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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. How long does it take Tchitchikov to get to the general's house?

2. Who does the man selling his land to Tchitchikov refuse to ask for money?

3. How does Platon seem to feel about life?

4. How old is Andrey when he goes away to school?

5. Who tries to convince Andrey not to leave his job?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why do the men of N. decide they do not want to be associated with Tchitchikov?

2. Why does Tchitchikov spend time in prison prior to coming to N?

3. Why do Anna and Sofia think Tchitchikov is collecting dead souls?

4. What does Skudronzhoglo tell Tchitchikov about getting rich?

5. Why does the postmaster of N. think Tchitchikov might be Captain Kopeykin?

6. Why does Andrey quit his first job in Petersburg?

7. What does Nozdroyov tell the other men about Tchitchikov?

8. Why is Tchitchikov interested in Platon?

9. Why is Tchitchikov happy to make Skudronzhoglo's acquaintance?

10. Why does Nozdroyov go to visit Tchitchikov?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Why is it significant that the narrator refuses to quote Sofia and Anna speaking in French to each other? How does Gogol use his novel to call for a change in Russian society? What is he critical of? Use examples from the text to support your ideas.

Essay Topic 2

What is the purpose of having a biased narrator with a personality and opinions of his own? Does the narrator skew the reader's view of characters and events in the book? How is the book different once the biased narrator is gone?

Essay Topic 3

Why do you think Gogol divided his story into two parts? How does the division help the reader understand the story better? How does it make the story more complex? Could each section stand alone and be successful? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 668 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample