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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 Stepan Verkhovensky's employment?

2. Mrs. Lembke bestows her favors in spite of what?

3. What happened to the money that Nicholas gives to Captain Lebyatkin for Mary?

4. Whom does Mrs. Lembke befriend?

5. What is Captain Lebyatkin's reputation?

Short Essay Questions

1. What effect do Julia Lembke's political activities have on Mr. Lembke?

2. What kind of uprising is Peter planning?

3. What injuries are inflicted during the duel?

4. What is Julia Lembke's relationship with the youth of her town?

5. Where was Shatov's wife, Mary, before she returned to him, and what condition is she in when she returns?

6. Describe Nicholas Stavrogin's status in Russian society.

7. How does Shatov respond to Lisa Tushin's proposal?

8. How does the first chapter of Part I end?

9. What is Kirilov's view of life, and how does Peter respond to it?

10. What does Peter tell us about why Nicholas Stavrogin treated Miss Lebyatkin the way he did?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Is The Possessed a Christian novel? What kind of Christianity does it align with? Old Testament or New Testament? In what ways does the novel seem atheistic, or existential?

Essay Topic 2

What kinds of violence are depicted in The Possessed? Are there different rules and expectations for each kind of violence? Are some kinds of violence more effective in resolving problems than others? Is violence ever a useful tool in The Possessed, or is it always merely destructive?

Essay Topic 3

How are women depicted in The Possessed? Are they mere symbols of sexual attributes like desirability and innocence and seduction, or are they individuals with complex feelings and thoughts? How are they distinguished from the male characters, or are they treated as similarly-independent, self-reliant souls?

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