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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. Where is The Possessed set?

2. What is Peter planning throughout Part II of The Possessed?

3. What does Kirilov say to Gaganov the morning before the duel?

4. Who arrives when Peter has just finished relating the story of Nicholas' devotion to Miss Lebyatkin?

5. What are the terms under which Stepan departs Mrs. Stavrogin's house?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Mrs. Stavrogin suggest as a result of her sense that she is getting older?

2. What has Shatov's state of mind been like since the confrontation, during which he struck Stavrogin?

3. What is Kirilov's view of life, and how does Peter respond to it?

4. How does Peter feel about Shigalyov's plan?

5. What is Julia Lembke's relationship with the youth of her town?

6. What do we know about the poem, A Noble Character?

7. What does Mrs. Stavrogin find out about Nicholas' relationship with Mss Lebyatikin?

8. What happens when Shatov shows up to meet Peter and Erkel?

9. Who is responsible for killing Mary and Captain Lebyatkin?

10. What does Peter ask his father after he (Peter) has recounted the story of Stavrogin and Miss Lebyatkin?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What is Dostoevsky's perspective on the action in The Possessed? Is he narrating in all seriousness, or is he ironically or satirically detached from his characters?

Essay Topic 2

Are Shatov and Stepan Verkhovensky heroes in The Possessed? Why or why not? Are Peter Verkhovensky and Stavrogin heroes? Are they villains?

Essay Topic 3

How are women depicted in The Possessed? Are they mere symbols of sexual attributes like desirability and innocence and seduction, or are they individuals with complex feelings and thoughts? How are they distinguished from the male characters, or are they treated as similarly-independent, self-reliant souls?

(see the answer keys)

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