Comprehension
The passage below is accompanied by four questions. Based on the passage, choose the best answer for each question.
For early postcolonial literature, the world of the novel was often the nation. Postcolonial novels were usually [concerned with] national questions. Sometimes the whole story of the novel was taken as an allegory of the nation, whether India or Tanzania. This was important for supporting anti-colonial nationalism, but could also be limiting - land-focused and inward looking.
My new book "Writing Ocean Worlds" explores another kind of world of the novel: not the village or nation, but the Indian Ocean world. The book describes a set of novels in which the Indian Ocean is at the centre of the story. It focuses on the novelists Amitav Ghosh, Abdulrazak Gurnah, Lindsey Collen and Joseph Conrad [who have] centred the Indian Ocean world in the majority of their novels. . . Their work reveals a world that is outward-looking full of movement, border-crossing and south-south interconnection. They are all very different - from colonially inclined (Conrad) to radically anti-capitalist (Collen), but together draw on and shape a wider sense of Indian Ocean space through themes, images, metaphors and language. This has the effect of remapping the world in the reader's mind, as centred in the interconnected global south. ... The Indian Ocean world is a term used to describe the very long-lasting connections among the coasts of East Africa, the Arab coasts, and South and East Asia. 
These connections were made possible by the geography of the Indian Ocean. For much of history, travel by sea was much easier than by land, which meant that port cities very far apart were often more easily connected to each other than to much closer inland cities. Historical and archaeological evidence suggests that what we now call globalisation first appeared in the Indian Ocean. This is the interconnected oceanic world referenced and produced by the novels in my book. For their part Ghosh, Gurnah, Collen and even Conrad reference a different set of histories and geographies than the ones most commonly found in fiction in English. Those [commonly found ones] are mostly centred in Europe or the US, assume a background of Christianity and whiteness, and mention places like Paris and New York. The novels in [my] book highlight instead a largely Islamic space, feature characters of colour and centralise the ports of Malindi, Mombasa, Aden, Java and Bombay. . . . It is a densely imagined, richly sensory image of a southern cosmopolitan culture which provides for an enlarged sense of place in the world.
This remapping is particularly powerful for the representation of Africa. In the fiction, sailors and travellers are not all European. . . African, as well as Indian and Arab characters, are traders, nakhodas (dhow ship captains), runaways, villains, missionaries and activists. This does not mean that Indian Ocean Africa is romanticised. Migration is often a matter of force; travel is portrayed as abandonment rather than adventure, freedoms are kept from women and slavery is rife. What it does mean is that the African part of the Indian Ocean world plays an active role in its long, rich history and therefore in that of the wider world.
Question: 1

On the basis of the nature of the relationship between the items in each pair below, choose the odd pair out:

Updated On: Jan 13, 2026
  • Postcolonial novels : Anti-colonial nationalism
  • Indian Ocean novels : Outward-looking
  • Indian Ocean world : Slavery

  • postcolonial novels : Border-crossing

Show Solution

The Correct Option is D

Solution and Explanation

To identify the inconsistent pairing, an examination of each relationship's nature, as presented in the text, is required:
  • Postcolonial novels : Anti-colonial nationalism
    Early postcolonial novels are stated to be closely aligned with national concerns and often advocated for anti-colonial nationalism. This pairing is coherent.
  • Indian Ocean novels : Outward-looking
    The description of Indian Ocean novels emphasizes their outward-looking perspective, with a focus on trans-national and intercontinental linkages. This pairing is also well-matched.
  • Indian Ocean world : Slavery
    The text posits that slavery is a notable subject within the portrayal of the Indian Ocean world, attributable to historical connectivity. Consequently, this pairing is also sensible.
  • Postcolonial novels : Border-crossing
    The text distinguishes postcolonial novels by their national focus, implying a greater emphasis on land and potentially an inward orientation. The characteristic of border-crossing is more directly linked to Indian Ocean novels. Therefore, this pairing is incongruous.
The inconsistent pair, according to this analysis, is:

Postcolonial novels : Border-crossing

Was this answer helpful?
0
Question: 2

All of the following statements, if true, would weaken the passage's claim about the relationship between mainstream English-language fiction and Indian Ocean novels EXCEPT:

Updated On: Jan 13, 2026
  • the depiction of Africa in most Indian Ocean novels is driven by a postcolonial nostalgia for an idyllic past.
  • most mainstream English-language novels have historically privileged the Christian, white, male experience of travel and adventure.
  • the depiction of Africa in most Indian Ocean novels is driven by an Orientalist imagination of its cultural crudeness.
  • very few mainstream English-language novels have historically been set in American and European metropolitan centres.
Show Solution

The Correct Option is B

Solution and Explanation

The assertion is that books set in the Indian Ocean and mainstream English-language fiction are separate entities, existing in different fictional realms.

Option B validates the passage's claim; if true, it emphasizes the divergence by demonstrating that mainstream English-language novels have historically prioritized the travel and adventure experiences of Christian, white males.

If accurate, no other statements bolster the passage's argument.

If the prevalent Orientalist view of Africa's cultural crudeness shapes most Indian Ocean novels' portrayals of the continent, then Option C weakens the passage's assertion by associating these works with mainstream fiction.

The text indicates that American and European urban centers have historically been the settings for the majority of mainstream English-language books. Option D, if accurate, weakens the contrast presented in the passage.

The passage contends that Africa is not depicted in an idealized manner in Indian Ocean novels. Option A, if true, does not support the passage's distinction.

Consequently, the correct option is (B): the majority of mainstream English-language novels have historically privileged the travel and adventure experiences of Christian, white males.

Was this answer helpful?
0
Question: 3

Which one of the following statements is not true about migration in the Indian Ocean world?

Updated On: Jan 13, 2026
  • The Indian Ocean world's migration networks were shaped by religious and commercial histories of the region.
  • Migration in the Indian Ocean world was an ambivalent experience
  • Geographical location rather than geographical proximity determined the choice of destination for migrants.
  • The Indian Ocean world's migration networks connected the global north with the global south.
Show Solution

The Correct Option is D

Solution and Explanation

The chapter does not discuss or allude to the migration networks connecting the global north and south across the Indian Ocean region. Option D is not incorrect. Option C is accurate. For a significant period of history, maritime travel was more accessible than overland travel, resulting in greater connectivity between distant port cities than between those cities and nearby inland communities. Option A is also true. The Indian Ocean world, as described in the paragraph, encompasses distinct historical and geographical areas compared to the typical settings in English-language fiction, which often presuppose a background of Christianity and whiteness, referencing locations like Paris and New York. The networked cities of the global south are characterized by a predominantly Islamic presence. Option D is also accurate. The paragraph states regarding migration in the Indian Ocean region, "Migration is often a matter of force; travel is portrayed as abandonment rather than adventure, freedoms are kept from women, and slavery is rife." Consequently, Option D is the correct answer.

Was this answer helpful?
0
Question: 4

All of the following claims contribute to the "remapping" discussed by the passage, EXCEPT:

Updated On: Jan 13, 2026
  • the global south, as opposed to the global north, was the first centre of globalisation.
  • cosmopolitanism originated in the West and travelled to the East through globalisation
  • Indian Ocean novels have gone beyond the specifics of national concerns to explore rich regional pasts
  • the world of early international trade and commerce was not the sole domain of white Europeans
Show Solution

The Correct Option is B

Solution and Explanation

The "Indian Ocean world" is defined as the interconnected oceanic region of the global south, encompassing East Africa, the Arab world's coasts, South and East Asia, and other territories. These enduring connections are facilitated by maritime traffic within the Indian Ocean.

Contrary to the belief that white Europeans exclusively engaged in early international trade, the passage asserts that the global south was the initial center of globalization, stating: "historical and archaeological evidence suggests that what we now call globalisation first appeared in the Indian Ocean".

The passage also criticizes prevalent global perspectives, noting: "Those [commonly found ones] are mostly centered in Europe or the US, assume a background of Christianity and whiteness, and mention places like Paris and New York."

In contrast, the novels discussed in the book emphasize an inherently Islamic space. Therefore, Options A, C, and D are correct.

Option B is incorrect because it conflicts with the passage's central message.

Was this answer helpful?
0

Top Questions on Reading Comprehension

Questions Asked in CAT exam

The passage given below is followed by four summaries. Choose the option that best captures the essence of the passage.
In the dynamic realm of creativity, artists often find themselves at the crossroads between drawing inspiration from diverse cultures and inadvertently crossing into the territory of cultural appropriation. Inspiration is the lifeblood of creativity, driving artists to create works that resonate across borders. In a globalized era of the modern world, artists draw from a vast array of cultural influences. When approached respectfully, inspiration becomes a bridge, fostering understanding and appreciation of cultural diversity. However, the line between inspiration and cultural appropriation can be thin and easily blurred.
Cultural appropriation occurs when elements from a particular culture are borrowed without proper understanding, respect, or acknowledgment. This leads to the commodification of sacred symbols, the reinforcement of stereotypes, and the erasure of the cultural context from which these elements originated. It is essential to recognize that the impact of cultural appropriation extends beyond the realm of artistic expression, influencing societal perceptions and perpetuating power imbalances.
View Solution