Here are 10 MCQs on German Literature with short explanations.
1. Who is the author of Faust, a classic of German literature?
a) Friedrich Schiller
b) Bertolt Brecht
c) Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
d) Thomas Mann
Answer: c) Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Explanation: Goethe's Faust is a tragic play exploring ambition, knowledge, and the human condition through a pact with the devil.
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2. The Trial, a novel about bureaucratic absurdity, was written by:
a) Günter Grass
b) Franz Kafka
c) Friedrich Nietzsche
d) Hermann Hesse
Answer: b) Franz Kafka
Explanation: Kafka’s novel portrays Josef K., a man arrested for unknown reasons, highlighting existential anxiety and oppression.
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3. Bertolt Brecht is best known for his contributions to:
a) Romantic poetry
b) Historical fiction
c) Epic theatre and political drama
d) Symbolist prose
Answer: c) Epic theatre and political drama
Explanation: Brecht developed techniques like alienation effect to provoke critical thinking in the audience.
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4. Which novel by Thomas Mann explores the life of a writer and themes of decadence and disease?
a) Steppenwolf
b) Siddhartha
c) Death in Venice
d) The Magic Mountain
Answer: c) Death in Venice
Explanation: The story follows an aging writer's obsession with beauty and youth in Venice, reflecting decay and desire.
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5. Hermann Hesse’s Siddhartha is influenced by which tradition?
a) Christianity
b) German folklore
c) Buddhism and Indian philosophy
d) Roman mythology
Answer: c) Buddhism and Indian philosophy
Explanation: The novel follows a spiritual journey of self-discovery set in ancient India.
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6. Which German writer received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1999?
a) Thomas Mann
b) Günter Grass
c) Friedrich Dürrenmatt
d) Heinrich Böll
Answer: b) Günter Grass
Explanation: Grass received the Nobel for his novel The Tin Drum, part of the Danzig Trilogy, known for magical realism and political themes.
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7. What is a key theme in Kafka’s Metamorphosis?
a) Technological advancement
b) Religious salvation
c) Alienation and identity
d) Love and sacrifice
Answer: c) Alienation and identity
Explanation: The story of Gregor Samsa turning into an insect symbolizes estrangement from self, family, and society.
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8. Friedrich Schiller collaborated with Goethe in which literary movement?
a) Sturm und Drang (Storm and Stress)
b) Realism
c) Expressionism
d) Modernism
Answer: a) Sturm und Drang (Storm and Stress)
Explanation: This movement emphasized emotion, nature, and individual freedom in opposition to Enlightenment rationalism.
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9. Heinrich Böll’s The Clown deals with which post-war issue?
a) Urbanization
b) Consumer culture
c) Guilt and moral decay in post-Nazi Germany
d) Colonization
Answer: c) Guilt and moral decay in post-Nazi Germany
Explanation: Böll critiques hypocrisy in postwar German society through a tragicomic clown protagonist.
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10. The Sorrows of Young Werther by Goethe is a hallmark of which literary period?
a) Enlightenment
b) Romanticism
c) Realism
d) Naturalism
Answer: b) Romanticism
Explanation: The novel, told through letters, reflects intense emotion, individualism, and the struggle with societal norms.
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German Literature
UGC NET English Literature MCQs
Franz Kafka and Modernism
Goethe and Romanticism
Post-War German Fiction
Epic Theatre and Brecht
Hermann Hesse’s Philosophy
German Nobel Laureates
Themes of Alienation
German Classic Novels
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