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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 worker at Marya's school has she tried to have dismissed for two years?

2. Where is Marya's family from?

3. Why did Marya and her brother stop writing to each other?

4. What does the principal tell Marya when she tries to discuss her grievances about the watchman?

5. What was Marya's brother's occupation?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the only thing Marya keeps from her past?

2. What do readers learn of Marya's past at the start of "The Schoolmistress"?

3. What does Marya Vassilyevna do for work? How long has she had the occupation? Where is she going at the start of "The Schoolmistress"?

4. What does Marya think of the school inspector?

5. What news from Moscow does Semyon tell Marya he heard at Ivan Ionov's tavern?

6. What does Marya think of on the cart at the start of "The Schoolmistress"?

7. What did Hanov do at Marya's school the year before the story takes place?

8. What does Marya think of Hanov as their cart follows his?

9. Describe Hanov.

10. Which of Marya's coworkers does she try to get dismissed and what comes of it?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay discussing the setting and time period of “The Schoolmistress.” In what ways does the time period and setting impact your understanding of the story as well as the themes?

Essay Topic 2

Write a brief essay analyzing the theme of happiness and unhappiness in “The Schoolmistress.” Is Marya mostly happy or unhappy? Why? When is she happy? When does her happiness vanish? What characters appear happy in the story?

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay describing the imagery used in “The Schoolmistress.” Describe examples of imagery in the text and identify possible meanings.

(see the answer keys)

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