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This test consists of 5 short answer questions and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Why do the townspeople think the Lebyatkins were killed?

2. Who kills Shatov?

3. Who kills Kirilov?

4. What kind of speech does Stepan Verkhovensky give?

5. Who do the townspeople believe killed Mary and Captain Lebyatkin?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What is Dostoevsky's perspective on the action in The Possessed? Is he narrating in all seriousness, or is he ironically or satirically detached from his characters?

Essay Topic 2

What does Russianness consist of in The Possessed? Who possesses it? Who defends it? Who attacks it?

Essay Topic 3

Is Shatov's wife's pregnancy a source of real hope in The Possessed, or is the hope undermined by her infidelity and Shatov's murder? Does the childbirth redeem anyone in the book?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 179 words (approx. 1 page at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample