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This test consists of 5 short answer questions and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Who carries out the raid on Peter's house?

2. What kind of speech does Stepan Verkhovensky give?

3. Who is attacked after the murder of Shatov?

4. What does Lisa Tushin challenge Stavrogin to do?

5. Why are workers from the Spigulin factory massing in the street?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Peter Verkhovensky exploits the blindness, weakness and gullibility of many characters as he works his wiles. Does the action of the book change any of those characters so that they are immune from Peter's machinations? Asked another way--is The Possessed a moral book that teaches a lesson, or a cynical book that teaches that there are no lessons, only different actors with different motivations?

Essay Topic 2

Are Shatov and Stepan Verkhovensky heroes in The Possessed? Why or why not? Are Peter Verkhovensky and Stavrogin heroes? Are they villains?

Essay Topic 3

What role does innocence play in The Possessed? Is it always sacrificed, as Mary Lebyatkin and Shatov are? Does it endure anywhere, in spite of Mary and Shatov's murders?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 249 words (approx. 1 page at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample