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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 Ganja's father throw out a window in the story?

2. What mistake does Myshkin make when he leaves Rogozhin?

3. What does Rogozhin say his reason is for traveling to Russia?

4. How does the General describe the Prince to his wife?

5. What skill does the Prince tell the General that he has?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Ferdyshchenko describe doing to make sure someone else is blamed for his own theft?

2. What wrongs does Ganja accuse Myshkin of during this section?

3. How did Rogozhin become estranged from his father?

4. What does Myshkin say that he does not care about, before he proposes to Nastassya?

5. What does Nastassya say initially to Myshkin's proposal?

6. How does Madam Yephanchin react to Myshkin going off to collect his inheritance?

7. How does Myshkin respond when Adelaide asks him about falling in love?

8. What does Ferdyshchenko do with his ill-gotten gains?

9. What does Rogozhin and Lebedev's relationship seem to be like during their conversation on the train?

10. How does Ganja come to blows with Myshkin, and how does Myshkin respond?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the role that money plays in the novel.

1) How does Myshkin's life and position change when he has money? How do others view him when he has money, versus when he doesn't have money?

2) Why does Rogozhin offer Nastassya increasing amounts of money to marry him? Why does Nastassya throw Rogozhin's money into the fire?

3) How do the other characters in the novel view money? Why is money important to Ganja? How does Madam Yephanchin feel about money?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the expectations that characters put on others in the novel.

1) What do the members of society expect Myshkin to be like? How do they treat Myshkin when he does not meet their expectations?

2) What do the characters expect of their friends and family members in the novel? What do Aglyana's parents expect of her, and how do their expectations shape her behavior? What does Nastassya's guardian expect from her, and how do his expectations shape her behavior?

3) What does Myshkin expect from others in the novel?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the values of St. Petersburg society that are revealed in the novel.

1) What are the professed values of the characters in the novel? How do they express their professed values?

2) What values are revealed by the characters' actions? How are the values the characters live by different from the values they profess?

3) How are Myshkin's value and style of living different from the values of St. Petersburg society? How does Myshkin reveal the values of St. Petersburg society, by comparison?

(see the answer keys)

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