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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 can be said of Onegin's education?

2. To whom does the narrator claim to devote this poem?

3. Why does Vladimir Lensky want to meet Eugene Onegin?

4. What does Tatyana say in her letter to Eugene Onegin?

5. What does Eugene Onegin try to do to alleviate his depression? What is the result?

Short Essay Questions

1. What chastisement does Eugene Onegin give Tatyana at the end of his response to her letter?

2. Vladimir writes his poetry inspired by Olga, but rarely gets to read it to her because she doesn't read poetry. Who does the narrator confess he reads his poetry to?

3. What is Eugene Onegin's first impression of both of the Larin sisters?

4. How do Tatyana's and her nurse's diagnosis of her sleeplessness and distraction differ?

5. How does Eugene get along with his neighbors in the country?

6. Who is Tatyana? What is she like?

7. What events unfold when Tatyana hears Eugene Onegin's horse arriving?

8. Describe the activities of a typical day in the life of Eugene Onegin.

9. What does the narrator think about Russian women who speak primarily French and only poor Russian and the movement to teach them better Russian?

10. In chapter one the narrator is briefly a character in his own story. What interaction does the narrator have with Eugene?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Eugene's rejection of Tatyana in the garden was complex and it's consequences manifold. Write an essay about this pivotal interaction.

Part 1. Although Eugene was being honest to Tatyana, was he also being a coward? Did he miss his chance for salvation?

Part 2. Was Eugene correct in his foretelling of what their married life would be like? Could things have been different?

Part 3. In the end of the novel Tatyana admits she is unhappy in her position and still loves Eugene. Was his rejection of her in the garden ultimately to her benefit despite this?

Essay Topic 2

Pushkin creates several literary foils for his main characters in the novel EUGENE ONEGIN. Discuss those foils and what they show us.

Part 1. Vladimir as a literary foil for Eugene.

Part 2. Olga as a literary foil for Tatyana.

Part 3. Onegin and Tatyana as literary foils for each other.

Essay Topic 3

The narrator goes on a side tangent about Russian and French when he claims that Tatyana wrote her letter in French. Discuss Tatyana's supposed use of French for her letter.

Part 1. Why would Tatyana, a Russian girl, speak French better than Russian?

Part 2. Are there other places where French existed in a similar fashion to Russia? Can we see any remnants of that today?

Part 3. The narrator insinuates that some languages are better than others for expressing specific things - specifically he notes a love letter is most appropriate in French. Do you agree that different languages have different strengths and weaknesses in their ability to express different things? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

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