Literary Theory: A Comprehensive Guide for Students

Question 1

Which literary theory places the greatest emphasis on the author's intended meaning for a text?

Accepted Answer

New Criticism

Answer

Reader-Response Theory

Answer

Formalism

Answer

Deconstruction

Question 2

Which theory posits that the meaning of a text is ever-changing and subject to multiple interpretations?

Accepted Answer

Deconstruction

Answer

Structuralism

Answer

Marxist Criticism

Answer

Psychoanalytic Criticism

Question 3

Which theory analyzes the social and historical circumstances surrounding the creation of a text?

Accepted Answer

New Historicism

Answer

Formalism

Answer

Structuralism

Answer

Reader-Response Theory

Question 4

Which theory delves into the influence of the unconscious mind on the creation and interpretation of literature?

Accepted Answer

Psychoanalytic Criticism

Answer

Structuralism

Answer

Reader-Response Theory

Answer

Formalism

Question 5

Which theory prompts readers to actively engage in the process of constructing meaning from a text?

Accepted Answer

Reader-Response Theory

Answer

New Criticism

Answer

Structuralism

Answer

Marxist Criticism

Question 6

Which concept is NOT a fundamental principle of New Criticism?

Accepted Answer

The historical context

Answer

The text's autonomy

Answer

The author's intent

Answer

Close reading

Question 7

Which theory argues that literature reflects and reinforces the dominant social and political ideologies?

Accepted Answer

Marxist Criticism

Answer

Feminist Criticism

Answer

Structuralism

Answer

Reader-Response Theory

Question 8

Which of the following is a key feature of post-structuralism?

Accepted Answer

Understanding the reader's influence on meaning

Answer

Emphasis on the author's purpose in creating the work

Answer

Strict adherence to traditional literary forms and structures

Answer

Acceptance of a fixed and unchanging literary canon

Question 9

Which literary theory focuses on how social and economic power structures influence literature?

Accepted Answer

Marxism

Answer

Structuralism

Answer

Feminist Criticism

Question 10

Which literary theory emphasizes the social and historical context of a text, including its production and reception?

Accepted Answer

Marxist criticism

Answer

Formalism

Answer

New Criticism

Answer

Structuralism

Question 11

Which theory suggests that the meaning of a text is created through the subjective interpretation of the reader?

Accepted Answer

Reader-response criticism

Answer

Feminist criticism

Answer

Psychoanalytic criticism

Answer

Postcolonial criticism

Question 12

Which literary theory analyzes the role of gender and power dynamics in the creation and reception of literature?

Accepted Answer

Feminist criticism

Answer

Formalism

Answer

New Criticism

Answer

Marxist criticism

Question 13

Which theory explores the psychological motivations and unconscious desires underlying literary texts?

Accepted Answer

Psychoanalytic criticism

Answer

Feminist criticism

Answer

Postcolonial criticism

Answer

New Criticism

Question 14

Which theory examines the relationship between literature and the colonial experience, including its impact and legacy?

Accepted Answer

Postcolonial criticism

Answer

Marxist criticism

Answer

Feminist criticism

Answer

Reader-response criticism

Question 15

Which concept is central to structuralism, emphasizing the way binary oppositions shape meaning in texts?

Accepted Answer

Binary oppositions

Answer

Authorial intent

Answer

Reader's interpretation

Answer

Historical context

Question 16

Which theory argues that the meaning of a text is fixed and can be objectively determined through close analysis?

Accepted Answer

New Criticism

Answer

Formalism

Answer

Marxist criticism

Answer

Psychoanalytic criticism

Question 17

Which of the following is not typically considered a recognized method of literary analysis?

Accepted Answer

Film adaptation

Answer

Close reading

Answer

Comparative literature

Answer

Historical criticism

Question 18

Which theory explores the role of race, ethnicity, and cultural identity in the creation and reception of literature, including the effects of colonialism and imperialism?

Accepted Answer

Postcolonial criticism

Answer

Reader-response criticism

Answer

Feminist criticism

Answer

Marxist criticism

Question 19

Which literary theory, rooted in an analysis of the author's life and historical context, emphasizes the influence of these factors on literary interpretation?

Accepted Answer

Biography

Answer

New Criticism

Answer

Marxism

Answer

Psychoanalysis

Question 20

Deconstruction theory asserts that a literary text's meaning is:

Accepted Answer

Multiple and unstable

Answer

Fixed and definitive

Answer

Embedded solely in the author's intent

Answer

Derived exclusively from the reader's response

Question 21

Marxist literary theory is characterized by its emphasis on which key concept?

Accepted Answer

Class struggle

Answer

Unconscious desires

Answer

Formal structure

Answer

Implied readership

Question 22

Reader-Response Theory places central importance on:

Accepted Answer

The reader's role in interpreting the text

Answer

The author's biography

Answer

The text's historical context

Answer

The structural analysis of language

Question 23

Structuralist literary theory, unlike other theories, does NOT emphasize:

Accepted Answer

The role of the author's intent

Answer

The analysis of language and structure

Answer

The identification of binary oppositions

Answer

The search for universal patterns in literature

Question 24

Psychoanalytic literary theory is primarily associated with the ideas of:

Accepted Answer

Sigmund Freud

Answer

Karl Marx

Answer

Jacques Derrida

Answer

Roland Barthes

Question 25

Which of the following is a core principle of New Criticism?

Accepted Answer

Close textual analysis

Answer

Examination of the author's biography

Answer

Exploration of the text's social context

Answer

Focus on the reader's personal response

Question 26

The concept of the 'death of the author', central to a particular literary theory, suggests that:

Accepted Answer

The author's identity is inconsequential to the text's meaning

Answer

The author's intent is the sole determinant of meaning

Answer

The reader's interpretation is irrelevant

Answer

The text's meaning is fixed and unchanging

Question 27

Which literary theory specifically examines the social and political implications of a literary work?

Accepted Answer

Marxism

Answer

Feminist Theory

Answer

Reader-Response Theory

Answer

Structuralism

Question 28

According to Feminist literary theory, the traditional literary canon often:

Accepted Answer

Marginalizes or omits women's voices

Answer

Equitably represents diverse perspectives

Answer

Is solely based on aesthetic merit

Answer

Accurately reflects the historical dominance of male writers

Question 29

The theory that emphasizes the historical, social, and cultural context of a literary work is:

Accepted Answer

New Historicism

Answer

Formalism

Answer

New Criticism

Answer

Reader-Response Theory

Question 30

Identify the key concept in structuralist theory:

Accepted Answer

Binary oppositions

Answer

Free association

Answer

Authorial intent

Answer

Historical context

Question 31

The theory that centers on the reader's experience and interpretation in literary analysis is:

Accepted Answer

Reader-Response Theory

Answer

Formalism

Answer

Marxist Criticism

Answer

Deconstruction

Question 32

Which literary theory emphasizes the ideological and political implications of a literary work?

Accepted Answer

Marxist Criticism

Answer

Feminist Criticism

Answer

New Historicism

Answer

Structuralism

Question 33

What is the term for the process of applying a literary theory to analyze and interpret a literary text?

Accepted Answer

Literary criticism

Answer

Textual analysis

Answer

Hermeneutics

Answer

Exegesis

Question 34

The theory that examines the unconscious meanings and symbols in a literary work is:

Accepted Answer

Psychoanalytic Criticism

Answer

Formalist Criticism

Answer

Structuralism

Answer

Marxist Criticism

Question 35

Which of the following questions is generally not addressed by literary theory?

Accepted Answer

Best method for teaching literature

Answer

Author's intent

Answer

Social values reflected in the text

Answer

Emotional impact on the reader

Question 36

The theory that emphasizes the author's life and experiences in interpreting a literary work is:

Accepted Answer

Biographical Criticism

Answer

New Criticism

Answer

Reader-Response Theory

Answer

Formalism

Question 37

According to Marxist Criticism, literature primarily reflects which aspect of society?

Accepted Answer

Economic and class structures

Answer

Psychological motivations

Answer

Gender roles

Answer

Linguistic patterns

Question 38

Which of the following is a key concept in Reader-Response Criticism?

Accepted Answer

Subjectivity of interpretation

Answer

Intertextuality

Answer

Author's intention

Answer

Textual stability

Question 39

How does Feminist Criticism approach the analysis of literary texts?

Accepted Answer

Examines gender roles and biases

Answer

Focuses on character development

Answer

Analyzes historical context

Answer

Emphasizes language use

Question 40

Which literary theory challenges traditional notions of meaning and truth?

Accepted Answer

Postmodernism

Answer

New Historicism

Answer

Structuralism

Answer

Marxism

Question 41

How does New Historicism relate literature to its historical context?

Accepted Answer

Examines the influence of political and social events

Answer

Focuses on the author's biography

Answer

Analyzes the text as a timeless work of art

Answer

Emphasizes the reader's experience

Question 42

Deconstructionism primarily approaches the interpretation of literary texts by:

Accepted Answer

Uncovering hidden meanings and subversions

Answer

Focusing on the author's intention

Answer

Examining the text's historical context

Answer

Emphasizing the reader's personal response

Question 43

Which of the following is NOT a major literary theory? Choose from the list below:

Accepted Answer

Economical

Answer

Marxist

Answer

Postcolonial

Answer

Feminist

Question 44

Which literary theory places emphasis on the author's intention as a primary factor in interpreting a literary work? Choose from the following:

Accepted Answer

New Criticism

Answer

Structuralism

Answer

Post-Structuralism

Answer

Marxist

Question 45

Which of the following best describes the approach of semiotics in literary analysis? Select the most accurate option:

Accepted Answer

The study of how meaning is constructed through the use of signs and symbols in a literary work

Answer

A method of interpreting texts based solely on their historical context

Answer

An approach that focuses primarily on the psychological motivations of characters

Answer

A theory that emphasizes exclusively the social and political implications of literature

Question 46

Which literary theory emerged as a response to the perceived limitations of New Criticism? Select from the options below:

Accepted Answer

Deconstruction

Answer

Structuralism

Answer

Formalism

Answer

Marxist

Question 47

Which of the following is a key concept in Marxist literary theory? Choose from the options provided:

Accepted Answer

Class struggle and social inequality as primary influences on literature

Answer

The unconscious mind as the driving force behind literary creation

Answer

Intertextuality, or the relationship between different texts

Answer

The death of the author and the rejection of authorial intent

Question 48

Which literary theory places emphasis on the role of the reader in creating meaning and shaping the interpretation of a text?

Accepted Answer

Reader-Response Theory

Answer

Structuralism

Answer

Formalism

Answer

Deconstruction

Question 49

Which of the following is a critique of New Criticism? Select the most comprehensive response from the options below:

Accepted Answer

All of the above critiques are valid

Answer

It neglects the influence of the historical and cultural context on literature

Answer

It privileges the author's intention over the reader's experience and interpretation

Answer

It focuses predominantly on close reading, potentially ignoring larger structural elements

Question 50

Which literary theory challenges the idea of a fixed and unified self, exploring the fluidity and instability of identity? Choose the most suitable option:

Accepted Answer

Deconstruction

Answer

Structuralism

Answer

Formalism

Answer

Marxist

Question 51

Which of the following is a characteristic of postcolonial literary theory? Select the most accurate description:

Accepted Answer

Encompasses all of the above characteristics

Answer

Focuses on the impact of colonialism on literature, culture, and marginalized voices

Answer

Challenges traditional Western literary canons and perspectives

Answer

Promotes the voices and experiences of marginalized groups

Question 52

Which literary theory suggests that meaning in a text is constantly deferred, dispersed, and never fully present? Choose the correct option:

Accepted Answer

Deconstruction

Answer

Structuralism

Answer

Marxist

Answer

Feminist