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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. What does the narrator compare Russia to?

2. What is the one physical flaw of the general's daughter?

3. How many Corinthian columns are outside the general's house?

4. During what month is Tchitchikov supposed to marry the head clerk's daughter?

5. How many souls does Tchitchikov say his uncle owns?

Short Essay Questions

1. What reason does Tchitchikov give for why he wants to buy General Betrishtchev's dead souls?

2. Why is Tchitchikov apprehensive about buying land from Hlobuev?

3. Why is Tchitchikov interested in Platon?

4. Why does Tchitchikov get a late start on his day the morning after Nozdroyov visits him?

5. What gossip does Sofia tell Anna?

6. Why do the men of N. decide they do not want to be associated with Tchitchikov?

7. How does the general react when Tchitchikov tells him that Andrey is sorry for their disagreement?

8. Why does Tchitchikov leave N?

9. Why is Tchitchikov thrown in prison in Part 2, Chapter 5?

10. What does Nozdroyov tell the other men about Tchitchikov?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explore the use of immorality as a theme in the novel. Which characters are immoral? How does immorality drive the plot? What does the author seem to be saying about immorality, especially within the nobility?

Essay Topic 2

What is the importance of the public prosecutor's death? What does his death symbolize? How does Gogol use the ridiculousness of the sudden death to prove a point?

Essay Topic 3

What is the significance of Selifan and Petrushka? How are they relevant to the story? How does Tchitchikov treat them? How does the narrator treat them? What point is the author making by giving two serfs a large role in the novel?

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This section contains 602 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample