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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. Which term describes the narrative tone when Golyadkin encounters his double in the office?

2. How does Golyadkin describe himself?

3. How is Golyadkin used to salving his conscience?

4. How does the narrator characterize his account of this story?

5. How does Dostoevsky characterize Golyadkin’s personality?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe Golyadkin’s carriage journey in Chapter 1.

2. Describe Golyadkin’s arrival at work the morning after the banquet.

3. Describe Golyadkin’s first encounter with his double.

4. What is Krestyan Ivanovich’s opinion of Golyadkin?

5. Describe the chase the stranger leads Golyadkin on.

6. What rhetorical stance does the narrator take in describing the banquet at Olsufy Ivanovich’s house, and what is the effect of this stance for the reader?

7. What is Golyadkin’s relationship with his coworkers?

8. Describe Golyadkin’s entrance into Krestyan Ivanovich’s office.

9. What is the meaning and significance of Golyadkin’s statement that “it’s not me at all”?

10. Describe Golyadkin’s feelings on leaving Olsufy Ivanovich’s house.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Would you recommend The Double? For what purposes would you recommend The Double, and what kinds of readers would you recommend it for? What other book would you recommend that would cover the same material or tell the same story in a different way?

Essay Topic 2

Write an evaluative review of The Double. What is this book’s place in culture? What are its uses? What are its limitations?

Essay Topic 3

Describe the process of reading The Double. What themes does Dostoevsky weave through the text? What clues does he drop throughout?

(see the answer keys)

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