A Rights Reserved) SLIATE stat SRI LANKA INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED TECHNOLOGICAL EDUCATION (Established inthe Minar of Higher Eaucaton, vide in Act No 29 of 1885) Higher National Diploma in English ‘Second Year, First Semester Examination - 2015 EN: 2114 - Commonwealth Literature Instructions for Candidates: Answer question 01 in part one, two from part two No. of questions : 10 and one each from part three and four. No.of pages: 03, All questions carry equal marks. Time 03 hours Part One 01. Identify the following extracts and comment on them with special reference to theme, techniques and language. i) ii) iti) A poet-rascal-clown was born, ‘The frightened child who would not eat Or sleep, a boy of meager bone. He never learned to fly a kite, His borrowed top refused to spin. I went to Roman Catholie school, ‘A mugging Jew among the wolves He panted and said, I can still get it back if you show me where it fell” The teacher took up the remaining bangle and throwing it into the water said, “It is there.” “It was a matter of honor, of pride. Lebia’s mother was proud of her daughter. She was a good daughter, well brought up. And nothing was ever going to be allowed to suggest the contrary. She would redeem her daughter, her honor”.ivy EITHER “But 1 am greatly afraid, We have heard stories about white men who made the powerful guns and then strong drinks and took slaves away across the seas, but no one thought the stories were true”. oR “You dare to speak his good name with your foul mouth” he cried in fury. “If you speak his name again | will throttle you with my hands. You bark like a dog at the ‘moon, when you speak ill of him, Your vile words cannot defile him. Yet I will kill you if'you speak his name again to me.” [20 Marks} Part Two Poetry 02. “The poem “Telephone Conversation’ depicts the absurdity of racism in an ironical way” Elucidate this statement with relevant quotations. [20 Marks} 03. “A Far Cry from Aftiea”, in short, is about the poet’s ambivalent feelings towards the Kenyan terrorists and the counter-terrorist white colonial government, both of which were ‘inhuman’, during the independence struggle of the country. Discuss. [20 Marks} 04 Discuss how modern man has been alienated in the poem “Obituary” by A.K. Ramanujan. [20 Marks} 05. “J.P.Clark hints on the extent of poverty prevalent in the African society”, Justify this statement with reference to the poem “Night Rain” [20 Marks} 06. The poem, “My Grandmother's House” by Kamala Das conveys a despairing sense of loss and a nostalgic yearning for love. Do you agree? Justify your answer. [20 Marks} 2 HNDE 2114 Commonwealth Literature 2015 1" semesterPart Three Short Story 07. "Plight of a Nigerian widow (woman) is vividly depicted in the short story, The Divorcee" How far do you agree with this statement? Justify your answer with reference to the text. [20 Marks} 08. Analyze critically the relationship that develops between the characters Ratan and post master in the short story The Postmaster. [20 Marks} Part Four— Novel 09. “The protagonist Okonkwo in the novel Things Fall Apart makes an unfruitful effort in ‘retention of the traditional Igbo culture among local and foreign missionaries, but embraces death at the end”. Explain. [20 Marks} 10.“Using the raw material of rural folk, the author reveals the genuine qualities of the village folk: ‘who have been neglected and ignored by the rest of the society in the novel The Waiting Earth. Discuss. [20 Marks} 3 NDE 2114 Commonwealth Literature 2015 I" semester