popular Tamil novels read out to them by their grandchildren.
(iii) But women did not remain mere readers of stories written by men. Soon they also began to write novels.
(iv) A reason for the popularity of novels among women was that it allowed for a new conception of womanhood. Stories of
love-which was a staple theme of many novels-showed women who could choose or refuse their partners and relationships. Some women authors also wrote about women who changed the world of both men and women. .
(v) Rokeya Hossein (1880-1932) in Sultana’s Dream (1905) showed a topsyturvy world in which women take the place of men. Her novel, Padmarag also showed the need for women to reform their condition by their own actions.
(vi) Hannah Mullens, a Christian missionary and the author of Karunao Phulmonir Bibaran (1852), reputedly the first novel in Bengali, tells her readers that she wrote in secret.
(vii) In the twentieth century, Sailabala Ghosh Jaya, a popular novelist, could only write because her husband protected her. As we have seen in the case of the south, women and girls were often discouraged from reading novels.
Q.15. Why were children prevented from reading novels ? Explain. (CBSE-2012)
Ans. (i) Children would get carried away from their real surroundings into an imaginary world.
(ii) It was feared that children would stay away from normal, disciplined life and would become rebels. .
(iii) The novel would have immoral influences on children and they would become corrupt.
(iv) Women and children were seen as easily corruptible, so they were advised to stay away from novels.
Q.16. Who is the author of novel “Titash Ekti Nadir Naam”? Why is it considered a special novel ? Explain any four reasons. [CBSE 2013, 2014]
Or .
Who is the author of novel “Titash Ekti Nadir Naam”? Describe the theme of this novel. [CBSE 2012]
Ans. Advaita Malla Burman.
(i) This book is an epic about the Mallas, a community of fisherfolk in the river Titash.
(ii) The novel is about three generations of the Mallas.
(iii) It describes the community life of Mallas their religious traditions, festivals and relationship.
(iv) It discusses circumstances due to which slowly they broke up.
(v) Their end comes together, as the river dries up.
This is special because the author is himself from a low caste fisherfolk community.
Or .
Who is the author of novel “Titash Ekti Nadir Naam”? Describe the theme of this novel. [CBSE 2012]
Ans. Advaita Malla Burman.
(i) This book is an epic about the Mallas, a community of fisherfolk in the river Titash.
(ii) The novel is about three generations of the Mallas.
(iii) It describes the community life of Mallas their religious traditions, festivals and relationship.
(iv) It discusses circumstances due to which slowly they broke up.
(v) Their end comes together, as the river dries up.
This is special because the author is himself from a low caste fisherfolk community.
Q.17. Describe the ways in which the novels in India attempted to create a sense of pan- Indian belonging.[CBSE Sept. 2011, 2014]
Or
“Leading Indian novelists of the 19th century wrote for a National cause”. Do you agree with the statement ? Justify your answer. [CBSE Sept. 2010, 2011]
Or
How did novels fulfill the task of nation building in India ? Explain. [CBSE 2012] Or
How did the novels in India encourage nationalism ? Explain any three points. [CBSE 2010]
Ans. (i) To create a sense of equality : Colonial rulers regarded the contemporary culture of India as inferior, On the other hand, Indian novelist wrote to develop a modern literature of the country that could produce a sense of national belonging and cultural equality with their colonial masters.
(ii) To protect values of India’s tradition and culture : Many novelist like that of Srinivas Das had expressed their fear and anger about the intermining of Indian and Western culture. The world of colonial modernity seems to be both frightening and irresistible to the characters. The novel tries to teach the reader the ‘right way’ to live and expects all ‘sensible men’ to be worldly- wise and practical, to remain rooted in the values of their own tradition and culture, and to live with dignity and honour.
(iii) Women novelists : But women did not remain mere readers of stories written by men; soon they also began to write novels. In some languages, the early creations of women were poems, essays or autobiographical pieces. In the early decades of the twentieth century, women in south India also began writing novels and short stories. A reason for the popularity of novels among women was that it allowed for a new conception of womanhood. Stories of love – which was a staple theme of many novels – showed women who could choose or refuse their partners and relationships. It showed women who could to some extent control their lives. Some women authors also wrote about women who changed the world of both men and women.
(iv) Novels for low castes and peasants :
From the 1920s, in Bengal too a new kind of novel emerged that depicted the lives of peasants and ‘low’ castes. Advaita Malla Burman’s (1914-51) Titash Ekti Nadir Naam (1956) is an epic about the Mallas, a community of fisherfolk who live off fishing in the river Titash. The novel is about three generations of the Mallas, about their recurring tragedies and the story of Ananta, a child born of parents who were tragically separated after their wedding night. Ananta leaves the community to get educated in the city. The novel describes the community life of the Mallas in great detail, their Holi and Kali Puja festivals, boat races, bhatiali songs, their relationships of friendship and animosity with the peasants and the oppression of the upper castes.
(v) The novel and nation making : Many novelists wrote about Marathas and Rajputs. These novels produced sense of a pan Indian belonging. The imagined nation of the novel was so powerful that it could inspire actual political movements. Bankim’s Anandamath (1882) is a novel about a secret Hindu militia that fights Muslims to establish a Hindu kingdom. It was a novel that inspired many kinds of freedom fighters.
Or
“Leading Indian novelists of the 19th century wrote for a National cause”. Do you agree with the statement ? Justify your answer. [CBSE Sept. 2010, 2011]
Or
How did novels fulfill the task of nation building in India ? Explain. [CBSE 2012] Or
How did the novels in India encourage nationalism ? Explain any three points. [CBSE 2010]
Ans. (i) To create a sense of equality : Colonial rulers regarded the contemporary culture of India as inferior, On the other hand, Indian novelist wrote to develop a modern literature of the country that could produce a sense of national belonging and cultural equality with their colonial masters.
(ii) To protect values of India’s tradition and culture : Many novelist like that of Srinivas Das had expressed their fear and anger about the intermining of Indian and Western culture. The world of colonial modernity seems to be both frightening and irresistible to the characters. The novel tries to teach the reader the ‘right way’ to live and expects all ‘sensible men’ to be worldly- wise and practical, to remain rooted in the values of their own tradition and culture, and to live with dignity and honour.
(iii) Women novelists : But women did not remain mere readers of stories written by men; soon they also began to write novels. In some languages, the early creations of women were poems, essays or autobiographical pieces. In the early decades of the twentieth century, women in south India also began writing novels and short stories. A reason for the popularity of novels among women was that it allowed for a new conception of womanhood. Stories of love – which was a staple theme of many novels – showed women who could choose or refuse their partners and relationships. It showed women who could to some extent control their lives. Some women authors also wrote about women who changed the world of both men and women.
(iv) Novels for low castes and peasants :
From the 1920s, in Bengal too a new kind of novel emerged that depicted the lives of peasants and ‘low’ castes. Advaita Malla Burman’s (1914-51) Titash Ekti Nadir Naam (1956) is an epic about the Mallas, a community of fisherfolk who live off fishing in the river Titash. The novel is about three generations of the Mallas, about their recurring tragedies and the story of Ananta, a child born of parents who were tragically separated after their wedding night. Ananta leaves the community to get educated in the city. The novel describes the community life of the Mallas in great detail, their Holi and Kali Puja festivals, boat races, bhatiali songs, their relationships of friendship and animosity with the peasants and the oppression of the upper castes.
(v) The novel and nation making : Many novelists wrote about Marathas and Rajputs. These novels produced sense of a pan Indian belonging. The imagined nation of the novel was so powerful that it could inspire actual political movements. Bankim’s Anandamath (1882) is a novel about a secret Hindu militia that fights Muslims to establish a Hindu kingdom. It was a novel that inspired many kinds of freedom fighters.
Q.18. Explain the contribution of Premchand in Hindi novels. [CBSE Sept. 2010, 2011, 2013]
Or
Which is the most popular novel written by Premchand ? When was it published ? Write its theme. [CBSE 2008 (O)]
Or
“It was with the writings of Premchand that Hindi novel achieved excellence.” Justify the statement. [CBSE 2013]
Ans. (i) Munshi Premchand was one of the greatest literary figures of the modern Hindi and Urdu literature. It was with the writing of Premchand that the Hindi novel matured into greatness.
(ii) He began writing in Urdu, and then shifted to Hindi. Premchand drew on the traditional art of kissa-goi (story telling).
(iii) Before Munshi Premchand, the Hindi literature was confined to the tales, the stories of magical powers and other such escapist fantasies. His novel, Sewasadan (The Abode of Service), published in 1916, lifted the Hindi novel from the realm of fantasy. Sewasadan deals mainly with the poor condition of women in the society.
(iv) Premchand wrote on the realistic issues of the day, i.e., communalism, corruption, zamindari, debt, poverty, colonialism, etc.,
Q.19. “Premchand’s novels are filled with all kinds of powerful characters drawn from all levels of the society.” Support the statement by giving suitable examples. [CBSE 2009 (D), Sept. 2012]
Or
Why is Godan considered an epic on Indian peasantry ? Explain. [CBSE Sept. 2010]
Or
Briefly explain the theme of the novel ‘Godan’ written by Munshi Premchand. [CBSE Sept. 2010]
Or
Drawn from various strata of society, Prem Chand’s characters create a community based on democratic value(s), substantiate the above statement with examples from any of his novels. [CBSE Sept. 2011]
Ans. (i) Sewasadan : In his novel Sewasadan, Munshi Premchand deals mainly with the poor condition of the Indian women in the society. He also exposes the double standards of the upper class of the era.
(ii) Rangbhoomi : His novel, Rangbhoomi centring around the exploitation of peasants of India during the British rule brings out the suffering of ordinary farmers and depicts the inhumanity of the colonial rule. The novel is not only valuable for its literary worth but also for the representation of the social and economic conditions of the underprivileged sections of the society. He has chosen Surdas, a visually impaired beggar from a so-called ‘untouchable’ caste as his hero which is very significant. While dealing with the pain and agony of common people under foreign rule, it focuses attention on the powerful current of nationalism which eventually shook the foundation of the British empire and brought us our independence.
(iii) Godan : Godan (The gift of cow), published in 1936, is considered the greatest Hindi novel of modern Indian literature. The novel’s theme revolves around the socio-economic condition of the Indian peasantry. Landlords, moneylenders, priests and colonial bureaucrats – all those who hold power in society form a network of oppression to exploit the poor peasants. The protagonist, Hori, a poor peasant, desperately longs for a cow, a symbol of wealth and prestige in rural India. Hori gets a cow but pays with his life for it. After his death, the village priests demand a cow from his widow to bring his soul to peace.
Or
Which is the most popular novel written by Premchand ? When was it published ? Write its theme. [CBSE 2008 (O)]
Or
“It was with the writings of Premchand that Hindi novel achieved excellence.” Justify the statement. [CBSE 2013]
Ans. (i) Munshi Premchand was one of the greatest literary figures of the modern Hindi and Urdu literature. It was with the writing of Premchand that the Hindi novel matured into greatness.
(ii) He began writing in Urdu, and then shifted to Hindi. Premchand drew on the traditional art of kissa-goi (story telling).
(iii) Before Munshi Premchand, the Hindi literature was confined to the tales, the stories of magical powers and other such escapist fantasies. His novel, Sewasadan (The Abode of Service), published in 1916, lifted the Hindi novel from the realm of fantasy. Sewasadan deals mainly with the poor condition of women in the society.
(iv) Premchand wrote on the realistic issues of the day, i.e., communalism, corruption, zamindari, debt, poverty, colonialism, etc.,
Q.19. “Premchand’s novels are filled with all kinds of powerful characters drawn from all levels of the society.” Support the statement by giving suitable examples. [CBSE 2009 (D), Sept. 2012]
Or
Why is Godan considered an epic on Indian peasantry ? Explain. [CBSE Sept. 2010]
Or
Briefly explain the theme of the novel ‘Godan’ written by Munshi Premchand. [CBSE Sept. 2010]
Or
Drawn from various strata of society, Prem Chand’s characters create a community based on democratic value(s), substantiate the above statement with examples from any of his novels. [CBSE Sept. 2011]
Ans. (i) Sewasadan : In his novel Sewasadan, Munshi Premchand deals mainly with the poor condition of the Indian women in the society. He also exposes the double standards of the upper class of the era.
(ii) Rangbhoomi : His novel, Rangbhoomi centring around the exploitation of peasants of India during the British rule brings out the suffering of ordinary farmers and depicts the inhumanity of the colonial rule. The novel is not only valuable for its literary worth but also for the representation of the social and economic conditions of the underprivileged sections of the society. He has chosen Surdas, a visually impaired beggar from a so-called ‘untouchable’ caste as his hero which is very significant. While dealing with the pain and agony of common people under foreign rule, it focuses attention on the powerful current of nationalism which eventually shook the foundation of the British empire and brought us our independence.
(iii) Godan : Godan (The gift of cow), published in 1936, is considered the greatest Hindi novel of modern Indian literature. The novel’s theme revolves around the socio-economic condition of the Indian peasantry. Landlords, moneylenders, priests and colonial bureaucrats – all those who hold power in society form a network of oppression to exploit the poor peasants. The protagonist, Hori, a poor peasant, desperately longs for a cow, a symbol of wealth and prestige in rural India. Hori gets a cow but pays with his life for it. After his death, the village priests demand a cow from his widow to bring his soul to peace.
Q.20. Explain how the writings of Munshi Premchand promoted the sense of nationalism among the Indians.
Or
How did the novels of Munshi Premchand promote the feeling of nationalism ? Explain. [CBSE Sept. 2010, 2011]
Ans. (i) Munshi Premchand’s novels are filled with all kinds of powerful characters drawn from all levels of the society. In his novels, one can meet aristocrats and landlords, middle- level peasants and landless labourers, middle-class professionals, and people from all the sections of the society.
(ii) The women characters are strong individuals, especially those who come from the lower classes, and are not modernised.
(iii) Premchand’s novels look towards the future without forgetting the importance of the past.
(iv) Drawn from various stratas of the society, Premchand’s characters create a community based on democratic values. The central character of his novel Rangbhoomi (The Arena), Surdas, is a visually impaired beggar from a so-called ‘untouchable’ caste. One can see Surdas struggling against the forcible takeover of his land for establishing a tobacco factory.
(v) Godan (The Gift of Cow), published in 1936, remains Premchand’s best-known work. It is an epic of the Indian peasantry. The novel tells the moving story of Hori, and his wife, Dhania, a peasant couple, who fought against landlords, moneylenders, priests and the colonial bureaucrats.
Or
How did the novels of Munshi Premchand promote the feeling of nationalism ? Explain. [CBSE Sept. 2010, 2011]
Ans. (i) Munshi Premchand’s novels are filled with all kinds of powerful characters drawn from all levels of the society. In his novels, one can meet aristocrats and landlords, middle- level peasants and landless labourers, middle-class professionals, and people from all the sections of the society.
(ii) The women characters are strong individuals, especially those who come from the lower classes, and are not modernised.
(iii) Premchand’s novels look towards the future without forgetting the importance of the past.
(iv) Drawn from various stratas of the society, Premchand’s characters create a community based on democratic values. The central character of his novel Rangbhoomi (The Arena), Surdas, is a visually impaired beggar from a so-called ‘untouchable’ caste. One can see Surdas struggling against the forcible takeover of his land for establishing a tobacco factory.
(v) Godan (The Gift of Cow), published in 1936, remains Premchand’s best-known work. It is an epic of the Indian peasantry. The novel tells the moving story of Hori, and his wife, Dhania, a peasant couple, who fought against landlords, moneylenders, priests and the colonial bureaucrats.
Q.21. What are the main features of novel ‘Sewasadan’ written by Munshi Premchand? Mention any three.[CBSE 2012]
Ans. (i) The Sewasadan (The Abode of Service), published in 1916, lifted the Hindi novel from the realm of fantasy, moralising and simple entertainment to a serious reflection on the lives of ordinary people and social issues.
(ii) Sewasadan deals mainly with the poor condition of women in society.
(iii) Issues like child marriage and dowry are woven into the story of the novel.
(iv) It also tells us about the ways in which the Indian upper classes used whatever little opportunities they got from colonial authorities to govern themselves.
Ans. (i) The Sewasadan (The Abode of Service), published in 1916, lifted the Hindi novel from the realm of fantasy, moralising and simple entertainment to a serious reflection on the lives of ordinary people and social issues.
(ii) Sewasadan deals mainly with the poor condition of women in society.
(iii) Issues like child marriage and dowry are woven into the story of the novel.
(iv) It also tells us about the ways in which the Indian upper classes used whatever little opportunities they got from colonial authorities to govern themselves.
CBSE Class 10 Social Sciences Novels, Society and History HOTS
Q.1. How was the involvement of women, the most important event of the novel in the 18th century ? [CBSE Comp. (O) 2008]
Or
How did novels explore and depict the world of women ? Explain it by giving examples. [CBSE Sept. 2010]
Or
How was the ‘New Women’ portrayed in the novels of the 18th century? Explain [CBSE 2013]
Ans. (i) World of women : Women got more leisure to read as well as write novels. And novels began exploring the world of women-their emotions and identities, their experiences and problems.
(ii) Domestic life : Many novels were about domestic life – a theme about which women were allowed to speak with authority. They drew upon their experience, wrote about their family life and earned public recognition.
(iii) Women Authors: Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte, George Eliot etc were some of the best known novelists of that era. They wrote about a society which encouraged women to look for good marriages and find wealthy or propertied husbands.
(iv) Independent and assertive : But women novelists did not simply popularise the domestic role of women. Often their novels dealt with women who broke established norms of society before adjusting to them. Such stories allowed women readers to sympathise with rebellious actions. In Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre, published in 1847, young Jane is shown as independent and assertive. While girls of her time were expected to be quiet and well behaved, jane at the age of ten protests against the hypocrisy of her elders with startling bluntness.
Or
How did novels explore and depict the world of women ? Explain it by giving examples. [CBSE Sept. 2010]
Or
How was the ‘New Women’ portrayed in the novels of the 18th century? Explain [CBSE 2013]
Ans. (i) World of women : Women got more leisure to read as well as write novels. And novels began exploring the world of women-their emotions and identities, their experiences and problems.
(ii) Domestic life : Many novels were about domestic life – a theme about which women were allowed to speak with authority. They drew upon their experience, wrote about their family life and earned public recognition.
(iii) Women Authors: Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte, George Eliot etc were some of the best known novelists of that era. They wrote about a society which encouraged women to look for good marriages and find wealthy or propertied husbands.
(iv) Independent and assertive : But women novelists did not simply popularise the domestic role of women. Often their novels dealt with women who broke established norms of society before adjusting to them. Such stories allowed women readers to sympathise with rebellious actions. In Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre, published in 1847, young Jane is shown as independent and assertive. While girls of her time were expected to be quiet and well behaved, jane at the age of ten protests against the hypocrisy of her elders with startling bluntness.
Q.2. How were the stories and prose not new to India ? Give three examples. [CBSE Comp. (O) 2008]
Ans. Stories in prose were not new to India. Banabhatta’s Kadambari, written in Sanskrit in the seventh century, is an early example. The Panchatantra is another. There was also a long tradition of prose tales of adventure and heroism in Persian and Urdu, known as dastan.
Ans. Stories in prose were not new to India. Banabhatta’s Kadambari, written in Sanskrit in the seventh century, is an early example. The Panchatantra is another. There was also a long tradition of prose tales of adventure and heroism in Persian and Urdu, known as dastan.
Q.3. In what ways did the character of the novel ‘Indulekha’ show that India and foreign ‘lifestyles’ could be brought together in an ideal combination ? [CBSE Sept. 2010]
Or
How did the characters like Indulekha and Madhavan inspire the contemporary generations to strike a balance between the western ideas and Indian traditional culture? [CBSE 2012]
Ans. (i) At the time when the novel was written Indian girls were not allowed to choose their partners. The intelligent Indulekha refused to accept this practice and decided to marry to an educated and handsome boy of Nayar community.
(ii) The novel highlights how the women struggled to get out of unfair social norms of that time.
(iii) Indulekha is a graceful Nair girl with good intelligence, artistic talent. She is a young and educated, knowledgeable young woman with education in English Sanskrit, who is in love with another young man, Madhavan, the hero of the novel, who was also presented in ideal colours, a member of newly educated class from University of Madras. The story details how the matrilineal society of those times, encourages Namboothiris to start a relationship with Indulekha. Indulekha promptly snubs the old Nambudiri man, but Madhavan in haste runs away from the household, to Bengal. There he makes a lot of good friends. In the end, he arrives back and is united with Indulekha.
Or
How did the characters like Indulekha and Madhavan inspire the contemporary generations to strike a balance between the western ideas and Indian traditional culture? [CBSE 2012]
Ans. (i) At the time when the novel was written Indian girls were not allowed to choose their partners. The intelligent Indulekha refused to accept this practice and decided to marry to an educated and handsome boy of Nayar community.
(ii) The novel highlights how the women struggled to get out of unfair social norms of that time.
(iii) Indulekha is a graceful Nair girl with good intelligence, artistic talent. She is a young and educated, knowledgeable young woman with education in English Sanskrit, who is in love with another young man, Madhavan, the hero of the novel, who was also presented in ideal colours, a member of newly educated class from University of Madras. The story details how the matrilineal society of those times, encourages Namboothiris to start a relationship with Indulekha. Indulekha promptly snubs the old Nambudiri man, but Madhavan in haste runs away from the household, to Bengal. There he makes a lot of good friends. In the end, he arrives back and is united with Indulekha.
Q.4. Differentiate between the novels written by Charlotte Bronte and the novels written by Jane Austen ? [CBSE 2013]
Ans. (i) The novels of Jane Austen give us a glimpse of women in genteel rural society in their domestic role. Bronte talks about the women who broke established norms of the society.
(ii) Austen’s characters are preoccupied with marriage and money while Bronte’s characters are daring and assertive.
(iii) Austen’s characters are opting for wealth and facilities. They wish to live a luxurious life while Bronte’s character protests the hypocrisy of elders and wants to live a more dignified life at equal footage.
Ans. (i) The novels of Jane Austen give us a glimpse of women in genteel rural society in their domestic role. Bronte talks about the women who broke established norms of the society.
(ii) Austen’s characters are preoccupied with marriage and money while Bronte’s characters are daring and assertive.
(iii) Austen’s characters are opting for wealth and facilities. They wish to live a luxurious life while Bronte’s character protests the hypocrisy of elders and wants to live a more dignified life at equal footage.
Q.5. How did serialisation of novels increase the popularity of novels and magazines ? [CBSE 2012]
Ans. (i) Magazines were attractive and cheap since they were illustrated.
(ii) Serialisation of novels allowed the readers to enjoy suspense and discuss the characters for weeks.
(iii) Serialisation of novels not only increased the circulation of magazines but also made novels more popular and readers kept waiting for the next episode eagerly.
Ans. (i) Magazines were attractive and cheap since they were illustrated.
(ii) Serialisation of novels allowed the readers to enjoy suspense and discuss the characters for weeks.
(iii) Serialisation of novels not only increased the circulation of magazines but also made novels more popular and readers kept waiting for the next episode eagerly.
Q.6. Explain the meaning of ‘Jatra’, Kabirlarai and Bhadralok. [CBSE 2013]
Ans. (i) Kabirlarai : It was a type of contest held among the poets. It was a public form of entertainment. The merchants of Calcutta used to patronise such contests.
(ii) Jatra : It is the tenth day after navaratra and is celebrated as the day of departure of Goddess Durga.
(iii) Bhadralok : It means those people who are well read and belong to rich families from upper class.
Ans. (i) Kabirlarai : It was a type of contest held among the poets. It was a public form of entertainment. The merchants of Calcutta used to patronise such contests.
(ii) Jatra : It is the tenth day after navaratra and is celebrated as the day of departure of Goddess Durga.
(iii) Bhadralok : It means those people who are well read and belong to rich families from upper class.
Q.7. “Novels were useful to different sectors of the society.” Support your answer with suitable examples.
Or
Highlight any three contributions of novel to modern society. [CBSE 2014]
Ans. (i) Novel and industrialisation: Charles Dickens was the foremost English novelist of the Victorian era. He wrote about the terrible effects of industrialisation on people’s lives and characters. His novels Hard Times and Oliver Twist became world famous.
(ii) New for the young: Novels for young boys idealised a new type of man : Someone, who was powerful, assertive, independent and daring. Most of these novels were full of adventure set in places remote from Europe. G.A. Henty a English novelist wrote exclusively for young boys.
(iii) Source of information for colonial administration: Colonial administrators found the ‘vernacular’ novels a valuable source of information on native life and customs. Such information was useful for them in governing Indian society, with its large and a variety of communities and castes. As outsiders, the British knew little about life inside Indian households. The novels in Indian languages often had descriptions of domestic life.
(Iv) Novels and struggle for freedom: The imagined nation of the novel was so powerful that it could inspire actual political movements. Bankim’s Anandamath (1882) is a novel about a secret Hindu militia that fights Muslims to establish a Hindu Kingdom. It was a novel that inspired many kinds of freedom fighters.
(v) Novels for Women: Many women novelists wrote exclusively on life of women, their emotions, their experiences and problems.
Or
Highlight any three contributions of novel to modern society. [CBSE 2014]
Ans. (i) Novel and industrialisation: Charles Dickens was the foremost English novelist of the Victorian era. He wrote about the terrible effects of industrialisation on people’s lives and characters. His novels Hard Times and Oliver Twist became world famous.
(ii) New for the young: Novels for young boys idealised a new type of man : Someone, who was powerful, assertive, independent and daring. Most of these novels were full of adventure set in places remote from Europe. G.A. Henty a English novelist wrote exclusively for young boys.
(iii) Source of information for colonial administration: Colonial administrators found the ‘vernacular’ novels a valuable source of information on native life and customs. Such information was useful for them in governing Indian society, with its large and a variety of communities and castes. As outsiders, the British knew little about life inside Indian households. The novels in Indian languages often had descriptions of domestic life.
(Iv) Novels and struggle for freedom: The imagined nation of the novel was so powerful that it could inspire actual political movements. Bankim’s Anandamath (1882) is a novel about a secret Hindu militia that fights Muslims to establish a Hindu Kingdom. It was a novel that inspired many kinds of freedom fighters.
(v) Novels for Women: Many women novelists wrote exclusively on life of women, their emotions, their experiences and problems.
Q.8. Describe the earliest novels written in Bengali and Marathi. [CBSE 2013]
Ans. (i) The earliest novel in Marathi was Baba Padmanji’s Yamuna Paryatan (1857), which used a simple style of storytelling to speak about the plight of widows.
(ii) This was followed by Lakshman Moreshwar Halbe’s Muktamala (1861). This was not a realistic novel; it presented an imaginary ‘romance’ narrative with a moral purpose.
(iii) Durgeshnandini written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay was one of the earliest novel written in Bengali.
Ans. (i) The earliest novel in Marathi was Baba Padmanji’s Yamuna Paryatan (1857), which used a simple style of storytelling to speak about the plight of widows.
(ii) This was followed by Lakshman Moreshwar Halbe’s Muktamala (1861). This was not a realistic novel; it presented an imaginary ‘romance’ narrative with a moral purpose.
(iii) Durgeshnandini written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay was one of the earliest novel written in Bengali.
Q.9. Name the first novel written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay. Describe his contribution to the Bengali novel. [CBSE 2010]
Ans. Durgeshnandini – 1885
(i) His novels were relished for its language.
(ii) The prose style became a new object of enjoyment.
(iii) Initially the Bengali novel used a colloquial style associated with urban life. It also used meyeli, the language associated with women’s speech. This style was quickly replaced by Bankim’s prose which was Sanskritised but also contained a more vernacular style.
(iv) By the twentieth century, 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.
(v) Bankim’s Anandamath (1882) is a novel about a secret Hindu militia that fights Muslims to establish a Hindu kingdom. It was a novel that inspired many kinds of freedom fighters.
Ans. Durgeshnandini – 1885
(i) His novels were relished for its language.
(ii) The prose style became a new object of enjoyment.
(iii) Initially the Bengali novel used a colloquial style associated with urban life. It also used meyeli, the language associated with women’s speech. This style was quickly replaced by Bankim’s prose which was Sanskritised but also contained a more vernacular style.
(iv) By the twentieth century, 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.
(v) Bankim’s Anandamath (1882) is a novel about a secret Hindu militia that fights Muslims to establish a Hindu kingdom. It was a novel that inspired many kinds of freedom fighters.
Q.10. How were the modem Indian novels useful for the Indians in day to day life. [CBSE 2013]
Or
“Indian novelists used the novel as a powerful medium to criticize the defects of the society.” Justify the statement with the suitable examples. [CBSE 2013]
Or
Explain any three reasons for making the novel popular in India. [CBSE 2014]
Ans. (i) Indians used the novel as a powerful medium to criticise what they considered defects in their society and to suggest remedies. Writers like Viresalingam used the novel mainly to propagate their ideas about society among a wider readership.
(ii) Novels also helped in establishing a relationship with the past. Many of them told thrilling stories of adventures and intrigues set in the past. Through glorified accounts of the past, these novels helped in creating a sense of national pride among their readers. At the same time, people from all walks of life could read novels so long as they shared a common language. This helped in creating a sense of collective belonging on the basis of one’s language.
(iii) Novels made their readers familiar with the ways in which people in other parts of their land spoke their language.
(iv) As elsewhere in the world, in India too, the novel became a popular medium of entertainment among the middle class. The circulation of printed books allowed people to amuse themselves in new ways.
(v) A reason for the popularity of novels among women was that it allowed for a new conception of womanhood. Stories of love
which was a staple theme of many novels showed women who could choose or . refuse their partners and relationships.
(vi) From the 1920s, in Bengal too a new kind of novel emerged that depicted the lives of peasants and ‘low’ castes. Advaita Malla
Burman’s (1914-51) Titash Ekti Nadir Naam (1956) is an epic about the Mallas, a community of fisherfolk who live off fishing in the river Titash.
(vii) Basheer’s short novels and stories were written in the ordinary language of conversation. With wonderful humour, Basheer’s novels spoke about details from the everyday life of Muslim households.
(viii) Premchand’s novels, for instance, are filled with all kinds of powerful characters drawn from all levels of society. In his novels you meet aristocrats and landlords, middlelevel peasants and landless labourers, middle-class professionals and people from the margins of society.
Or
“Indian novelists used the novel as a powerful medium to criticize the defects of the society.” Justify the statement with the suitable examples. [CBSE 2013]
Or
Explain any three reasons for making the novel popular in India. [CBSE 2014]
Ans. (i) Indians used the novel as a powerful medium to criticise what they considered defects in their society and to suggest remedies. Writers like Viresalingam used the novel mainly to propagate their ideas about society among a wider readership.
(ii) Novels also helped in establishing a relationship with the past. Many of them told thrilling stories of adventures and intrigues set in the past. Through glorified accounts of the past, these novels helped in creating a sense of national pride among their readers. At the same time, people from all walks of life could read novels so long as they shared a common language. This helped in creating a sense of collective belonging on the basis of one’s language.
(iii) Novels made their readers familiar with the ways in which people in other parts of their land spoke their language.
(iv) As elsewhere in the world, in India too, the novel became a popular medium of entertainment among the middle class. The circulation of printed books allowed people to amuse themselves in new ways.
(v) A reason for the popularity of novels among women was that it allowed for a new conception of womanhood. Stories of love
which was a staple theme of many novels showed women who could choose or . refuse their partners and relationships.
(vi) From the 1920s, in Bengal too a new kind of novel emerged that depicted the lives of peasants and ‘low’ castes. Advaita Malla
Burman’s (1914-51) Titash Ekti Nadir Naam (1956) is an epic about the Mallas, a community of fisherfolk who live off fishing in the river Titash.
(vii) Basheer’s short novels and stories were written in the ordinary language of conversation. With wonderful humour, Basheer’s novels spoke about details from the everyday life of Muslim households.
(viii) Premchand’s novels, for instance, are filled with all kinds of powerful characters drawn from all levels of society. In his novels you meet aristocrats and landlords, middlelevel peasants and landless labourers, middle-class professionals and people from the margins of society.
Q.11. How did the novels play a significant role in awareness about the India’s glorious past. [CBSE 2013]
Or
How did novels inspire the freedom fighters? Explain with two examples. [CBSE 2011]
Ans. (i) To create a sense of equality : Colonial rulers regarded the contemporary culture of India as inferior. On the other hand, Indian novelist wrote to develop a modem literature of the country that could produce a sense of national belonging and cultural equality with their colonial masters.
(ii) To protect values of India’s tradition and culture : Many novelist like that of Srinivas Das had expressed their fear and anger about the intermining of Indian and Western culture. The world of colonial modernity seems to be both frightening and irresistible to the characters. The novel tries to teach the reader the ‘right way’ to live and expects all ‘sensible men’ to be worldly- wise and practical, to remain rooted in the values of their own tradition and culture, and to live with dignity and honour.
(iii) The novel and nation making : Many novelists wrote about Marathas and Rajputs. These novels produced sense of a pan Indian belonging. The imagined nation of the novel was so powerful that it could inspire actual political movements. Bankim’s
Anandamath (1882) is a novel about a secret Hindu militia that fights Muslims to establish a Hindu kingdom. It was a novel that inspired many kinds of freedom fighters.
(iv) Historical novels about Marathas and Rajputs : In Bengal, many historical novels . were about Marathas and Rajputs. These novels produced a sense of a pan-Indian belonging. They imagined the nation to be full of adventure, heroism, romance and sacrifice – qualities that could not be found in the offices and streets of the nineteenth- century world. The novel allowed the colonized to give shape to their desires.
(v) Shivaji as a nationalist : Bengali novel Anguriya Binimoy has shown Shivaji as a nationalist fighting for the freedom of Hindus.
Or
How did novels inspire the freedom fighters? Explain with two examples. [CBSE 2011]
Ans. (i) To create a sense of equality : Colonial rulers regarded the contemporary culture of India as inferior. On the other hand, Indian novelist wrote to develop a modem literature of the country that could produce a sense of national belonging and cultural equality with their colonial masters.
(ii) To protect values of India’s tradition and culture : Many novelist like that of Srinivas Das had expressed their fear and anger about the intermining of Indian and Western culture. The world of colonial modernity seems to be both frightening and irresistible to the characters. The novel tries to teach the reader the ‘right way’ to live and expects all ‘sensible men’ to be worldly- wise and practical, to remain rooted in the values of their own tradition and culture, and to live with dignity and honour.
(iii) The novel and nation making : Many novelists wrote about Marathas and Rajputs. These novels produced sense of a pan Indian belonging. The imagined nation of the novel was so powerful that it could inspire actual political movements. Bankim’s
Anandamath (1882) is a novel about a secret Hindu militia that fights Muslims to establish a Hindu kingdom. It was a novel that inspired many kinds of freedom fighters.
(iv) Historical novels about Marathas and Rajputs : In Bengal, many historical novels . were about Marathas and Rajputs. These novels produced a sense of a pan-Indian belonging. They imagined the nation to be full of adventure, heroism, romance and sacrifice – qualities that could not be found in the offices and streets of the nineteenth- century world. The novel allowed the colonized to give shape to their desires.
(v) Shivaji as a nationalist : Bengali novel Anguriya Binimoy has shown Shivaji as a nationalist fighting for the freedom of Hindus.
Q.12. How did novel become a popular medium of entertainment among the middle class in India? Explain. [CBSE 2012]
Ans. (i) Colonisation : The modem novel form developed in India in, the nineteenth century, as Indians became familiar with the Western novel. Novels began appearing in south Indian languages during the period of colonial rule.
(ii) Medium of entertainment : As elsewhere in the world, in India too, the novel became a popular medium of entertainment among the middle class. The circulation of printed books allowed people to amuse themselves in new ways. Picture books, translations from other languages, popular songs sometimes composed on contemporary events, stories in newspapers and magazines – all these offered new forms of entertainment. Within this new culture of print, novels soon became immensely popular. In Tamil, for example, there was a flood of popular novels in the early decades of the twentieth century.
(iii) Popularity of detective and mystery Novels : Detective and mystery novels often had to be printed again and again to meet the demand of readers: some of them were reprinted as many as twenty-two times.
(iv) Novels and silent reading : The novel also assisted in the spread of silent reading. As late as the nineteenth century and perhaps even in the early twentieth century, written texts were often read aloud for several people to hear. Sometimes novels were also read in this way, but in general novels encouraged reading alone and in silence. Individuals sitting at home or travelling in trains enjoyed them.
(iv) Novels and women : A reason for the popularity of novels among women was that it allowed for a new conception of womanhood. Stories of love – which was a staple theme of many novels – showed women who could choose or refuse their partners and relationships.
Ans. (i) Colonisation : The modem novel form developed in India in, the nineteenth century, as Indians became familiar with the Western novel. Novels began appearing in south Indian languages during the period of colonial rule.
(ii) Medium of entertainment : As elsewhere in the world, in India too, the novel became a popular medium of entertainment among the middle class. The circulation of printed books allowed people to amuse themselves in new ways. Picture books, translations from other languages, popular songs sometimes composed on contemporary events, stories in newspapers and magazines – all these offered new forms of entertainment. Within this new culture of print, novels soon became immensely popular. In Tamil, for example, there was a flood of popular novels in the early decades of the twentieth century.
(iii) Popularity of detective and mystery Novels : Detective and mystery novels often had to be printed again and again to meet the demand of readers: some of them were reprinted as many as twenty-two times.
(iv) Novels and silent reading : The novel also assisted in the spread of silent reading. As late as the nineteenth century and perhaps even in the early twentieth century, written texts were often read aloud for several people to hear. Sometimes novels were also read in this way, but in general novels encouraged reading alone and in silence. Individuals sitting at home or travelling in trains enjoyed them.
(iv) Novels and women : A reason for the popularity of novels among women was that it allowed for a new conception of womanhood. Stories of love – which was a staple theme of many novels – showed women who could choose or refuse their partners and relationships.
CBSE Class 10 Social Sciences VBQ Novels, Society and History
Q.1.Which social values Charles Dickens novel ‘Hard Times’ highlighted ? Mention any three.
Ans. (i) The novelist has explained how the poor roamed the streets for jobs and the homeless were forced to seek shelter in the workhouses.
(ii) Due to industrialisation cities became place full of machinery, smoking chimneys, rivers polluted purple.
iii) Industrialists reduced human beings into simple instruments of production.
Ans. (i) The novelist has explained how the poor roamed the streets for jobs and the homeless were forced to seek shelter in the workhouses.
(ii) Due to industrialisation cities became place full of machinery, smoking chimneys, rivers polluted purple.
iii) Industrialists reduced human beings into simple instruments of production.
Q.2.Explain the role of novelists in the field of social reforms in India with the help of any three examples.[CBSE 2014]
Ans. (i) The novel Saraswatiuijayam stresses the importance of education for the upliftment of the lower castes.
(ii) The writer of novel Indulekha wanted his readers to appreciate the new values of education and criticise the ignorance.
(iii) Novelist like Munshi Premchand wrote about the poor conditions of peasants and how they were being exploited by the landlords.
Ans. (i) The novel Saraswatiuijayam stresses the importance of education for the upliftment of the lower castes.
(ii) The writer of novel Indulekha wanted his readers to appreciate the new values of education and criticise the ignorance.
(iii) Novelist like Munshi Premchand wrote about the poor conditions of peasants and how they were being exploited by the landlords.
Q.3. Which social issues were included in the novels in India? Explain by giving examples. [CBSE 2014]
Or
‘Novels helped in creating a sense of social awareness in India.’ Explain. [CBSE 2012]
Ans. (i) Caste system : Many novelist like Potheri Kunjambu, Advaita Malla Burman, Munshi Premchand wrote exclusively on the caste system prevailing in the Indian society. They wrote how the depressed classes were being exploited by the Britishers and by the Indian people themselves.
(ii) Westernisation of Indian culture : Many novels like Pariksha Guru reflects the inner and outer world of the newly emerging middle classes. The characters in the novel are caught in the difficulty of adapting to colonised society and at the same time preserving their own cultural identity. The world of colonial modernity seems to be both frightening and irresistible to the characters. The novel tries- to teach the reader the ‘right way’ to live and expects all ‘sensible men’ to be worldly-wise and practical, to remain rooted in the values of their own tradition and culture, and to live with dignity and honour.
(iii) Communities based on democratic values : Novelist like Munshi Premchand highlighted the need to create a community based on democratic values.
Or
‘Novels helped in creating a sense of social awareness in India.’ Explain. [CBSE 2012]
Ans. (i) Caste system : Many novelist like Potheri Kunjambu, Advaita Malla Burman, Munshi Premchand wrote exclusively on the caste system prevailing in the Indian society. They wrote how the depressed classes were being exploited by the Britishers and by the Indian people themselves.
(ii) Westernisation of Indian culture : Many novels like Pariksha Guru reflects the inner and outer world of the newly emerging middle classes. The characters in the novel are caught in the difficulty of adapting to colonised society and at the same time preserving their own cultural identity. The world of colonial modernity seems to be both frightening and irresistible to the characters. The novel tries- to teach the reader the ‘right way’ to live and expects all ‘sensible men’ to be worldly-wise and practical, to remain rooted in the values of their own tradition and culture, and to live with dignity and honour.
(iii) Communities based on democratic values : Novelist like Munshi Premchand highlighted the need to create a community based on democratic values.
Q.4. What were the favourite themes to women novelists in India? Explain giving any three examples. [CBSE 2012]
Ans. (i) New conception of womanhood : A reason for the popularity of novels among women was that it allowed5 for a new conception of womanhood. Stories of love which was a staple theme of many novels showed women who could choose or refuse their partners and relationships. It showed women who could to some extent control their lives.
(ii) Women changing the world : Some women authors also wrote about women who changed the world of both men and women.
(iii) Satiric fantasy : Rokeya Hossein (1880¬1932) a reformer who 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. Her novel Padmarag also showed the need for women to reform their condition by their own actions.
(iv) Women’s daily Life : Bengali writer Kailashbashini Debi wrote books highlighting the experiences of women – about how women were imprisoned at home, kept in ignorance, forced to do hard domestic labour and treated unjustly by the very people they served.
(v) Condition of upper caste women : In the 1880s, in present-day Maharashtra, Tarabai Shinde and Pandita Ramabai wrote with passionate anger about the miserable lives of upper-caste Hindu women, especially widows.
Ans. (i) New conception of womanhood : A reason for the popularity of novels among women was that it allowed5 for a new conception of womanhood. Stories of love which was a staple theme of many novels showed women who could choose or refuse their partners and relationships. It showed women who could to some extent control their lives.
(ii) Women changing the world : Some women authors also wrote about women who changed the world of both men and women.
(iii) Satiric fantasy : Rokeya Hossein (1880¬1932) a reformer who 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. Her novel Padmarag also showed the need for women to reform their condition by their own actions.
(iv) Women’s daily Life : Bengali writer Kailashbashini Debi wrote books highlighting the experiences of women – about how women were imprisoned at home, kept in ignorance, forced to do hard domestic labour and treated unjustly by the very people they served.
(v) Condition of upper caste women : In the 1880s, in present-day Maharashtra, Tarabai Shinde and Pandita Ramabai wrote with passionate anger about the miserable lives of upper-caste Hindu women, especially widows.
