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

Short Answer Questions

1. As Chapter 8, Part 4 gets underway, who is coming to visit Yakov in prison?

2. As the story ends, what does Yakov conclude?

3. What do the guards do when Yakov refuses the pardon he is offered?

4. What is omitted from the indictment that surprises Yakov?

5. When Yakov and his visitor in Chapter 8, Part 4 first see each other, what do they do?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

There is no doubt that Yakov has been greatly affected by the murder of his parents that occurred years earlier in the shtetl. Discuss how Yakov's past affects not only his worldview, but also his decision to leave the shtetl and his ability to cope with his incarceration. How does Yakov's past affect his mental state, his ability to reason, his ability to trust, and his ability to hope?

Essay Topic 2

Several people that Yakov has been in contact with provide damaging information against him to the police during the investigation of Zhenia's murder. Compare and contrast the following characters in terms of their personalities, their "testimony", and their motivations: Proshko, Zina, and Nikolai.

Essay Topic 3

Throughout the course of the novel, Yakov has to deal with two very different authority figures. Compare and contrast the relationship Yakov has with Bibikov and the relationship Yakov has with the prosecutor. Then, compare and contrast the two men. How do these two relationships influence not only Yakov, but also the events that surround the crime and its investigation?

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