Question

Arrange the following texts in the order they were written, from the earliest to the latest.
(A). The Inheritance of Loss
(B). The Guide
(C). Swami and Friends
(D). The Shadow Lines
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

• A. (D), (B), (C), (A).
• B. (A), (B), (C), (D).
• C. (B), (A), (D), (C).
• D. (C), (B), (D), (A).

Hint:

Even if you don't know exact dates, you can often deduce the order by associating authors with literary periods. R. K. Narayan is a foundational, pre-independence/early post-independence writer. Amitav Ghosh is a key figure of late 20th-century postcolonial writing. Kiran Desai is a contemporary 21st-century author.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
The question requires ordering four major works of Indian English fiction by their publication date, starting with the earliest.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Let's find the publication year for each novel:
\[\begin{array}{rl} \bullet & \text{(C) Swami and Friends by R. K. Narayan: 1935. This was Narayan's debut novel.} \\ \bullet & \text{(B) The Guide by R. K. Narayan: 1958. A later, highly acclaimed work by the same author.} \\ \bullet & \text{(D) The Shadow Lines by Amitav Ghosh: 1988. A seminal work of post-independence fiction.} \\ \bullet & \text{(A) The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai: 2006. A Booker Prize-winning novel from the 21st century.} \\ \end{array}\] Arranging these in chronological order gives the sequence: (C) $\rightarrow$ (B) $\rightarrow$ (D) $\rightarrow$ (A).

Step 3: Final Answer:
The correct option is (D).