Mulk-Raj-Anand - Practice MCQs
Practice multiple choice questions on Mulk Raj Anand for exam preparation.
6. Practice MCQs for Mulk Raj Anand
This section contains 100 multiple-choice questions to test your knowledge of Mulk Raj Anand. Click on “Answer” to reveal the correct choice.
1. Mulk Raj Anand is often referred to as the “Indian Charles Dickens” due to his focus on: a) Historical romances b) Detective stories c) The lives of the poor and oppressed d) Philosophical debates
Answer
c) The lives of the poor and oppressed
2. Which of Anand’s novels is considered his debut and most famous protest novel? a) Coolie b) Two Leaves and a Bud c) Untouchable d) The Big Heart
Answer
c) Untouchable
3. The protagonist of Untouchable is a toilet-cleaner named: a) Munoo b) Gangu c) Bakha d) Lal Singh
Answer
c) Bakha
4. Who wrote the introduction to Anand’s novel Untouchable? a) Mahatma Gandhi b) E.M. Forster c) Jawaharlal Nehru d) W.B. Yeats
Answer
b) E.M. Forster
5. The novel Coolie follows the journey of a young orphan named: a) Bakha b) Munoo c) Gangu d) Vicky
Answer
b) Munoo
6. Two Leaves and a Bud exposes the exploitation of laborers on a: a) Cotton mill b) Coal mine c) Tea plantation d) Railway construction site
Answer
c) Tea plantation
7. The protagonist of Two Leaves and a Bud is: a) Bakha b) Munoo c) Gangu d) Lal Singh
Answer
c) Gangu
8. Anand’s trilogy, which traces the career of Lal Singh, includes: a) Untouchable, Coolie, Two Leaves and a Bud b) The Village, Across the Black Waters, The Sword and the Sickle c) The Big Heart, The Private Life of an Indian Prince, The Road d) Seven Summers, Morning Face, The Bubble
Answer
b) The Village, Across the Black Waters, The Sword and the Sickle
9. Which of Anand’s novels is notable for being his only one with a female protagonist, Gauri? a) The Big Heart b) The Road c) The Old Woman and the Cow d) The Private Life of an Indian Prince
Answer
c) The Old Woman and the Cow
10. Seven Summers is the first volume of Anand’s autobiographical series titled: a) My Days b) Seven Ages of Man c) The Story of My Life d) My Experiments with Truth
Answer
b) Seven Ages of Man
11. Which of Anand’s autobiographical novels won the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1971? a) Seven Summers b) Morning Face c) Confession of a Lover d) The Bubble
Answer
b) Morning Face
12. The Private Life of an Indian Prince explores the psychological disintegration of a Maharaja during the period of: a) British colonial rule b) India’s independence and integration of princely states c) The Mughal Empire d) The Partition of India
Answer
b) India’s independence and integration of princely states
13. Anand was a key member of which literary movement in India? a) The Bengal Renaissance b) The Progressive Writers’ Association c) The Dalit Literature Movement d) The Modernist Movement
Answer
b) The Progressive Writers’ Association
14. Anand’s writing style is primarily characterized by: a) Romanticism and idealism b) Fantasy and escapism c) Social realism and didacticism d) Post-modern experimentation
Answer
c) Social realism and didacticism
15. What unique linguistic feature did Anand often incorporate into his English prose? a) Latin phrases b) French idioms c) Punjabi and Hindustani idioms d) Sanskrit verses
Answer
c) Punjabi and Hindustani idioms
16. The novel Untouchable is set over the course of how much time? a) A week b) A month c) A single day d) A year
Answer
c) A single day
17. In Untouchable, Bakha overhears three potential solutions to his plight. Which of these is NOT one of them? a) Christianity b) Gandhian reform c) Armed revolution d) The flush toilet (technology)
Answer
c) Armed revolution
18. The novel Coolie is often described as a “prose epic” of: a) Ancient India b) Modern India c) Rural India d) Colonial India
Answer
b) Modern India
19. Munoo’s journey in Coolie takes him through various places, including: a) Delhi, Agra, Jaipur b) Calcutta, Madras, Bombay c) Daulatpur, Bombay, Shimla d) Lahore, Peshawar, Karachi
Answer
c) Daulatpur, Bombay, Shimla
20. The central theme of Coolie is: a) Religious conversion b) Economic exploitation and class oppression c) The search for spiritual enlightenment d) Romantic love across social barriers
Answer
b) Economic exploitation and class oppression
21. In Two Leaves and a Bud, the tea plantation is managed by the cruel British manager: a) Mr. Johnson b) Reggie Croft-Cooke c) Captain Smith d) Sir Richard
Answer
b) Reggie Croft-Cooke
22. The tragic climax of Two Leaves and a Bud involves the death of Gangu and the acquittal of Croft-Cooke, highlighting the injustice of: a) The British legal system b) The Indian caste system c) The plantation owners d) The local police
Answer
a) The British legal system
23. Seven Summers is a memoir of Anand’s life up to the age of: a) Five b) Seven c) Ten d) Twelve
Answer
b) Seven
24. The protagonist of Seven Summers is Anand’s alter ego named: a) Bakha b) Munoo c) Krishan d) Vicky
Answer
c) Krishan
25. The Private Life of an Indian Prince is narrated by: a) The Prince himself b) His wife c) His personal physician, Dr. Shankar d) An omniscient narrator
Answer
c) His personal physician, Dr. Shankar
26. The central theme of The Private Life of an Indian Prince is the psychological disintegration of the Maharaja due to: a) His love for his wife b) His political ambition c) His inability to cope with the end of princely rule d) His religious devotion
Answer
c) His inability to cope with the end of princely rule
27. The female protagonist of The Old Woman and the Cow is: a) Sohini b) Leila c) Gauri d) Mini
Answer
c) Gauri
28. The Old Woman and the Cow draws parallels with the mythological tale of: a) Radha and Krishna b) Rama and Sita c) Shiva and Parvati d) Arjuna and Draupadi
Answer
b) Rama and Sita
29. Anand received the Padma Bhushan in which year? a) 1968 b) 1971 c) 1953 d) 2004
Answer
a) 1968
30. Which magazine did Mulk Raj Anand found and edit for a quarter century? a) The Indian Review b) Marg c) The Modern Review d) The Illustrated Weekly of India
Answer
b) Marg
31. Anand’s work is often noted for its perceptive insight into the lives of the: a) Aristocracy b) Middle class c) Oppressed d) Intellectuals
Answer
c) Oppressed
32. The novel The Big Heart focuses on the conflict between: a) Farmers and landlords b) Hereditary coppersmiths and capitalists c) Religious groups d) Political parties
Answer
b) Hereditary coppersmiths and capitalists
33. Which of these is NOT part of Anand’s Lal Singh trilogy? a) The Village b) Across the Black Waters c) The Road d) The Sword and the Sickle
Answer
c) The Road
34. The novel The Road revisits the theme of: a) Colonialism b) Untouchability c) Industrialization d) Rural poverty
Answer
b) Untouchability
35. Anand’s autobiographical series Seven Ages of Man was planned to be how many volumes? a) Three b) Five c) Seven d) Ten
Answer
c) Seven
36. The character of Dr. Shankar in The Private Life of an Indian Prince serves as the prince’s: a) Political advisor b) Personal physician and confidant c) Financial manager d) Spiritual guru
Answer
b) Personal physician and confidant
37. The novel The Old Woman and the Cow critiques the role of ________ in perpetuating gender inequality. a) Education b) Superstition c) Modernization d) Government policies
Answer
b) Superstition
38. Anand’s early life was marked by a family tragedy involving his aunt’s suicide, which was caused by: a) Financial ruin b) Excommunication for sharing a meal with a Muslim woman c) A failed love affair d) A political dispute
Answer
b) Excommunication for sharing a meal with a Muslim woman
39. During World War II, Anand worked for the BBC as a: a) War correspondent b) Scriptwriter c) Radio announcer d) Censor
Answer
b) Scriptwriter
40. Anand’s novels are often described as having a strong sense of: a) Romantic escapism b) Psychological thriller c) Social conscience d) Historical accuracy
Answer
c) Social conscience
41. The novel Untouchable uses which narrative technique to give insight into Bakha’s thoughts? a) First-person narration b) Epistolary form c) Stream of consciousness d) Omniscient narrator
Answer
c) Stream of consciousness
42. In Coolie, Munoo’s journey ends tragically with his death from: a) Starvation b) An accident c) Tuberculosis d) A fight
Answer
c) Tuberculosis
43. The character Leila in Two Leaves and a Bud is Gangu’s: a) Wife b) Sister c) Daughter d) Mother
Answer
c) Daughter
44. Seven Summers provides a child’s-eye view of life in a: a) Rural village b) Bustling city c) British Indian military cantonment d) Princely state
Answer
c) British Indian military cantonment
45. The Maharaja in The Private Life of an Indian Prince is named: a) Raja Rao b) Ashok Kumar c) Victor Edward George Ashok Kumar d) Mulk Raj
Answer
c) Victor Edward George Ashok Kumar
46. The novel The Old Woman and the Cow is a reinterpretation of which Indian epic? a) Mahabharata b) Ramayana c) Bhagavad Gita d) Puranas
Answer
b) Ramayana
47. Anand was influenced by which British novelist, who also wrote the introduction to Untouchable? a) Charles Dickens b) George Orwell c) E.M. Forster d) Virginia Woolf
Answer
c) E.M. Forster
48. The theme of “power and corruption” is central to which of Anand’s novels? a) Coolie b) Untouchable c) The Private Life of an Indian Prince d) Seven Summers
Answer
c) The Private Life of an Indian Prince
49. Anand’s novels are noted for their analysis of: a) Romantic relationships b) Impoverishment, exploitation, and misfortune c) Scientific discoveries d) Historical battles
Answer
b) Impoverishment, exploitation, and misfortune
50. Which award did Anand receive in 1953? a) Sahitya Akademi Award b) Padma Bhushan c) International Peace Prize d) Booker Prize
Answer
c) International Peace Prize
51. The novel The Road (1961) is a companion piece to which earlier novel? a) Coolie b) Two Leaves and a Bud c) Untouchable d) The Big Heart
Answer
c) Untouchable
52. Anand’s autobiographical series is titled Seven Ages of Man, a reference to a speech from which Shakespearean play? a) Hamlet b) As You Like It c) Macbeth d) Romeo and Juliet
Answer
b) As You Like It
53. The character Ganga Dasi in The Private Life of an Indian Prince is the Maharaja’s: a) Wife b) Sister c) Mistress d) Daughter
Answer
c) Mistress
54. The novel The Old Woman and the Cow critiques the societal pressure on women to: a) Pursue education b) Have children c) Engage in politics d) Become independent
Answer
b) Have children
55. Anand’s work is often described as a “protest novel” because it: a) Protests against foreign rule b) Protests against social injustice and exploitation c) Protests against literary conventions d) Protests against religious practices
Answer
b) Protests against social injustice and exploitation
56. Which of these is a collection of short stories by Anand? a) The Village b) The Lost Child and Other Stories c) The Big Heart d) Morning Face
Answer
b) The Lost Child and Other Stories
57. The novel The Big Heart deals with the impact of ________ on traditional artisans. a) Colonialism b) Industrialization c) Globalization d) Urbanization
Answer
b) Industrialization
58. The character of Lal Singh appears in which of Anand’s works? a) Untouchable b) Coolie c) The Lal Singh Trilogy d) The Private Life of an Indian Prince
Answer
c) The Lal Singh Trilogy
59. Anand’s novel The Private Life of an Indian Prince is set in the period immediately after: a) The Sepoy Mutiny b) The Partition of India c) India’s Independence d) The First World War
Answer
c) India’s Independence
60. The novel The Old Woman and the Cow explores the theme of individual freedom against the backdrop of: a) Urban life b) Rural Indian society c) A princely court d) A tea plantation
Answer
b) Rural Indian society
61. Anand’s early experiences with the caste system were a major influence on his writing, particularly after: a) His education in England b) His aunt’s suicide c) His work for the BBC d) His meeting with Mahatma Gandhi
Answer
b) His aunt’s suicide
62. Which of these is a non-fiction work by Anand on Indian art? a) Conversations in Bloomsbury b) Kama Kala c) The Bubble d) Seven Summers
Answer
b) Kama Kala
63. The novel Coolie is a critique of: a) Feudalism b) Colonialism c) Industrial capitalism d) Religious fundamentalism
Answer
c) Industrial capitalism
64. The character of Bakha in Untouchable is a symbol of: a) The rebellious youth b) The oppressed untouchable c) The enlightened intellectual d) The traditional village elder
Answer
b) The oppressed untouchable
65. The novel Two Leaves and a Bud is set in: a) Punjab b) Uttar Pradesh c) Assam d) Bengal
Answer
c) Assam
66. Seven Summers is considered a work of: a) Historical fiction b) Autobiographical memoir c) Science fiction d) Detective fiction
Answer
b) Autobiographical memoir
67. The Maharaja in The Private Life of an Indian Prince is named Victor Edward George Ashok Kumar, but is commonly called: a) Vicky b) Ashok c) George d) Edward
Answer
a) Vicky
68. The novel The Old Woman and the Cow explores the theme of superstition versus: a) Tradition b) Modernity c) Rationality d) Faith
Answer
c) Rationality
69. Anand’s novels are known for their depiction of the lives of the: a) Ruling class b) Middle class c) Poorer castes d) Foreigners in India
Answer
c) Poorer castes
70. Which of these awards did Anand receive in 1971? a) Padma Bhushan b) International Peace Prize c) Sahitya Akademi Award d) Padma Vibhushan
Answer
c) Sahitya Akademi Award
71. The novel Untouchable ends with Bakha pondering solutions from: a) Gandhi, a missionary, and a poet b) His father, his sister, and a friend c) A British officer, a lawyer, and a politician d) A guru, a saint, and a philosopher
Answer
a) Gandhi, a missionary, and a poet
72. The character Munoo in Coolie is constantly moving, symbolizing: a) His adventurous spirit b) The illusion of social mobility for the poor c) His desire to explore India d) His work as a travel guide
Answer
b) The illusion of social mobility for the poor
73. The novel Two Leaves and a Bud is a powerful indictment of: a) Religious conflict b) Colonial exploitation c) Urbanization d) Political corruption
Answer
b) Colonial exploitation
74. Seven Summers is a work of personal reflection, exploring the formation of a young boy’s consciousness against the backdrop of: a) A bustling city b) A remote village c) A colonial military cantonment d) A princely palace
Answer
c) A colonial military cantonment
75. The psychological disintegration of the Maharaja in The Private Life of an Indian Prince is partly due to his obsession with: a) Power b) Wealth c) Ganga Dasi d) His family
Answer
c) Ganga Dasi
76. Gauri’s final act in The Old Woman and the Cow is: a) To reconcile with her husband b) To commit suicide c) To leave her husband and the village, asserting her freedom d) To become a religious ascetic
Answer
c) To leave her husband and the village, asserting her freedom
77. Anand’s literary style is often described as: a) Abstract and experimental b) Direct and unflinching c) Flowery and ornate d) Humorous and lighthearted
Answer
b) Direct and unflinching
78. The novel The Road focuses on the struggle of an untouchable community to: a) Build a new temple b) Construct a road c) Gain political power d) Establish a school
Answer
b) Construct a road
79. Anand’s work is considered foundational to Indian English literature because he: a) Introduced Western literary forms b) Focused on universal themes c) Gave voice to the marginalized and Indianized the English language d) Wrote exclusively for an international audience
Answer
c) Gave voice to the marginalized and Indianized the English language
80. The character of Dr. Shankar in The Private Life of an Indian Prince represents: a) The corrupt elite b) The voice of reason and modernity c) The traditional Indian physician d) A revolutionary leader
Answer
b) The voice of reason and modernity
81. The novel The Old Woman and the Cow highlights the vulnerability of women to: a) Economic independence b) Superstition and male dominance c) Modern education d) Political activism
Answer
b) Superstition and male dominance
82. Anand’s novels are often described as having a strong sense of: a) Optimism b) Pessimism c) Social justice d) Individualism
Answer
c) Social justice
83. The novel Untouchable was a groundbreaking work because it: a) Was the first Indian novel in English b) Directly confronted the issue of untouchability c) Introduced a new literary genre d) Was written by a woman
Answer
b) Directly confronted the issue of untouchability
84. Munoo’s journey in Coolie is a tragic odyssey through: a) The upper echelons of society b) The lower depths of Indian society c) The academic world d) The political landscape
Answer
b) The lower depths of Indian society
85. The assistant manager in Two Leaves and a Bud, who is aware of the injustice but complicit, is: a) Mr. Johnson b) De la Havre c) Captain Smith d) Mr. Brown
Answer
b) De la Havre
86. Seven Summers explores the theme of the formation of a child’s: a) Physical strength b) Intellectual abilities c) Consciousness d) Social skills
Answer
c) Consciousness
87. The novel The Private Life of an Indian Prince is a powerful character study of a ________ prince. a) Benevolent b) Wise c) Neurotic and tyrannical d) Humble
Answer
c) Neurotic and tyrannical
88. The cow in The Old Woman and the Cow symbolizes: a) Poverty b) Fertility and prosperity c) Ignorance d) Oppression
Answer
b) Fertility and prosperity
89. Anand’s work is often compared to that of Charles Dickens due to their shared concern for: a) The supernatural b) Social reform and the poor c) Historical events d) Romantic love
Answer
b) Social reform and the poor
90. The novel The Big Heart is set in a community of: a) Farmers b) Fishermen c) Coppersmiths d) Weavers
Answer
c) Coppersmiths
91. Anand’s use of the stream of consciousness technique in Untouchable allows the reader to: a) Understand the plot better b) Experience Bakha’s inner world directly c) Predict future events d) Learn about Indian history
Answer
b) Experience Bakha’s inner world directly
92. The novel Coolie is a critique of the dehumanizing effects of: a) Traditional customs b) Industrialization c) Religious practices d) Political ideologies
Answer
b) Industrialization
93. The colonial justice system in Two Leaves and a Bud is portrayed as: a) Fair and impartial b) Biased and protective of the powerful c) Efficient and quick d) Non-existent
Answer
b) Biased and protective of the powerful
94. Seven Summers explores the tensions between Krishan’s father’s loyalty to the British and his mother’s connection to: a) Western culture b) Indian traditions c) Modern science d) Urban life
Answer
b) Indian traditions
95. The novel The Private Life of an Indian Prince is a powerful exploration of: a) Political revolution b) Psychological disintegration c) Economic growth d) Social harmony
Answer
b) Psychological disintegration
96. Gauri’s journey in The Old Woman and the Cow is one of: a) Spiritual enlightenment b) Self-discovery and liberation c) Political activism d) Economic prosperity
Answer
b) Self-discovery and liberation
97. Anand’s commitment to social justice was fueled by his belief that art should: a) Be purely for aesthetic pleasure b) Serve a social purpose c) Be apolitical d) Focus on individual emotions
Answer
b) Serve a social purpose
98. The novel Untouchable was a courageous act because it: a) Criticized the British government b) Exposed a taboo subject in Indian society c) Was written in English d) Was published internationally
Answer
b) Exposed a taboo subject in Indian society
99. The ending of Two Leaves and a Bud is described as: a) Triumphant b) Ambiguous c) Bleak and tragic d) Humorous
Answer
c) Bleak and tragic
100. Anand’s work is considered foundational to Indian English literature because he was one of the first to: a) Write in a purely Western style b) Focus on urban life exclusively c) Gain international readership for Indian themes in English d) Write historical fiction
Answer
c) Gain international readership for Indian themes in English