Question

The following is a passage about O. V. Vijayan’s The Legends of Khasak:
The novel is set in a remote village, in the middle of the 20th century. The narrative is replete with images of the vast ecosystem of the living and the non-living, a land potent with dreams and legends.
The analysis presented in this description is congruent with which one of the following concepts proposed by Mikhail Bakhtin?

• A. Chronotope
• B. Dialogism
• C. Carnivalesque
• D. Polyphony

Hint:

The concept of {chronotope} helps analyze how narratives bind time, space, and social life into a unified literary structure.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Understanding the passage.
The passage emphasizes the specific setting of the novel (a remote village in the mid-20th century) and the deep interconnection between time, place, landscape, myths, and lived experience.
Step 2: Understanding Bakhtin’s concepts.
Bakhtin’s concept of the chronotope refers to the intrinsic connectedness of temporal and spatial relationships in literature, where time and space are fused into a meaningful narrative framework.
Step 3: Analysis of options.
(A) Chronotope: Correct, as the description highlights how time, place, and environment shape the narrative world of Khasak.
(B) Dialogism: Refers to interaction of multiple voices or perspectives, which is not the focus here.
(C) Carnivalesque: Relates to subversion, festivity, and social inversion, which is not emphasized.
(D) Polyphony: Concerns multiple autonomous voices, not spatial-temporal embedding.
Step 4: Conclusion.
The passage aligns most closely with Bakhtin’s idea of the chronotope.