Assignment Code: BEGC-106 / TEE / 2021-22

Course Code: BEGC-106

Assignment Name: Popular Literature

Year: 2021-2022

Verification Status: Verified by Professor

Answer all questions.

Section A

Write short notes in about 200 words each: 4 × 5 = 20

Q 1. (i) Culture

Ans) 1. (i) For a long time, the term "culture" has been scrutinised. To identify its several potential meanings, one must pay great attention to the context in which it is employed while concurrently operating along numerous conflicting axes of meaning. Every epoch has seen a tumultuous and difficult interpretation of the concept of culture. Culture is “one of the two or three most complex words in the English language,” according to Raymond Williams. Williams (Williams, 1976, 76) As a result, it will be interesting to chart the evolution of the concept of culture across time. When we go back to the Latin roots of the term, we see that it is cultura, which comes from the root colere, which has a variety of connotations, including occupy, cultivate, preserve, and honour with reverence. Husbandry, or the tending of natural development, was the predominant meaning at the time.

For a long time, the term "culture" was employed as a "noun of process" to describe the care, growth, or cultivation of something, most commonly crops or animals (Williams in Bennett, 1981, 77). In the sixteenth century, the term "culture" refers to the development or cultivation of human characteristics. It served as a term for the Enlightenment's notion of civilisation by the 18th century. The official, aristocratic culture of European civilizations was the only kind of culture that was sanctified during the Enlightenment. However, in the nineteenth century, the definition of the term "culture" broadened and came to be distinguished from that of "civilisation."

Q 1. (ii) Popular Culture and America

Ans. 1 (ii) For critics operating within the mass culture paradigm, mass culture is, in a very obvious sense, American culture that has been imported. If any city in the United States developed Popular Culture in its present form, it was the big cities of the United States, particularly New York. Within the theoretical mapping of Popular Culture, the idea that Popular Culture is American culture has a lengthy history. The word 'Americanization' is used to describe how it works. Its major premise is that British culture has deteriorated as a result of American culture's homogenising effect. True, since Popular Culture as a widespread phenomenon began in the United States in the 1920s. Later, in the 1940s, critics at Bowling Green University such as Ray B Browne, Bruce Ludke, Marshall Fishwick, John Cawelti, C W E Bigsby, and others were among the first to express worry about the eulogised culture.

According to them, the ever-expanding consciousness of Popular Culture dilutes, degrades, or lowers cultures to the lowest common denominator, rather than polarising them. When it comes to American culture, Fiedler claims that the country's culture has always been "popular" under a "thin veneer of imported European snobbery" (1982, 64). When Europeans or other non-American cultures talk about the incursion in their culture of pop forms like rock, country, and western music, comic books, soap operas, and cop shows on television, they tend to refer to it as a "creeping Americanization" (1982, 65) of their cultures and is used as a euphemism.

Q 1. (iii) Crime Fiction

Ans) 1. (iii) To grasp the political and public appeal of crime fiction or even detective stories, a unique sense of aesthetic and cultural lens is required. Numerous broadsides, court procedures, testimony and confessions of criminals, and printed songs connected to crimes and criminal behaviour were extremely popular throughout the 18th and into the mid-19th centuries. The appeal of crime narratives has not waned in the twenty-first century, despite the emergence of various forms of computer simulation.

The emergence and evolution of detective and crime fiction from the street corner to refined society's drawing rooms illustrates the spread of crime to all corners of society. Crime and detective literature, according to Rzepka, has achieved a “mythic stature beyond even human history, they seem hybrids of gods (or devils) and men” (2). Despite the fact that crime and detective fiction continued to enchant readers young and old, laymen and intellectuals alike (W H Auden equated reading detective fiction to “an addiction” [“The Guilty Vicarage”), critics tried to categorise them as low and vulgar literature. Many critics have dismissed crime fiction and detective novels as “guilty pleasure” (Auden) or trivial entertainment that appeals to our baser inclinations 

Q 1. (iv) Mah Jong

Ans) (iv) Mah-Jong is a fascinating Chinese game that was popular during the Cold War and was played in Christie's time at clubs. Mah-Jong, ostensibly a tile game, is a variant of the card game rummy that requires a player to outsmart his opponents in order to stack tiles in a specific order. The game necessitates concealing skills and a keen eye.

Sheppard is silent throughout the game/narrative, revealing nothing about himself while faithfully revealing everything about everyone else. Sheppard carefully hides his hand the entire time and cleverly performs the art of hiding while the players talk to entertain and outsmart one another. He provides no hint before laying out all of the tiles, intending to surprise everyone by winning with a "perfect hand." Sheppard's style of play mirrors the way he develops his storey. It reflects his psychology in that he hides the truth merely by missing its mention, by being hesitant, and by remaining in the background to avoid being recognised. He holds his cards close to his chest and is known for his discretion. He discreetly goes about disguising his blackmailing business or his visit to the Three Boars, much like the game he plays deftly and covertly. His writing and gaming approaches are quite similar. Sheppard's arrogance in boasting about his accomplishments and a desire to outsmart everyone comes to the fore. After winning the game and feeling he "played pretty skillfully," he quickly shares the finding of the ring from the pond, which he instantly regrets because he intended to keep it hidden. His narrative and game play revolve around hiding the entire truth.

Section B

Answer the following in about 300 words each: 4 X 7.5 = 30

Q 1. Comment on the various genres of Popular Literature.

Ans) The Romance was one of the first genres to be assigned to the realm of popular literature. Kitchen maid romances, which were frequently written by women, were not seen to be serious enough. The challenges experienced by two young individuals involved in a forbidden love were the subject of another popular romantic narrative.

The fantasy genre was the second genre that was popular with the general public. Children's literature, the most renowned of which is Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland, is also regarded a typical fantasy, as is science fiction. Issac Asimov continues to be the great storyteller of these tales of science fiction and fantasy realms. The cowboy cult tales, or Westerns, set on the frontier, were enormously popular with the general public in America. Travel, power, manly bravery, and discovery were all themes in these stories. Their popularity grew in tandem with the popularity of murder/crime stories, mysteries, and espionage fiction in the late 1800s. With a detective at the centre, mysteries gave birth to world-famous characters like Edgar Allan Poe's Auguste Dupin and Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes. Despite this, Agatha Christie remains the queen of crime to this day.

With the Feluda tales, Satyajit Ray established his own enchantment in India. Spy fiction as a genre began with Fennimore Cooper and grew in popularity with Ian Fleming's invention of James Bond in the mid-twentieth century. Popular literature has recently adopted a number of intriguing new forms of writing, such as comic books, cartoon strips, really short narratives, graphic novels, and so on, all of which are based on folklore, folk legends, fables, and myths of the period.

Q 2. What is a literary canon?

Ans) The canon is a collection of works deemed typical of a time or genre in literature. Famous writers like William Shakespeare and Chaucer, for example, are part of the Western canon, and traditional Indian writers like Kalidasa and Surdas are part of the Indian canon since their writing and style have influenced numerous writers across genres. A literary canon is a collection of works that has stood the test of time. The writers and their works have a worldwide appeal, a universal topic, and are inducted into a hall of fame. Sanskrit works were often and constantly included in the canon of Indian literature.

Shakespeare's works have been turned into films by authors and directors from all over the world. Vishal Bharadwaj has made films based on Shakespeare's canonical plays Othello, Hamlet, and Macbeth in India, including "Omkara," "Haider," and "Maqbool." This is just one example of how cinema and media have influenced the development of a new literary canon.

As a previous emphasis on Eurocentrism has waned, people of colour have become more prominent parts of the canon, and several modern black writers, such as Langston Hughes (1902 – 67) of the “Harlem” renaissance fame, Toni Morrison author of “Beloved” (1931 – 2019), and Alice Walker author of The Color Purple, have become vital parts of the modern canon. For example, contemporary writers like Rabindranath Tagore (1861–1941), the author of Gitanjali, Pablo Neruda (1904–73), Raja Rao (1908–2006), the author of Kanthapura, Patrick White (1912–90), James Baldwin (1924–87), The Native Son Edward Braithwate (1930–2020), Chinua Achebe (1930–2013), the author of Things Fall Apart, and Chinua Achebe (1930 All of the subgenres of Native American, Asian-American, Australian, Caribbean, African, Indian, and African-American writing are represented by Scott Mommaday (1934), Amy Tan (1952), and Sherman Alexie (1966).

Literary awards such as the Nobel, Pulitzer, and Booker Prizes have influenced the development of the modern canon.

Q 3. Do you think that mass media and technology have a role to play in extending the understanding of the canon?

Ans) With the introduction of the portrayal of literature on celluloid, a particular relationship was formed between literature and cinema, and this strong bond can still be observed today. A special link between literature and cinema was created with the advent of the depiction of literature on celluloid, and this strong bond can still be seen today. As previously noted, the German school of critics wrote on the rising Hollywood cinema frenzy in the 1930s in The Culture Industry (1940). These critics were concerned that the average person was conflating actual and fictional life.

A strong link was created between literature and cinema with the advent of the representation of literature on celluloid, and this strong bond can still be seen today. With the introduction of the portrayal of literature on celluloid, a particular relationship was formed between literature and cinema, and this strong bond can still be observed today. As previously mentioned, in The Culture Industry, the German school of critics wrote on the burgeoning Hollywood film craze in the 1930s (1940). These critics were concerned that the typical individual was confusing real life with fiction.

As one of the most technologically sophisticated means of cultural transmission, cinema has positioned itself as crucial to the development of the modern-day "cult of the pop," producing an extended narrative text for literature as mass public culture, creative activity, propaganda weapon, and adaptations. Cinema produces an extended narrative text for literature as mass public culture, art activity, propaganda tool, and adaptations. As a result, issues such as "What happens to literature in cinema?" and "Can pedagogy stay untouched by its representations in cinema?" are becoming more relevant.

In the last two decades, a paradigm shift has happened in which a text has been pitted against a variety of production equipment — cinema, theatre, television, comic books, and so on. If literature is to fulfil its purposes and aims and be a communicative activity, the study of popular storey (fiction) can provide a vital link between the literature and the study of other types of representations. Popular narrative (fiction) analysis can serve as a vital connection between literature and the study of other modes of representation. A strong link was created between literature and cinema with the advent of the representation of literature on celluloid, and this strong bond can still be seen today. With the introduction of the portrayal of literature on celluloid, a particular relationship was formed between literature and cinema, and this strong bond can still be observed today. As previously mentioned, in The Culture Industry, the German school of critics wrote on the burgeoning Hollywood film craze in the 1930s (1940). These critics were concerned that the typical individual was confusing real life with fiction.

As one of the most technologically sophisticated means of cultural transmission, cinema has positioned itself as crucial to the development of the modern-day "cult of the pop," producing an extended narrative text for literature as mass public culture, creative activity, propaganda weapon, and adaptations. Cinema produces an extended narrative text for literature as mass public culture, art activity, propaganda tool, and adaptations. As a result, issues such as "What happens to literature in cinema?" and "Can pedagogy stay untouched by its representations in cinema?" are becoming more relevant.

In the last two decades, a paradigm shift has happened in which a text has been pitted against a variety of production equipment — cinema, theatre, television, comic books, and so on. If literature is to fulfil its purposes and aims and be a communicative activity, the study of popular storey (fiction) can provide a vital link between the literature and the study of other types of representations. Popular narrative (fiction) analysis can serve as a vital connection between literature and the study of other modes of representation.

Q 4. Discuss the chess motif in Through the Looking Glass.

Ans) The chess metaphor that runs throughout the book becomes an important part of the storey. The world of Alice through the Looking Glass is built out like a chess game, with rows separated by brooks and hedges and the country itself in the shape of a huge chess board. When Alice looks down from the hill, she notices "a massive game of chess being played — all over the world," and wishes she "could be one of the chess pieces... (and) wouldn't mind being a pawn... but of course I'd prefer to be a Queen most" (22). Here, Alice discovers that she is a chess piece—a white pawn—and that she is a part of the larger chess game that Carroll is playing by creating the storey.

With the structure of chess outlined as a metaphor for the universe with all its laws, the storey also has a philosophical component. The Chess theme depicts a life that is predetermined. It investigates the concept of people as pieces in a larger chess game, travelling through life's pre-set narrative and moving according to what has already been arranged for us. Our lives are like an irrational game of chess, with us being a part of God's dream, much as Alice's trip through the realm of the looking glass is led by a set of rules that lead to a predetermined ending. Tweedeldee introduces this concept to Alice by telling her that she is living the Red King's dream. It is the Red King who controls the dream and Alice is merely a phantasm of his imagination pursuing a preordained course previously planned for her.

Life is sometimes depicted as a chess game in which we are only pieces in a larger chess game. Chess, according to Martin Gardner, becomes a metaphor of life itself. Alice is free to go anywhere, but only within the limits of a square, and she has no actual agency, just as we are living out some God's dream. It is based on the concept of humans as earthly chess pieces with limited impact, similar to Alice's movement on the board, where things happen to her, and she has no actual agency. The chess theme aids Carroll in elucidating the universe's pre-deterministic nature, in which free choice is an illusion and we humans are simply pawns being manipulated by an unseen hand.

Section C

Answer the following questions in about 800 words each: 5 X 10 = 50

Q 1. Write an essay discussing important issues in popular literature.

Ans) Williams goes on to say that popular culture has two distinct characteristics: first, it is seen as a lesser kind of work (the concept of the popular vs the canonical) or work that is actively designed to gain popularity, such as popular entertainment. Second, it is a type of writing that is "well-liked by many people" (Williams 236), that is, it has a broad appeal. This term is especially useful since it highlights a number of problems that have become important disputes in critical readings of popular literature. Before we go into the interaction of popular literature with critical theory, it's a good idea to think about these points.

The following are some important issues of study in popular literature:

1.  Popular Literature as Part of an Entertainment Industry

Popular literature has traditionally been regarded as a subset of the wider entertainment business, which takes the shape of a market governed by supply and demand factors. Popular literature is frequently labelled as a "bestseller," and critics have claimed that its aesthetics are influenced by economic factors. Dominic Strinati (1947), a Sociology Lecturer at the University of Leicester and author of An Introduction to Studying Popular Culture, believes that industrialization and commercialization have had a substantial impact on popular culture. This makes us ask if “quality, creativity, integrity, and intellectual challenge” are prioritised over “profitability and marketability” (3). This argument developed one of the most important critical conceptions of popular literature as a component of a "culture business" (Adorno). The next topic we'll look at is Popular Literature as Genre Fiction.

2.  Popular Literature as Genre Fiction

Genre fiction refers to works of fiction written with the intention of adhering to the conventions of a specific genre. Such works lay a greater focus on adhering to a genre's traditions. Science fiction, suspense novels, and romance novels are all popular examples of genre fiction. Ken Gelder (1955), a University of Melbourne Professor of English and Theatre Studies who has also been a visiting fellow at University College and King's College in London, as well as the University of Edinburgh, classifies popular fiction as genre fiction and claims that generic identities "determine not just what is inside the actual novel, but who published it, how and through what ventures it.." (2). Because of the overdetermination of genre by conventional markers, popular literature has been labelled as "formulaic," implying that all popular fiction follows the same old, repetitious narrative logic and lacks any creative energy or originality. Let's take a look at how Popular Literature appears as a time- and place-bound genre.

3.  Rooted in Time and Place

The concept of the popular is deeply established in a certain spatial and chronological context. What is popular today may not hold the same weight in a few decades' hence. Similarly, what is popular in one culture or society may not be appropriate for other cultures. Popular literature, critics claim, lacks durability, that is, it does not stand the test of time. A classical or canonical work, on the other hand, “transcends time and place and offers fresh meaning to new generations of readers” (Berberich 4). In all critical analyses of this kind of cultural creation, the difference between popular and canonical has played a crucial role. Rather than considering the lack of durability in popular writing as a flaw, some reviewers now regard it as a virtue. Because these writings are entrenched in a certain time and place, they are able to reflect a society's socio-cultural worries, or, as Clive Bloom (1953), an Emeritus Professor at Middlesex University in the United Kingdom, puts it, they become "the barometer of modern imagination" (15). The audience/readership also plays a significant influence in influencing a text's popularity.

4.  Role of Audience/ Readership

Readers are heavily involved in popular fiction, not just as consumers, but also as producers and creators. The emergence of fandoms, or groups of fans who are ardent admirers of specific genres or writers, results in significant shifts in the production and dissemination of popular literature. “Popular literature has followers - readerships that live through their genres, inhabiting and appropriating them,” argues Ken Gelder (81). Literary element influences our perception of this literature as a mass-mediated medium, affected equally by commercial pressures and the needs of its committed fandoms.

Q 2. Would it be correct to say that Ruskin Bond and Vishal Bhardwaj’s The Blue Umbrella is a children’s story for adults? Do you agree?

Ans) Binya opens the tale by anxiously calling her blue-grey cow, “Neelu! Neelu!” and her white cow buddy, Gori, who were both fond of straying off down to the creek or the pine forest. Her brother, Bijju, who had previously assisted her, was preparing for his exams. Binya was a girl with a mountain heart, just like her creator and adapter. The crowds and excitement in the nearby town, which was five miles distant, terrified her. The narrative takes place in a Garhwal hamlet, which, like any other, was populated by individuals who were innocent, had modest needs, and knew each other. Binya's mother pointed out that she was born in the year when the snow had reached the windows, and it was a hamlet where a child's age was remembered by referring to the snow that fell in that specific year. They produced potatoes, beans, maize, and other crops on terraced fields. Binya wrapped a leopard's claw around her neck to fend off evil and provide good luck, demonstrating the Garhwal people's rich culture and strong beliefs.

She came upon a bunch of picnickers from the plains while hunting for her cow. She tried to decipher their clothing and accents, but her eyes are soon drawn to a lovely, frilly blue umbrella, “The umbrella looked like a flower, a huge blue blossom that had grown up on the parched brown hillside,” she says (105). When the tourists see her, they believe she is a poor and filthy rural girl, and they offer her food. This incident demonstrates how arrogant city folks can be when dealing with people from rural towns and villages. This association of simplicity with poverty and stupidity is satirised by Ruskin Bond. “These folks wear these to ward away evil spirits,” one of the picnickers adds, mistaking her leopard's claw for a tiger's claw to show off his knowledge of the country. Instead of attempting to comprehend Garhwal's culture, customs, and folklore, this patronising visitor appropriates Binya's voice and the society to which she belongs. They want to buy Binya's necklace for 2-3 rupees since "she'll be in desperate need of cash" (106), but Binya wants the blue umbrella. Binya gets the umbrella when a deal is struck. “That patch of sky-blue silk could always be seen on the hillside,” says Binya.

On the Tehri road, there is just one tea store, which is operated by Ram Bharosa. He is a greedy and callous man who snatches the children's most cherished possessions when they are unable to repay him for the candies and cookies they purchased from his shop. Because of Binya's blue umbrella, he feels envious of her. He attempts to persuade her that it was for the memsahibs and that it wouldn't protect her from the heat or rain. “It was a lovely plaything,” Binya knew. And it was just for this reason that she had fallen in love with it.” Due to a powerful gust of wind, she was on the edge of losing her blue umbrella. The umbrella was thrown down the cliff and became entangled in a cherry tree. Binya went down the cliff, oblivious to her own safety, to recover her umbrella. “She glanced down, and it was only then that she felt afraid,” she said. She was perilously poised eighty feet above the boulder-strewn stream (110), just over the abyss.

Binya's blue umbrella made everyone in the hamlet envious of her. The schoolmaster's wife thought she had a greater claim on the umbrella than a poor farmer's daughter since she was a "second class B A." Binya kindly provided the umbrella to people who appeared miserable, while the grownups around her either envied her or wished for her umbrella to shrivel in the sun, collapse in a breeze, or be destroyed by lightning. Unlike the grownups, who were envious of the umbrella, the youngsters were all praises for it.

Ram Bharosa is the village's wealthiest man, and he is anxious to get his hands on the blue umbrella. He informs Rajaram, a young kid who helps him with little errands, that desiring and not having the blue umbrella is like having a disease. When the inhabitants of the hamlet find that Ram Bharosa attempted to steal the umbrella, he is shunned. They quit buying goods from him and instead trek the extra mile to the Tehri bus station to get their daily necessities. The same individuals who lusted after the umbrella and dreamed of owning it now hold a moral high ground since Ram Bharosa did exactly what they wanted. “He wishes he had never set eyes on it,” he says as he sits alone in his hut, waiting for someone to come and chat to him. He had endured the torments of avarice and the misery of loneliness because of the umbrella” (118). Ram Bharosa is the village's wealthiest man, and he is anxious to get his hands on the blue umbrella. He informs Rajaram, a young kid who helps him with little errands, that desiring and not having the blue umbrella is like having a disease. When the inhabitants of the hamlet find that Ram Bharosa attempted to steal the umbrella, he is shunned. They quit buying goods from him and instead trek the extra mile to the Tehri bus station to get their daily necessities. The same individuals who lusted after the umbrella and dreamed of owning it now hold a moral high ground since Ram Bharosa did exactly what they wanted. “He wishes he had never set eyes on it,” he says as he sits alone in his hut, waiting for someone to come and chat to him. He had endured the torments of avarice and the misery of loneliness because of the umbrella” (118).

Binya wonders if she worried more about the umbrella than was required, given his pitiful state. Binya walks to his business to buy sweets, and when Ram Bharosa arrives to collect them, he notices Binya has left her umbrella at the counter. He has finally obtained the umbrella; nevertheless, he will not be able to retain it for the rest of his life. He realised he was never in the sun or in the rain, therefore the umbrella was pointless. “At that moment, it belonged to both of them,” he says as he chases Binya down to return the umbrella. She left the umbrella with him since “an umbrella isn't everything” and “there was nothing between her and the brilliant, blue sky” as she drove down the road. Ram Bharosa reclaims his lost faith. People begin to flock to his business, where the umbrella is available for anybody to borrow. He informs the locals that it is a Binya gift. Ram Bharosa discovers a bear's claw and brings it to a silversmith to be turned into a locket for Binya. By making the umbrella open to everyone, Binya and Ram Bharosa are freed from their yearning.

The Blue Umbrella is, without a doubt, a children's storey for grownups. It creates a world where there is a razor-thin line separating adult sensibility from kid sensitivity. A kid may have infantile wants, and an adult may be nicer and wiser than a child.

Q 3. Trace the development of children’s literature.

Ans) Oral tale telling was the beginning of children's literature, which was passed down from generation to generation. In the Indian setting the Sanskrit storey Panchantantra was written about 200 BC, while Aesop's Fables are thought to have been written between 620 and 564 BC, and Irish Folktales around 400 BC. In the Far East, during the Song dynasty (960–1279), the art of storytelling reached its pinnacle in China, where it was once again didactic in character and designed to teach youngsters. In the early 15th century, textbooks and prayer books that might be considered to have been written for children began to appear.

Alphabet books first appeared in the 16th century in nations such as Russia, Italy, and Denmark. Following that, illustrated chap-books appeared, which dealt with folk tales, folklore, or Biblical stories and were aimed especially at youngsters. In 1643, an Italian poet called Giambattista Basile published the Pentamer one, or The Tale of Tales, a compilation of folktales from all around Europe, which included the first known versions of both "Cinderella" and "Rapunzel." Charles Perrault released a collection of fairy stories in 1697, and while he did not achieve the same level of fame as Giambattista Basile, he served a different purpose.

Though billed as a children's book, James Janeway's A Token for Children (1671-72) was more about Christianity, living a good Christian life, and the so-called joyful dying of young Christian children. The majority of children's books in the 17th century were educational, instructive, and didactic, with moral, religious, and social teachings (teaching children manners and etiquette). The publisher Thomas Boreman (1707-1757) was one of the first to experiment with children's writing. Two such volumes were published: His Description of Three Hundred Animals (1730) and the Gigantick Histories (1740-43), an illustrated chronicle of London landmarks. Another of the era's publishers, Mary Cooper, is well-known for her contribution to nursery rhymes. The first known nursery rhyme compilations are her Tommy Thumb's Pretty Song Book Volumes I & II (1744). Early versions of "Baa Baa Black Sheep" and "Hickory Dickory Dock," "London Bridge is Falling Down," and "Sing a Song of Sixpence" may be found in her collection.

The first true children's book, according to legend, was John Newbery's A Little Pretty Pocket-Book, published in 1744. This book is unique in that it was created only for the amusement of children, making it a true children's book. This was a short rhyming book with drawings that concentrated on a single letter of the alphabet. In 1812, the Grimm Brothers - Jacob Ludwig Karl (1785–1863) and Wilhelm Carl (1786–1859) - released Grimms' Fairy Tales or Youngsters’ and Household Tales, a book for children. The initial edition included 86 stories, while the seventh edition, published in 1857, had 210 stories. Johann David Wyss (1743-1818), a Swiss writer, authored The Swiss Family Robinson in 1812. This novel is unusual in that it is one of the first to teach youngsters self-sufficiency and the dignity of labour while simultaneously being a thrilling adventure storey. Meanwhile, Hans Christian Andersen (1805 - 72) was compiling a collection of fairy stories for publication in 1835. “The Emperor's New Clothes,” “The Snow Queen,” and “Thumbelina” are three of Andersen's most renowned stories. Randolph Caldecott's "The Babes in the Wood" is one of several children's books written in the 19th century. Randolph Caldecott (1846–1866) is credited with creating the first children's picture book. The golden period of children's literature, however, was still a few years away.

As a result, children's literature grew in popularity throughout time, until mass production of colour illustrated books began in the first two decades of the twentieth century. World War I, which lasted from 1914 to 1918, and World War II, which lasted from 1939 to 1945, marked the beginning of the twentieth century. Between the two world wars, children's novels dealt with topics such as idealism and the spirit of the pioneers, and Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House series, based on her childhood and adolescent years in the American Midwest, is an excellent illustration of this spirit of the pioneers. Little House in the Big Woods was the first in the series to be released in 1932. Little House in the Prairies was the name of the television adaptation. The next two decades (1960s–70s) saw the introduction of "reality" into children's literature.

Children's literature has developed significantly during the second part of the twentieth century, and it is now a separate genre of literature. Scholars have conducted extensive critical analysis and criticisms in this field, and prizes/awards for the finest children's literature have been established. The Caldecott Medal and the Newbery Medal, both given by the American Library Association, are two of the most well-known honours for children's literature in the United States (ALA). Children's literature has grown in importance and appeal during the previous few decades. It has also changed in terms of the sorts of subjects it covers, such as fantasy literature, animal stories, real-world stories, and, of course, Enid Blyton's books. Children's literature has expanded to encompass subgenres such as Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Supernatural Fiction, and Fantasy, among others.

Q 4. Examine the theme of gender and space in Shyam Selvudurai’s Funny Boy.

Ans) Shyam Selvadurai's Funny Kid gives us on a journey in which a young boy struggles with his homosexuality, his loss of family, and his understanding of the harsh ways in which the world works. Despite this, the protagonist takes decisive action, goes against society's grain, and moves closer to the formation of a healthy, wholesome self.

In the first episode, titled "Pigs Can't Fly," the young protagonist Arjie is forced to confront social gender stereotypes. His parents had gathered with his extended family for a regular get-together at his grandparents' house. “The property around my grandparents' home was split in half. The front yard, the road, and the field in front of the house were all owned by the lads” (Selvadurai 3). On the other hand, the girls' second realm was "restricted to the back garden and the kitchen porch" (Selvadurai 3). There is already gender-based geographical segregation at work. Boys and girls have separate spaces in the house where they can engage in activities. While the girls stay at home and play a common domestic game, the lads go outdoors and get some exercise.

Due to the intensity of his imagination, Arjie has always been the most important member of the Bride-Bride gang and has managed to transcend these limitations. Arjie is drawn to his girl relatives' activities that replicate adult household tasks or perform fairy tales because of the "free play of fantasy" (Selvadurai 3). Arjie's favourite game is called "Bride-Bride," and he enjoys dressing up as a bride the most. Unfortunately, his joy is shattered by the entrance of his cousin Tanuja, who is enraged at being named the groom, the lowest-ranking member of the ‘Bride-Bride' hierarchy. When her ambition to play the bride is mocked by her cousins, she informs her mother, who pulls a sari clad Arjie in front of the house's adults. This discovery creates consternation in the family and humiliation for Arjie's parents, as one of his uncles sarcastically says to his father, "Ey Chelva! It appears that you have a witty one here” (Selvadurai 14).

The term "funny" has apparent implications of taboo and humiliation in this context, owing to Arjie's participation in acts that are improper for his gender. This is the first time Arjie is acutely aware of gendered constraints, despite his inability to grasp their logic. This also signals the beginning of Arjie's feelings of gendered estrangement, which he would carry with him for the rest of his life. “Yet those Sundays, when I was seven, were the beginning of my exile from the world I loved,” the narrator observes sadly (Selvadurai 4). The exile he mentions stems from his dissatisfaction with the society's traditional gender norms. As a result, even before his family is forced to relocate to Canada due to terrible circumstances, he is already experiencing psychological estrangement as a result of his non-heteronormative sexuality.

Arjie's new school is another place where he has to deal with ethnic and gender divides. Arjie's father chooses to shift his school to Queen Victoria Academy because it will "push [him] to become a man" in the portion of the novel titled "The Best School of All" (Selvadurai 210). Young males are taught to model their conduct after dominant masculine stereotypes at this educational institution, which is regulated by a hyper-masculinity culture. Students address one another by their last names, and harsh physical penalties are not uncommon. “Once you arrive to Queen Victoria Academy, you are a man,” Arjie's older brother, Diggy, urges him not to complain about the use of harsh punishment. If you don't handle it like a man, the other lads will look down on you” (Selvadurai 211).

Arjie meets Soyza inside this hyper-masculinity culture, and their connection will play a key part in Arjie's acceptance of his homosexuality. Soyza is regarded as a misfit at the Academy; he is frequently harassed by his peers, and Black Tie, the principal, labels him a "ills and burden" pupil. There are also rumours regarding his purported homosexuality, which has turned him into the school's laughingstock. At the same time, ethnic and political conflicts and fears pervade the school.

It's worth noting that both the home and the school are symbolic of the nation-state as a whole. At the national level, the network of gender and political interactions that make up these places is replicated. The family is supposed to function as a heteronormative unit under this framework, with each gender having a distinct social role. Women are recognised as nurturers and caregivers within the home household, whilst males are meant to be providers who travel into the wider social world. There is no clearly defined function for queer people, i.e., persons who do not identify with either of the heteronormative set's two binaries, in this very tightly organised framework. Similarly, the school is designed to mould young males into pre-determined, socially sanctioned manhood models. Anyone who refuses to play these roles is labelled as either "funny" or "ills and burdens" to the country. In other words, someone who is unable to fit into the standard heteronormative binary will find themselves in an uncertain position within society and the nation-state. As a result, they are frequently punished by societies' conventional moral codes.

Q 5. Explain the significance of the framed narrative in the Bhimayana.

Ans) Even though the audience is watching occurrences from the past (incidents of persecution suffered by the Dalit community in general and Dr Ambedkar in particular), the present-day realities of Dalits are remarkably comparable. Bhimayana is a counter-narrative to upper-caste hegemony that not only delineates the trajectory of historical trauma but also provides an effective counter-abuse language. Repeated allusions to cases of rape of dalit women expose the upper castes' double standards and hypocrisy.

The poem begins with a scene from any "one day in recent history" in which two persons are seated at a bus stop debating the importance of caste-based reservations in education and employment prospects. The text's present significance stems from this image, which illustrates the modern generation's varied perspectives on affirmative action for oppressed minorities. The text's framing technique is page 11, which is brought to life by only three dialogues but many pictures portraying "contemporary times." As knowledge is produced around the intricate dialectics of anti-caste ideology through questions and answers between these two persons, there is a continual back and forth movement in time. Near the conclusion, the two persons come to an understanding about the caste fight, which is intended as much for the audience as it is for the characters in question. The essay seeks to portray a prejudice-free portrayal of caste-based struggle from the past to the present by doing so. The newspaper cut-outs that discuss the modern-day dehumanisation of Dalit existence serve the same objective, which is to emphasise Bhimayana's present relevance.

Shelter, the second section of the book, begins with a photograph of a mature Ambedkar dressed in a suit and spectacles, symbolising his interaction with western education and cultural ideals. He had nearly forgotten about the feeling of being untouchable while at Columbia. In a chat with a fellow brahmin passenger on a train to Baroda in 1917 to start a government job, he is reminded of his status in the social system.

He goes to Baroda to join the Accountant General's Office as a Probationer, but he can't find a place to reside in Baroda. Despite his best attempts, he is unable to find refuge in Baroda. An armed mob of Parsis violently evicts him from his temporary stay at a Parsi Inn. Because of his lower caste position, none of his friends will let him remain at their house.

Helpless, he resolves to take the next train back to Bombay. He decides to spend the next five hours at the Kamathi Baug public garden because he has nowhere else to go. This chain of events stems from the realisation that an untouchable is untouchable not just for upper-caste Hindus, but also for Parsis, Christians, and Muslims. The framed narrative also debunks the popular belief that caste exists exclusively in rural areas of the country. Despite his academic credentials, Ambedkar was denied a refuge in the city of Baroda. The situation in modern Indian cities is barely any better, with comparable episodes of forceful eviction, caste-based insults, public beatings, and so on occurring on a near-daily basis.

In 1934, the third novel Travel is set in Aurangabad. Ambedkar was already regarded as a powerful leader of the oppressed classes at this point. He was deeply committed to the cause of Dalit communities and fought tirelessly to bring about their socio-political awakening. The passage here discusses the Hindu fold's rigorous structure of chaturvarnashrama, in which a dalit is looked down upon even by those doing lowly occupations like driving a tonga. Even physicians are afraid of polluting their sense of purity by touching or treating the body of a dalit patient. The framed narrative then returns to the key issues surrounding Gandhi and Ambedkar's contributions to the establishment of egalitarian ideals in society. The essay emphasises that Ambedkar was a lifelong champion of equality for all parts of society in order to make them self-sufficient and capable of fighting for their own rights. Gandhi, on the other hand, was more focused on the battle for independence. While the former advocated for the full abolition of the caste system in order to bring all people up to par, the latter advocated for merely cosmetic adjustments to the caste system in order to accommodate untouchables inside the Hindu caste system's fourfold framework. He finally converted to Buddhism in 1956 after being dissatisfied with Hinduism's regressive caste structure.