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

Short Answer Questions

1. Why was it a mistake to charge a high price for the fête?

2. What does Shatov ask Kirilov for after he discovers that his wife is pregnant?

3. Who does Peter leave Virginsky's house to meet?

4. Who does the chief of police begin to arrest?

5. Why are workers from the Spigulin factory massing in the street?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What kinds of violence are depicted in The Possessed? Are there different rules and expectations for each kind of violence? Are some kinds of violence more effective in resolving problems than others? Is violence ever a useful tool in The Possessed, or is it always merely destructive?

Essay Topic 2

What is the role of the crowd in The Possessed? How do the gathered factory workers or the guests at the fête behave like one character with a unified will or behavior of their own? How does Dostoevsky describe the crowds? What power do they have? What weaknesses?

Essay Topic 3

Is there a consistent morality in The Possessed? Do violent people always pay a price for their acts of violence? Are criminals and scoundrels always caught and punished, or made to suffer somehow? Is innocent suffering redeemed?

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This section contains 314 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample