UPSC Prelims 2009 Q23: Art & Culture – Literature & Languages
Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the code given below the lists:
List I (Book)
A. In Custody
B. Sea of Poppies
C. The Argumentative Indian
D. Unaccustomed Earth
List II (Author)
1. Amartya Sen
2. Amitav Ghosh
3. Anita Desai
4. Jhumpa Lahiri
- (a) A - 4 B - 1 C - 2 D - 3
- (b) A - 4 B - 2 C - 1 D - 3
- (c) A - 3 B - 2 C - 1 D - 4
- (d) A - 3 B - 1 C - 2 D - 4
Answer: (c) A - 3 B - 2 C - 1 D - 4
Explanation
Matching books to their authors
Four notable books are matched here to the authors who wrote them.
| Book | Author |
|---|---|
| A. In Custody | 3. Anita Desai |
| B. Sea of Poppies | 2. Amitav Ghosh |
| C. The Argumentative Indian | 1. Amartya Sen |
| D. Unaccustomed Earth | 4. Jhumpa Lahiri |
Why this matching is correct:
| Point | Detail |
|---|---|
| In Custody | A novel by Anita Desai |
| Sea of Poppies | Part of Amitav Ghosh's Ibis Trilogy |
| The Argumentative Indian | Essays by Nobel laureate Amartya Sen |
| Unaccustomed Earth | Short stories by Jhumpa Lahiri |
Answer: (c) A-3, B-2, C-1, D-4.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Incorrect. This swaps A and D's correct authors.
- (b) Incorrect. This misassigns A, B, and C, reversing their correct authors.
- (c) CORRECT. A-3 (Anita Desai), B-2 (Amitav Ghosh), C-1 (Amartya Sen), D-4 (Jhumpa Lahiri) is the accurate matching.
- (d) Incorrect. This misassigns B and C, swapping their correct authors.
Key point
In Custody-Anita Desai, Sea of Poppies-Amitav Ghosh, The Argumentative Indian-Amartya Sen, Unaccustomed Earth-Jhumpa Lahiri — the correct matching.
Remember
Book-author matching: In Custody-Desai, Sea of Poppies-Ghosh, The Argumentative Indian-Sen, Unaccustomed Earth-Lahiri.
Common mistakes
- Confusing Anita Desai's novel with another author's work on a similar theme.
- Not knowing Amartya Sen's essay collection, 'The Argumentative Indian'.
- Mixing up Amitav Ghosh and Jhumpa Lahiri's respective acclaimed works.
Exam tip
Desai=In Custody, Ghosh=Sea of Poppies, Sen=The Argumentative Indian, Lahiri=Unaccustomed Earth. Four distinct book-author pairings.
Sources
- Anita Desai — In Custody (Heinemann, 1984)
- Amitav Ghosh — Sea of Poppies (John Murray, 2008)
- Amartya Sen — The Argumentative Indian (Allen Lane, 2005)