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BEGC-134: Reading The Novel

BEGC-134: Reading The Novel

IGNOU Solved Assignment Solution for 2023-24

If you are looking for BEGC-134 IGNOU Solved Assignment solution for the subject Reading The Novel, you have come to the right place. BEGC-134 solution on this page applies to 2023-24 session students studying in BAG courses of IGNOU.

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Assignment Code: BEGC-134/TMA/2023-24

Course Code: BEGC-134

Assignment Name: Reading the Novel

Year: 2023-2024

Verification Status: Verified by Professor


Note: Answer all questions.



SECTION-A



Q1) Write short notes in about 100 words each:

i) Style

Ans) Novelists, like all literary artists, must operate within a language's range. A skilled novelist enriches the language she/he uses. A what actually distinguishes good author from an indifferent one is how language is used. is used or handled. Language is the ultimate material. offered to writers and novelists. Language and style are related. significantly depends on a novelist's ability to use language effectively and creative medium for narration and/or communication She has ideas. Since each novelist uses language differently, unique style, each novelist's writing style is different. that of another. Novelists express themselves through style. creative talent nearly like your choice of a clothing might reflect your imagination or lack thereof. or show your character. In light of a vast multiplicity of styles, categorisation is impossible or undesirable. Style is how a literary work is written. writing and the tools an author/novelist utilises can convey his/her opinion, message, or thoughts. The He/she employs diction and message delivery to style is created by it. A writer's style is unique. Author/novelist in this situation, and it often distinguishes distinguished from other authors/novelists. Add words, Presentation and language are also personal. unique traits that affect the writer and so others add to his/her writing style. We've tried to define and explaining style, we must remember that style is a literary term. It is notoriously hard to define, analyse, and identify.


ii) Colonising the African Mind

Ans) The colonising forces of Europe were well aware that a control over people's thoughts was necessary for a full grasp of the continent's populace. Only when a slave's mind is subjugated, only when the slave has a slave mindset, can the slave remain a slave indefinitely. The colonising nations of Europe imported their own religion, a set of cultural traditions, their own language, and most importantly their own educational system into the African regions that they controlled in order to accomplish this goal. Christianity superseded the Africans' traditional religious practises, which were often referred to as animism and derided by Europeans as primitive, inferior religions incapable of preserving peoples' souls. All rituals, social practises, and numerous ceremonies were categorised as "savage," and the majority of them were forbidden. By denouncing it as inhumane, the polygamy practice—that is, the practise of having more than one legal wife—that is widespread among Africans was outlawed. Similar to this, girls' circumcision, which served as a sort of initiation ceremony for them when they entered puberty, was denounced as barbaric and outlawed. Looking back, this was a smart decision because it prevented the unnecessary risking of many lives by mutilating female genitalia. Some societies have outlawed or severely restricted the performance of certain dances and song genres because they are considered vulgar and uncultured.


iii) Third World Novels

Ans) The term "third world" refers to all of the countries that were (and are still considered to be) economically underdeveloped in the 20th century. During the Cold War, the phrase was coined to describe countries that are not a part of either the First or Second Worlds. It was used to nations that either underdeveloped or developing, particularly in Latin America, Africa, and Oceania plus Asia. Third Estate, the French commoners who resisted the clergy and nobility who made up the First Estate and the Second Estate during the French Revolution, is another example of how the term "third world" is used.


At the Bandung Conference, the phrase "third world" officially entered the political lexicon (1955). The third world is culturally and economically diverse, and it includes oil-rich nations like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, as well as newly industrialised nations like India, China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Brazil, and Mexico, as well as impoverished nations like Haiti, Chad, and Afghanistan.

Third world literature is the term used to describe the writing that has come out of these nations. However, the term "third world" is no longer considered particularly politically correct, hence a more inclusive term like "literature from the edges" is used to describe these writings. If the writings are from former colonies, the word utilised may also refer to new literatures or even postcolonial literatures. The following authors and novelists are some excellent examples of Third World literature: Sembene Ousmane (God's Bit of Wood), Chinua Achebe (Things Fall Apart), which we will be studying, Ngugi Wa Thiong'O (Petals of Blood), Gabriel Garcia Marquez (One Hundred Years of Solitude), Salman Rushdie (Midnight's Children), Nawal El Saadawi (Women at Point Zero), Earl


iv) Edna Pontellier

Ans) Edna, unhappy in her marriage, seeks independence. She most wants to be distinctive, not just "wife" or "mother." She even asks if all mothers have maternal instincts. The author compares Mrs. Pontellier to Adele, another "mother" in the storey, to assist portray her as a woman and mother in this chapter.


Edna wasn't a "mother-woman." Kids rarely ran to her for solace if they fell during play. They would reorganise and continue. Mr. Pontellier regretted that his wife had neglected the kids without his knowledge. The author described a delicate light rising in Edna that lights but bans the way. This strange feeling makes her dream, act foolishly, and cry. She realises she is a human with a bond to the world and herself for the first time. The storey said such a realisation was a wisdom not all women can have. Like other women, she is frustrated since she has always followed the law and social conventions.


She feels the yearning to find a "self" beyond being a wife and mother, which is confusing, uncomfortable, and destabilising. This chapter discusses Edna's unanticipated marriage to Leonce Pontellier, which appeared fated rather than her love dreams. As men do, he fell in love: "He pleased her, his absolute dedication flattered her...she felt there was a concord of mind and taste between them, in which idea she was misled." Add her father and sister Margaret's fierce opposition to her marrying a Catholic, and we can see why she married Monsieur Pontellier. This displays Edna's romantic nature and yearning for a beautiful, imaginative, romantic, and fantastic world. Rebellious, her family's rejection of the marriage convinces her. To "take her position with a certain dignity in the domain of reality, closing the doors permanently behind her onto the realm of desire and dreams," she wishes to marry a worshipper.



SECTION-B



Answer the following in about 350 words each:

Q1) Examine The Awakening using symbolism as a mode of enquiry.

Ans) The Awakening according to Ross Murfin and Supriya M. Ray in The Bedford Glossary of Critical and Literary Terms, the word "symbolism" is derived from the Greek verb symballein, which means "to throw together," and refers to the deliberate and long-term use of symbols to represent or imply other things or ideas. Additionally, they contend that symbolism can refer to the presence of suggestive associations that result in gradual, implied meaning in a work or body of works in addition to the writer's "explicit use of a particular symbol in a literary work." According to the French symbolist, authors "make and use subjective, or private symbols to portray very intimate and strong emotional experiences and reactions." Any literary work's primary elements are its symbols. We will now look at the imagery of the sea and its symbolism using this term as our guide.


The imagery of the sea that forms the backdrop of Grand Isle, sensuously encircling Edna in a warm embrace while it beckons her into reflective mazes of solitude, and the harsh, depressing reality that is her posh home on Esplanade Street in New Orleans, where she is compelled to live on her husband's bounty, and thus, remain one of his "possessions," are also representations of the clash of cultures mentioned in the earlier section. Caught between these opposing forces, she loses herself, is unable to handle her responsibilities as a wife and mother anymore, lacks the bravery to pursue her work on her own (as Mlle Reisz can), waits for Robert, who she believes can set her free, and surrenders to Alcee Arobin. Read about the allegory surrounding the journey to Cheniere Chaminada, which is depicted in a mystifyingly lovely environment where Edna is forced to leave the church because it is too stuffy and falls asleep at Madame Antoine's.


When she awakens, she has visions of making up tales in which Edna and Robert awaken as lovers in a fantastical setting. Even though they are faceless and without names, the lovers who are constantly present are emblematic of how lost they are in one another as well as in the outside world. And the black woman who was constantly absorbed in her rosary beads.


Q2) Discuss Paraja as a text that deals with the economic plight of tribals.

Ans) The book Paraja provides anthropological information regarding poverty, particularly among the Sarsupadar tribal people, in the Koraput district of Odisha. Huts, areas of green seeded with tobacco, maize, or chiles, and "mandia, olsi" as well as the primary cuisine of these tribes, kandula.


The description reads like a familiar storey. describing the inadequate living conditions of the Paraja people garments, containers made of leaves, and compartments with little accessories only men's loincloths and girls' cotton saris are displayed on the walls; to transport mandia gruel to the fields, dried bottle gourds, and umbrellas constructed of dried leaves of a palm. They work on their modest "patches of land" for a living. green' or as labour or gotis for someone, often the moneylender. Both don't They don't have a lot of desires, but they do have big objectives. They essentially are those who revere God and believe in natural Gods and Goddesses. They firmly believe in the abilities they possess. Women wash and take showers by the stream. and bring water for their residences. Their primary clothing is a sari, and they wear jewellery. has bracelets, bead necklaces, and other jewellery.

Poverty is awful, especially when it leads to exploitation and the exploited don't realise it. Thus, Chapters 60 and 61 describe highway dwellers' lives. The Highway workers are better off than gotis and supervisor is better off than Sahukar. The staff are at least rewarded for their job and poor people can marry their daughters families with good bride prices.


Thus, it is clear that these Parajas' lives are terrible at every turn due to poverty, deplorable economic circumstances, and a lack of knowledge and understanding of legal issues. We get the idea that we need to after thoroughly reading the literature that empower the Parajas, reduce their poverty, and offer them improved health and education facilities and greater employment possibilities. This will progressively lessen the feudal system. structure, and we might be able to alter peoples' mental attitudes.


Q3) What do you think does a literary text loose in the process of literary translation with reference to Paraja.

Ans) Literary translation is a complex process that involves transferring not only words but also cultural nuances, idiomatic expressions, and the essence of a work from one language to another.

In the case of Gopinath Mohanty's "Paraja," the process of translation can lead to various losses that impact the richness and authenticity of the original text.

  • Cultural Nuances: "Paraja" is deeply rooted in the cultural context of Odisha and the lives of the Paraja tribe. Translating cultural nuances, rituals, and traditions accurately into another language may be challenging. Readers from a different cultural background might miss the subtleties that contribute to the novel's authenticity.

  • Idiomatic Expressions: The novel employs idiomatic expressions specific to the local dialect, which may not have direct equivalents in other languages. Translating these expressions while retaining their intended meaning can be difficult, potentially resulting in a loss of linguistic charm

  • Character Names and Places: Translating character names and place names can alter the resonance and significance of these elements. The meanings or connotations associated with names may differ between languages, impacting the reader's understanding.

  • Atmosphere and Tone: The choice of words, sentence structure, and tone in the original work contribute to its atmosphere. A literal translation might not capture the same mood or emotional impact, leading to a loss in the overall reader experience.

  • Social and Historical Context: "Paraja" explores the social and historical context of tribal life in India. Translating these elements accurately is crucial for readers to grasp the novel's social critique and commentary on economic exploitation.


Despite These Potential Losses, literary translation is also a valuable endeavour that allows readers from different linguistic backgrounds to access and appreciate the narrative, themes, and characters of a work like "Paraja." Translators play a critical role in preserving the essence of the original text while navigating the challenges of linguistic and cultural nuances.


Q4) Critically analyse the consequences of the white man’s arrival in Umuofia, in Achebe’s Things Fall Apart.

Ans) Chinua Achebe's novel "Things Fall Apart" vividly portrays the profound consequences of the white man's arrival on the traditional Igbo society of Umuofia. The arrival of the Europeans disrupts the social, cultural, and religious fabric of the community, leading to the tragic downfall of its protagonist, Okonkwo.

  • Cultural Clash: The white man's arrival introduces a clash of cultures between the Igbo way of life and European colonialism. The imposition of Christianity and European values challenges the traditional beliefs and practices of Umuofia, leading to tensions and divisions within the community.

  • Loss of Identity: The introduction of Christianity erodes the cultural identity of the Igbo people. Converts abandon their traditional gods and rituals, causing a rupture in the communal bond and weakening the spiritual foundation of the society.

  • Economic Exploitation: The European colonizers exploit the economic vulnerabilities of the Igbo society. The establishment of a cash economy disrupts the traditional subsistence farming practices and leads to economic inequality among the villagers.

  • Political Disruption: The white man's presence dismantles the existing political structure in Umuofia. The imposition of European administrative systems undermines the authority of the Igbo leaders and disrupts the equilibrium of power.

  • Loss of Autonomy: Umuofia loses its autonomy as the Europeans impose their rule. The British legal and judicial systems undermine the Igbo traditional justice system, leading to frustrations and disillusionment.

  • Violence and Conflict: The Europeans' attempts to impose their culture and authority spark conflicts and violence. The killing of the sacred python and the destruction of the egwugwu reveal the depth of the cultural clash and intensify the resentment of the Igbo people.

  • Individual Tragedy: The white man's arrival has a personal impact on Okonkwo, the novel's central character. His resistance to change and his desire to preserve traditional values lead him to commit tragic actions that result in his downfall and death.


In conclusion, Achebe's "Things Fall Apart" illustrates the catastrophic consequences of colonialism on the indigenous society of Umuofia. The arrival of the white man disrupts the community's cultural, economic, and political systems, leading to conflict, loss of identity, and individual tragedy. The novel serves as a powerful critique of the destructive impact of colonial forces on traditional societies and their way of life.


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