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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Who is Purgas?

2. Who revolts in 1067?

3. Who do the Cossacks meet with during Bright Week?

4. How old is Kiy in the beginning of "Russka"?

5. Who does Stephen say will help the peasants?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the Schism?

2. Describe the controversy over the icons in Russka.

3. Describe the revolution that kills Sviatopolk.

4. Describe Yanka's pregnancy and marriage.

5. What is the political situation in Russia when the novel leaps forward to 1647?

6. Describe the opposition between Ivan and his brother.

7. What happens when Bobrov's wife gets pregnant in his absence?

8. What is the nature of the political system in 1067?

9. Who are the Raskolniki?

10. What has changed since the scenes set in 180 AD?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe the history of reformers or opposition to the Tsar, or central government. What parties did this opposition represent, and when were they most successful? When were they least successful?

Essay Topic 2

How would "Russka" be different if it were told more from the perspective of the women in the prominent families? What experiences dose Rutherfurd allude to, but not elaborate on, in the realm of women?

Essay Topic 3

How does Rutherfurd maintain the reader's interest for nearly 1,000 pages? What plot strategies, what suspense, or what kinds of stories does Rutherfurd include, to keep his readers zooming along? Where is he most successful? Where does the narrative slow down?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 675 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample