Exam English Questions ( Subject: ENGLISH )

It has been argued by many critics that Larsen’s novel Passing focuses on the question of desire of same sex and targets the question of race, gender and ethnicity. It might be proposed that Larsen’s Passing has destabilized the traditional concepts of racial, ethnic and gender veracity which is fundamentally executed through the accepted definition of identity.  Therefore, based on this notion I do not agree with Kahan’s views about the problems associated with the textual ambiguities as Larsen has explored the themes effectively and in an eloquent way that do not cross the racial divides and remain unutterable. However, at the same time this also points out toward the fact that all characters are masked in such a way that do not make them socially acceptable in a society. For instance, Clare has weaved through both of her worlds in order to satisfy her desires, but leads toward a tragic end.  Similarly, the character of Irene is depicted as an opposite who needs much security in life. Yet even though Claire has lived recklessly she has found some degree of happiness in the world that remains unachievable for Irene. If we look back into the 1920s it becomes quite evident that public revelations around the concepts of sexuality and race were not considered as an accepted norm. As a result, the profound and deep desires tended to rose due to the social restrictions. As when Larsen writes “We shy away from it with an odd kind of revulsion, but we protect it” (Larsen 67). Thus the women in the novel Passing seem to be detached from their identities and isolate from their gender and race, even though they had tried hard in sustaining their identities which have been assigned to them.

                                              Question 2

The current paper will show a deep comparison of mother nature and the city life through different symbols, themes and allegories presented in both the poems. The two poems chosen are  “Thirteen ways of looking at a blackbird Blackbirds” by Wallace Stevens and “ In a station of a metro” by  Ezra Pound. American poets in the first half of 20th century were inspired by imagist style of writing poems and depicted the fragility of life in different ways. The poem Thirteen ways of looking at a blackbird Blackbirds by Wallace Stevens depict the universal symbol of the poem which might be considered as one of the common creatures chosen in carrying a wide collection of different meanings. At the basic levels the poet can be considered as poet of nature as he perceives his notions and elaborate them into the elements of poetic verses through his observation of nature and different ways of looking objects. Wallace through the symbol of black bird has represented the beauty and mystery of life and death which are considered as the key elements of mother nature. At the same time once the audience understands the symbols of nature presented in the nature they also become aware of nature's intrinsic uncertainties and doubts.
            As compared to Wallace, Ezra on the other hand has shown the busy life of a city through the portrayal of life in a metro. He has drawn a picture of a busy crowd in the metro station of Paris and compare the people with “ghosts”. He considers the busy crowd as ghost because those people just come and go and don’t know each other. This draws some interesting facts as how the people in the urban life don’t know much about each other and do not want to mingle with each other as compared to nature, where bird, trees and beautiful shores meet together at all ends.