Teaching UGC NET Mock Test Series 2025 (Paper 1 & 2) English Literature Reading Comprehension Prose-based passage
Comprehension Passage
Read the following passage and answer the questions-
"Real art, like the wife of an affectionate husband, needs no ornaments. But counterfeit art, like a prostitute, must always be decked out. The cause of production of real art is the artist's inner need to express a feeling that has accumulated, just as for a mother the cause of sexual conception is love. The cause of counterfeit art, as of prostitution, is gain. The consequence of true art is the introduction of a new feeling into the intercourse of life, as the consequence of a wife's love is the birth of a new man into life. The consequences of counterfeit art are the perversion of man, pleasure which never satisfies, and the weakening of man's spiritual strength."
"What Is Art?" by Leo Tolstoy.
"Real art, like the wife of an affectionate husband, needs no ornaments. But counterfeit art, like a prostitute, must always be decked out. The cause of production of real art is the artist's inner need to express a feeling that has accumulated, just as for a mother the cause of sexual conception is love. The cause of counterfeit art, as of prostitution, is gain. The consequence of true art is the introduction of a new feeling into the intercourse of life, as the consequence of a wife's love is the birth of a new man into life. The consequences of counterfeit art are the perversion of man, pleasure which never satisfies, and the weakening of man's spiritual strength."
"What Is Art?" by Leo Tolstoy.
Which central theme does Tolstoy emphasize through the analogy between true art and an affectionate husband’s wife?
1
The necessity of innovation in art
2
The inherent value and sincerity of genuine artistic expression
3
The importance of commercial success in art
4
The role of technique and ornamentation in artistic creation