1. What is Modernism in English Literature and enumerate modernist techniques.

2. What is the role of fate in Thomas Hardy's “Tess of the D'Urbervilles”? (200 words)
It's difficult to know whether or not the term "fate" accurately describes the philosophy at the center of Tess of the d'Urbervilles and other works by Hardy. Fate implies a force beyond human control that directs our actions. I would tend to see it as not so much fate as a kind of randomness that causes the decisive (and tragic) turns of the plot in Tess. Added to this is the deliberate and very human folly present in the story.Whether intentionally or not, Hardy is making a statement about the vulnerability of women in the nineteenth-century world. This is not fate, but the gender dynamic that has been dominant throughout history. Angel Clare cannot accept Tess's having had a previous relationship because this is the way most men thought at the time. The randomness of human events can be considered responsible for his not seeing the letter she has written to him. But even if he had seen it, the result would have been the same—he would have rejected Tess.The other crucial point is that Tess never tells Angel that her relationship with Alec d'Urberville was non-consensual. The reticence on this point of not only Tess but of Hardy himself as narrator is typical of the time. But the whole story is also a chain of chance happenings beginning with the death of Tess's horse and concluding with Tess's returning to Alec and, finally, killing him. The overall point, however, seems to be that tragedy is caused by both human folly (and its corollary of cruelty) and the randomness of the cosmos. Near the beginning of the novel, Joan, Tess's mother, consults a book called The Fortune Tellerwhich leads her to believe that her daughter could marry a nobleman. This leads her to say to her husband, "I tried her fate in the Fortune-Teller, and it brought out that very thing!...You should ha' seen how pretty she looked to-day; her skin is as sumple as a duchess'"
Variant 6
1. What do you know about Dystopian novel genre and its specific features? (200 -300 words)
rom movies to novels to video games, dystopian fiction is consistently one of the hottest genres in entertainment. But given its broad scope and variety of forms, the dystopian genre can sometimes be hard to categorize. What is dystopian fiction? What are its defining features and how can we account for its enduring popularity? This article will define dystopian fiction, explain its purpose and function, and provide important examples of it from across the storytelling spectrum. Dystopia is the opposite of utopia: a state in which the conditions of human life are extremely bad as from deprivation or oppression or terror (or all three). A dystopian society is characterized by human misery in the form of squalor, oppression, disease, overcrowding, environmental destruction, or war. Below is an example of a real dystopia in present-day Syria. Dystopian fiction worlds — whether in novels, films, comic books/graphic novels, or video games — tend to contain many of the same narrative features. Common elements of dystopian fiction include societies engaged in forever wars, and characterized by extreme social and economic class divides, mass poverty, environmental devastation, anarchy, and loss of individuality.2. The theme of sacrificial in the epic poem “Beowulf” (200 words)
The theme of the heroic code of chivalry is the leading theme of Beowulf. The honorable behavior and manners have dominated the Anglo-Saxon culture. Courage, bravery and the will to fight were considered basic norms of that heroic code. Beowulf sticks to these norms from the very beginning as he comes across the Danes. He fights against Grendel and kills him after pledging that he will “settle the outcome in single combat.” These words resonate again when he goes to find Grendel’s mother. When he is older, he proves his bravery again when fighting the last enemy, the dragon. He becomes a dragon slayer but at the cost of his own life. Wiglaf, his young companion pays tribute to him saying, “vowed you would never let your name and fame / be dimmed while you lived.” This heroic code lasts until Beowulf’s death. BraveryBravery is another element of medieval chivalry and theme of the epic, Beowulf. Beowulf, himself, is an epitome of bravery and courage as he visits the Danes and offers his services to King Hrothgar. He displays confidence when telling the royal guards on the border that his father “was a famous man.” He further adds, “We come in good faith” to prove his bravery and to help the king. Then he demonstrates his bravery when fighting Grendel and also goes under the lake to kill his mother. He finally locks horns with the dragon despite knowing that these are his last days.