CSS English Literature Past Paper 2024

Instructions specific to this paper

• First attempt PART-I (MCQs) on separate OMR Answer Sheet which shall be taken back
• Answers given anywhere else, other than OMR Answer Sheet, will not be considered.
• Attempt ONLY FOUR questions from PART-II. ALL questions carry EQUAL marks.

Part-II questions

1. Q. 220 marks

   Critically analyze whether Emerson's transcendentalist philosophy has enduring value and applicability in addressing current societal and individual concerns.

2. Q. 320 marks

   Investigate O’ Henry's intentions in crafting "The Gift of the Magi" and how his writing style contributes to the story's impact? What literary devices does he employ to evoke emotions and convey the central message?

3. Q. 420 marks

   Explore ecocritical perspectives in "Tintern Abbey." How does Wordsworth engage with ecological themes, and what environmental ethics can be discerned in the poem?

4. Q. 520 marks

   Investigate the portrayal of women in "Hamlet," focusing on Gertrude and Ophelia. How do gender roles and societal expectations influence their actions and outcomes? Discuss the agency or lack thereof granted to female characters in the play.

5. Q. 620 marks

   How do Orwell's warnings about authoritarianism, surveillance, and propaganda resonate with contemporary political and social developments? Discuss the enduring significance of "1984" in the 21st century as a cautionary tale.

6. Q. 720 marks

   What are the limitations and potential shortcomings of feminist approaches to literature? Evaluate the challenges and criticisms faced by Feminist Criticism as a literary theory.

7. Q. 820 marks

   Examine the thematic exploration of guilt, redemption, and atonement within the context of a judgmental society in Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Scarlet Letter."

Source & accuracy

Source:

The question paper is issued by the Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) for the CSS competitive examination. The paper itself is unaltered; the PDF here has an EduReach Academy cover page added.

How this text was produced:

Question text is extracted automatically from the PDF and is not a re-typed transcript. Part-I (the MCQ block answered on the OMR sheet) is not reproduced; what appears here is the Part-II descriptive paper. Where a paper is image-only or its text layer does not preserve reading order, no text is shown and the original PDF is offered instead.

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Standard FPSC instructions

Printed on this and every CSS paper.

• Part-II is to be attempted on the separate Answer Book.
• All the parts (if any) of each question must be attempted at one place instead of at different places.
• Write Q. No. in the Answer Book in accordance with Q. No. in the question paper.
• No page/space be left blank between the answers. All the blank pages of the Answer Book must be crossed.
• Extra attempt of any question or any part of the attempted question will not be considered.