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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. Where does Marya feel Hanov should move to rather than live in such a "God-forsaken, dreary place" (6)?

2. Who is the author of "The Schoolmistress"?

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

4. What season has not fully ended in "The Schoolmistress"?

5. How many years has Marya been a schoolmistress?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe Hanov.

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

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

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

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

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

7. What does Marya think of the school inspector?

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

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay comparing and contrasting Hanov and Marya in "The Schoolmistress." What details help develop their character and what do these details tell you about them? What is their background? How do they know each other? How do they interact? In what ways are they similar or different? Explain.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay exploring the theme of corruption and mistrust in the story “The Schoolmistress.” Which characters are mistrusted? Why? What characters are thought to be corrupt? Which characters are mistreated and by whom?

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay analyzing Chekhov 's decision to tell the story using third person limited point-of-view from Marya’s perspective. How does this impact the reader's understanding of the story's events? Is this effective? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

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