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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 is Ivan Ivanovich's job?

2. What kind of property does Ivan's family own?

3. What does the author say a father's heart is not made from?

4. What kind of student is Ivan?

5. What does Katerina dream that her father is?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why is Katerina so frightened as she travels home with her husband?

2. How does Pulkeria's life change when her cat disappears?

3. What is remarkable about Afanasy's house?

4. How does Valuka gain back his self respect?

5. Why has the devil cast darkness over Dikanka?

6. Why does Ivan have to retire from the regiment?

7. How does this story end?

8. How does Grigory react when Ivan asks him about signing over the deed?

9. Why do the devil and the witch want to cause problems between Valuka and Choub?

10. How does Pytor cope with his role in the murder of Ivas?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the role religion plays in the stories.

1. What does Gogol express about religion in his stories?

2. What part has religion played in religion society and how is it different from religion in America?

Essay Topic 2

How do the students think Ivan developed his social fear in Ivan Fyodorovich Shponka and his Aunt? How does Gogol use the other characters to accentuate Ivan's vulnerabilities?

Essay Topic 3

The Collected Tales are translated from Russian into English. How much meaning can a book loses through a translation? What aspects of the book do you think would be the most difficult to express in English? How do you think a translator can overcome these difficulties?

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