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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. How many years has Marya been a schoolmistress?

3. What is the Marya's last name?

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

5. What do some people say about Hanov?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Marya think of the school inspector?

2. Describe Hanov.

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

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

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

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

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

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 examining the cart as a symbol in "The Schoolmistress." In what scenes does the cart seem most important? What is the context? Could the cart be a metaphor for something else? In what ways does the cart move the storyline and develop the narrative?

Essay Topic 2

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

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay exploring the title of “The Schoolmistress.” The story was initially published under the title “In the Cart.” Discuss why the author chose each title and why you think the title was changed.

(see the answer keys)

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