IGNOU BEGE-144 Assignment 2025-26
Understanding the Novel
Last updated by IGNOU: 25 Aug 2026. Guide written from the official PDF on 19 Oct 2026, 05:44 pm.
| Course code | BEGE-144 |
|---|---|
| Course title | Understanding the Novel |
| Programme | BA English Honours Programme (English) (BAEGH)BAEGH |
| School | School of Humanities |
| Assignment code | TMA 01/2026 - 26 |
| Session | July 2026 on the cover; July 2025 & January 2026 on the question page |
About the BEGE-144 assignment
The BEGE-144 assignment covers Blocks 1–4 of Understanding the Novel. It assesses your understanding and critical appreciation of narrative techniques, realism, character development, tribal identity and cultural conflict, including discussion of The Awakening, Paraja and Things Fall Apart.
This tutor-marked assignment has two compulsory sections totalling 100 marks. Section A contains four short notes of about 100 words each, worth 20 marks altogether. Section B contains four questions of about 350 words each, carrying 20 marks per question. The listing gives the assignment a 30% weightage.
What the assignment asks
| Question | Marks | Topic |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 (a) | 5 | Write a short note on stream of consciousness as a narrative technique. |
| Q1 (b) | 5 | Explain the distinction between flat and round characters in a short note. |
| Q1 (c) | 5 | Write a short note on the setting of a novel. |
| Q1 (d) | 5 | Discuss the use of symbolism as a narrative device in a short note. |
| Q2 | 20 | Explore how novelistic form relates to realism and how the genre has developed to portray changing social conditions. |
| Q3 | 20 | Examine Edna Pontellier’s emotional and psychological development in The Awakening and Chopin’s critique of nineteenth-century patriarchal ideals. |
| Q4 | 20 | Analyse tribal identity, displacement and resistance in Paraja through the relationship between indigenous culture and exploitative social structures. |
| Q5 | 20 | Discuss tradition, change and cultural conflict in Things Fall Apart and Achebe’s challenge to colonial portrayals of African society. |
This is a summary of each question. Download the official PDF above for the exact questions and word limits.
Assignment details and PDFs come from IGNOU's official website; the guide is a summary of the official PDF. Always check the latest instructions and last dates on ignou.ac.in or with your Regional Centre before submitting.