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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 devil do to the town?

2. What is the weather like at the beginning of the story?

3. What is Ivan Ivanovich's job?

4. Who does Danilo fight with when he arrives home?

5. Which word best describes Ivan's aunt's personality?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens to the characters at the end of the story?

2. How does Khoma realize the old lady is a witch?

3. Why does Aunt Vasilisa want Ivan to marry Grigory's younger sister?

4. How does Ivan's aunt surprise when he visits her at the farm?

5. Why has the devil cast darkness over Dikanka?

6. What does Pytor have to do before he marries Pidorka?

7. What deal does the devil make with Valuka?

8. Summarize the Night Before Christmas story.

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

With the students, discuss how one of the stories have influenced popular culture. Has the short story been adapted into any modern forms such as film? Has the story ever been referenced in popular culture? How has that medium adapted the story to contemporary society? Following the discussion, have the students write an essay on the subject of popular culture.

Essay Topic 2

What does the short story collection express about Gogol's own opinions of life? How has the short stories been organized to communicate a consistent point of view? Are their any other short stories that contradict what Gogol expresses in this collection?

Essay Topic 3

Choose one of the following and examine it what expresses about mid 19th century society Russia.

1. The use of the devil as a character.

2. The representation of normal people and life

3. Madness.

(see the answer keys)

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