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PhD Researcher in the UK; Ask any question within English [Optional]; No charges; Can check Answers

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  • I didn't read the thread properly. This is purely for optional. I'm sorry and scared. Mods, please delete my comments. :#
  • @VSH_DU2015 , sir sorry for butting in uninvited but it would help all of us immensely if you could share your valuable ideas on essay writing, either here or maybe in another thread, when you are free. :#
    Wakaao [? why do people have such difficult usernames, like burger, wakaao, pizza, what is all this! Is it only me who finds it weird, is it a generation gap, am I that old already! uff! ]

    Anyway, hello. essay writing, I will need to prepare for Civils myself for that! :) I am sorry, apart from the language, structure, coherence point of view, I don't think I can help out much there. I would want to, but, honestly, different points that need to be covered in a contemporary, socio-political issues, is beyond my expertise, at least right now. I think experts are here on the forum to help with that. Essays on socio-political-historical issues are more than language, I guess. You need to be abreast of all the facts, which is the major deal-breaker there, according to me. The examiners are experts and know when you don't know the facts. All I can say here, as I myself have been an examiner for many exams, examiners don't expect you to cram your essay with a bombardment of several points. Contrary to what candidates often think, it loses the impact of the essay. Unless you can analyse and give a perspective on an issue, your essay - even with all crammed points - will be like a patchwork of points taken from different sources. Don't do that.

    Abhi jin logon ne mujhe essay Pm kara hai, vohi check karne ka time nahi hua! But I am trying my best to squeeze time here and there, and get back to them. All the best.
  • @VSH_DU2015 , sir sorry for butting in uninvited but it would help all of us immensely if you could share your valuable ideas on essay writing, either here or maybe in another thread, when you are free. :#
    Wakaao [? why do people have such difficult usernames, like burger, wakaao, pizza, what is all this! Is it only me who finds it weird, is it a generation gap, am I that old already! uff! ]

    Anyway, hello. essay writing, I will need to prepare for Civils myself for that! :) I am sorry, apart from the language, structure, coherence point of view, I don't think I can help out much there. I would want to, but, honestly, different points that need to be covered in a contemporary, socio-political issues, is beyond my expertise, at least right now. I think experts are here on the forum to help with that. Essays on socio-political-historical issues are more than language, I guess. You need to be abreast of all the facts, which is the major deal-breaker there, according to me. The examiners are experts and know when you don't know the facts. All I can say here, as I myself have been an examiner for many exams, examiners don't expect you to cram your essay with a bombardment of several points. Contrary to what candidates often think, it loses the impact of the essay. Unless you can analyse and give a perspective on an issue, your essay - even with all crammed points - will be like a patchwork of points taken from different sources. Don't do that.

    Abhi jin logon ne mujhe essay Pm kara hai, vohi check karne ka time nahi hua! But I am trying my best to squeeze time here and there, and get back to them. All the best.
    Thank you so much sir. The parts in bold were really helpful. Thank you.
  • @VSH_DU2015 God bless your kind soul!

    If I might be permitted to be further pushy, however, what about the novels? Currently I'm in the midst of them. Just finished the rather dreary but nevertheless beautiful Mr. Biswas and the curious Passage to India and will be delving into Mrs Dalloway and then the American Literature. Obviously race and development of society would be imp. for the American ones and perhaps the ideas of laissez faire and the industrial revolution, and the impact of the war in the Brit novels - but are there any other concrete themes to keep in mind?

    For instance I'm about 30% into Mrs. Dalloway (no pun intended - altho it seems Peter Walsh wishes so! ) and I kind of already understand what kind of person she is and what conflict of emotions she's feeling. I also understand the adulation for Monarchy and respect for the British Military considering it's just after the war - but I can't possibly see any other questions in my mind. What other themes should I have grasped? This question is rather specific I admit - you don't need to answer this specifically but pray do tell what sort of things one needs to keep in mind when reading the long novels - since they go on for pages and pages! Living through Lord Jim for instance was a roller coaster - but I wonder if I remember/appreciated the things I should have so I can write good answers to particularly UPSC questions and not just have a good conversation about these books while sipping coffee. Sort of like they tell you to see the questions asked in Modern History of India - before reading the Modern History of India. To that end, I have already seen the questions of last 10 years, but if there's a more exhaustive list elsewhere, that'd be super! Hope you get my drift.

    Thanks hell of a lot again!! (I do hope you excuse my informal tone!)

    Cheers.

  • @VSH_DU2015 I suppose I will know and appreciate the things I need to, when I read the analysis. Ramji Lall or Worldview or Norton, whichever. Just a general idea of what themes to keep in mind for each of the novels is what I'm looking for. A Delhi University, Eng (Hons) student would look at the questions asked in her course about these texts for eg. and since I've never been a lit student, I'm not privy to that, and that's basically what I'm seeking.

    In essence I'm finding it difficult to switch off the dreamy aspect of the books and stick to the business (exam) part of it and therefore hard concrete questions would do one a lot of good, I feel.

    Sincerely hope this dilemma is something others feel too and hence my question (and your answer to it) would help everyone else as well.

    Best
  • @VSH_DU2015 I suppose I will know and appreciate the things I need to, when I read the analysis. Ramji Lall or Worldview or Norton, whichever. Just a general idea of what themes to keep in mind for each of the novels is what I'm looking for. A Delhi University, Eng (Hons) student would look at the questions asked in her course about these texts for eg. and since I've never been a lit student, I'm not privy to that, and that's basically what I'm seeking.

    Hello,
    First, for a non-lit, wow, your English is impeccable. I drool over words used in a right way. So, you won my heart. :) You, literally earned this answer. Cheers to that. And I got the 'into Mrs. Dalloway pun', laughable. You're on fire, girl [I wish] /boy! Your question is too meticulous, I must say. How can you not be an Eng-lit person, I wonder! Anyway, I get the drift. I will write back after 18th or 19th, as I am really engrossed in some research work which I need to finish. I will give a detailed answer to your query.

    But for the time being, to help you with your current reading, so that you don't waste time till I come next, while reading Mrs. Dalloway, a couple of general things are way too important to be ignored:

    1) Virginia Woolf's position in Stream of Consciousness movement. Look at her personal life a bit as well.
    2) Symbols of various kinds - which speak about psychology and consciousness - you can relate it to Kantian metaphysics etc this is super important. Make a list of all important symbols and metaphors, Woolf uses and note their importance in conveying the 'essence' Woolf wishes to convey.
    3) The gender question, Woolf's feminism. She wrote 'A Room of One's Own [published on 24th October 1929]

    Questions that I can think of are:
    1)Point of view, importance of perspectives through different characters
    2) Imagery - precisely sound and vision imagery and its connect to character development, emotion etc
    3) Episodes of epiphany
    4) Social Class debates
    5) Explain specific words, phrases or sentences from the text. I think this you will be able to do fine if you finish primary reading.

    Take care.





  • Hello,
    First, for a non-lit, wow, your English is impeccable. I drool over words used in a right way. So, you won my heart. :) You, literally earned this answer. Cheers to that. And I got the 'into Mrs. Dalloway pun', laughable. You're on fire, girl [I wish] /boy! Your question is too meticulous, I must say. How can you not be an Eng-lit person, I wonder! Anyway, I get the drift. I will write back after 18th or 19th, as I am really engrossed in some research work which I need to finish. I will give a detailed answer to your query.

    Haha, gee, that's rather sweet of you to say! Very encouraging to the idea that I picked the right optional. Ah, but sorry to shatter your notion, very much a bloke with a rather boring IITIIM b/g ( neither of which is helpful in UPSC prep :/ ). I did work in the City (of London) for couple of years and in general have a flair for the language I suppose. Have read a few novels earlier on - stuff like Daphne du Maurier, Dumas, Dickens, Kafka etc. - perhaps that's where one acquired it.

    But more importantly, what a fantastic response from you!! Exactly - and I can't overemphasise on it - what I was looking for, and am ignorant about! I'll keep the things you said in mind while reading the rest of Dalloway. After all, who's afraid of Virginia Woolf eh? :D Hopefully that'll earn me more responses and guidance from you. :)

    Good luck with your research! Take care as well!

  • @VSH_DU2015 Waiting for your Motivational article (for next week) :smile:
    Your previous Article was really appreciated.
  • @VSH_DU2015 hello ! Am attempting a poetry question from Auden. Please do review and suggest how to make a high number fetching answer . Thanks ...

    Q:1 part b 2003 CSE PAPER II
    20 marks
    Write short note on: Auden's attitlute to the Unknown Citizen


  • @VSH_DU2015 hello ! Am attempting another poetry question from Auden. Please do review and suggest how to make a high number fetching answer . Thanks ...

    Q:1 part c 2007 CSE PAPER II
    20 marks

    Write short note on: W.H Auden's reading of Breghel's Icarus in "Musee des Beuax Arts"
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