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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 happened when the watchman hit the schoolboys?

2. Where is Marya's family from?

3. What work did Hanov do at Marya's school the year before "The Schoolmistress" takes place?

4. What happened when Marya went to the Zemstvo board to complain about another school worker?

5. How many years has Marya been a schoolmistress?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. Describe Hanov.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

10. What does Marya think of the school inspector?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay about the author of “The Schoolmistress.” Who is he? What else has he written? How is “The Schoolmistress” similar or different from his previous works?

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay analyzing Marya’s inner thoughts while riding in the cart. What does she think about? Why? What does this say about Marya and her life?

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay exploring the theme of isolation in “The Schoolmistress.”

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 586 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample