The Double MCQs

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Author: Nasir Iqbal | Assistant Professor of English Literature

The Double MCQs
Updated on: November 1, 2025
Estimated Reading Time: 17 min

The Double MCQs

1. What is Yakov Petrovich Golyadkin’s official rank?

A. Collegiate Assessor
B. Titular Councillor
C. Actual State Councillor
D. Collegiate Registrar

B. Titular Councillor.
He is identified early in the narrative as Titular Councillor Yakov Petrovich Golyadkin.

2. Where does Golyadkin reside in St. Petersburg?

A. Nevsky Prospect
B. Liteiny Street
C. Shestilavochny Street
D. Fontanka Embankment

C. Shestilavochny Street.
His flat was on the fourth floor of a large, imposing building in Shestilavochny Street.

3. What is Golyadkin immediately relieved did not appear on his face overnight?

A. A wrinkle
B. A pimple
C. A stain
D. A scar

B. A pimple.
He checked the mirror to ensure that no pimple or other disaster had occurred overnight.

4. How much money does Golyadkin count in his green wallet?

A. Five hundred roubles
B. Seven hundred and fifty roubles
C. One thousand roubles
D. Two hundred roubles

B. Seven hundred and fifty roubles.
He counted the bank notes and happily determined the packet contained exactly seven hundred and fifty roubles.
5. What is Golyadkin’s servant’s name?

A. Emelyan
B. Petrushka
C. Alexeich
D. Gerasimych

B. Petrushka.
His servant is named Petrushka, whom Golyadkin frequently checks on and addresses.

6. What item of clothing did Petrushka wear that was “acquired at fifth or sixth hand?”

A. Boots
B. A lackey’s sword
C. A gold-laced livery
D. A silk cravat

C. A gold-laced livery.
Petrushka wore a gold-laced, second-hand man-servant’s livery, too large for him.

7. What color was the hackney-carriage Golyadkin hired?

A. Black
B. Blue
C. Green
D. Red

B. Blue.
A blue hackney-carriage, adorned with some heraldic device, was hired for Golyadkin’s outing.

8. Who is Andrey Philippovich?

A. A wealthy acquaintance
B. The doctor’s assistant
C. Head of Golyadkin’s section
D. A relative of Olsufi Ivanovich

C. Head of Golyadkin’s section.
Andrey Philippovich is the head of the section where Golyadkin works as an assistant.

9. Why does Golyadkin suddenly order his coachman to turn back toward Liteiny Street?

A. To return a gift
B. To consult his doctor
C. To avoid his enemies
D. To buy new gloves

B. To consult his doctor.
He felt an immediate need to say something very interesting to his doctor, Christian Ivanovich.
10. What is Christian Ivanovich Rutenspitz’s profession?

A. Magistrate
B. Physician and Surgeon
C. Apothecary
D. Section Head

B. Physician and Surgeon.
His brass plate identifies him as Christian Ivanovich Rutenspitz, Physician and Surgeon.

11. What “radical transformation” does the doctor prescribe?

A. New medication
B. A change of location
C. A change in life and character
D. Immediate resignation

C. A change in life and character.
The doctor emphasizes that Golyadkin needs a radical transformation of his whole life and character.

12. To what social event does Golyadkin compare society, stating he only wears a mask there?

A. A carnival
B. A masked ball
C. A church service
D. A political meeting

B. A masked ball.
Golyadkin states he wears a mask only at masked balls, not in daily public life.

13. What physical action does Golyadkin take immediately before bursting into tears at the doctor’s?

A. Slapping his forehead
B. Seizing the doctor’s hand
C. Striking his breast
D. Falling to his knees

B. Seizing the doctor’s hand.
He grasped Christian Ivanovich’s right hand and immediately began shaking and unexpectedly burst into tears.

14. What does Golyadkin purchase on the Nevsky Prospect after extensive shopping and haggling?

A. A dress-coat
B. A new wig
C. Gloves and scent
D. A silver service

C. Gloves and scent.
After visiting many shops, Golyadkin bought only a pair of gloves and a bottle of scent.
15. Where does Golyadkin rest and eat “to stay the pangs of hunger” before the dinner party?

A. A tavern
B. His carriage
C. A famous restaurant
D. His office

C. A famous restaurant.
He ordered his coachman to stop at a famous restaurant on the Nevsky Prospect for food and rest.

16. What kind of official is Olsufi Ivanovich Berendeyev?

A. Collegiate Assessor
B. Titular Councillor
C. State Councillor
D. Section Head

C. State Councillor.
Olsufi Ivanovich is identified as a venerable old State Councillor and Golyadkin’s former patron.

17. What occasioned Olsufi Ivanovich’s grand dinner and ball?

A. His birthday
B. His promotion
C. His daughter Clara’s birthday
D. A military victory

C. His daughter Clara’s birthday.
The grand dinner and ball were held to celebrate the festival of Clara Olsufyevna’s birth.

18. Who prevents Golyadkin from entering the house immediately upon arrival?

A. Andrey Philippovich
B. Vladimir Semyonovich
C. The butler, Gerasimych
D. Clara Olsufyevna

C. The butler, Gerasimych.
Olsufi Ivanovich’s old butler, Gerasimych, confirms he has strict orders not to admit Golyadkin.

19. Where does Golyadkin hide when he sneaks back into the house?

A. Under the stairs
B. Behind a cupboard and screen
C. In the wine cellar
D. In the coachman’s cabin

B. Behind a cupboard and screen.
He stands lurking among lumber in a passage from the back entrance, concealed by a screen and cupboard.
20. What motto does Golyadkin recall from a French minister while waiting in the cold?

A. Patience is a virtue
B. Everything comes in due course
C. Never give up hope
D. Live in the moment

B. Everything comes in due course.
He cites the French minister Villèle’s phrase that everything comes in due course, if you only wait long enough.

21. What did Golyadkin accidentally damage when he suddenly burst into the drawing-room?

A. A tray of desserts
B. An old lady’s dress
C. A silk curtain
D. A card table

B. An old lady’s dress.
He stumbled, trod on a respectable old lady’s dress, and slightly tore the fabric.

22. What phrase summarizes Golyadkin’s philosophy for dealing with a crisis?

A. Run away and hide
B. If things go wrong, stand firm
C. Blame only the enemy
D. Speak clearly and concisely

B. If things go wrong, stand firm.
His motto is, “If things go wrong, I stand firm; if all goes well, I hold my ground.”

23. What kind of weather is Golyadkin enduring after being ejected from the ball?

A. Dry, severe frost
B. Heavy fog and stillness
C. Damp, snowy, rainy, foggy
D. Clear, cold, starry

C. Damp, snowy, rainy, foggy.
The night is described as a terrible November night: damp, foggy, rainy, snowy, and freezing.

24. What personal item does Golyadkin lose on the Fontanka pavement during his flight?

A. His wallet
B. His hat
C. A galosh
D. His cravat

C. A galosh.
The galosh from his right foot remained in the mud, but Golyadkin did not notice its loss.
25. Where does Golyadkin first believe he sees his double?

A. Liteiny Street
B. Shestilavochny Street
C. Fontanka embankment
D. Nevsky Prospect

C. Fontanka embankment.
He sensed the double standing beside him on the Fontanka embankment, watching the water.

26. What does the unknown figure (the double) do upon reaching Golyadkin’s flat?

A. He shouted at the porter
B. He knocked and was let inside
C. He ran away swiftly
D. He collapsed on the steps

B. He knocked and was let inside.
The stranger stopped at Golyadkin’s door, knocked, and Petrushka immediately let him in.

27. Where is the double sitting when Golyadkin finds him inside his apartment?

A. At the table
B. On Golyadkin’s bed
C. In a chair
D. Behind the stove

B. On Golyadkin’s bed.
The unknown figure, still in his coat and hat, was sitting on Golyadkin’s own bed.

28. What does Golyadkin Senior initially suspect is the cause of the double’s sudden appearance?

A. Madness
B. A government trick
C. His enemies’ malice
D. Too much punch

C. His enemies’ malice.
Golyadkin believed the double was a final manifestation of bitter hellish spite on the part of his enemies.

29. What is Golyadkin Junior’s position in the office?

A. Head of Section
B. In the vacant post of a deceased colleague
C. Temporary consultant
D. Head of Subsection

B. In the vacant post of a deceased colleague.
The double was appointed to fill the vacant post left by the deceased Semyon Ivanovich.
30. Why does Anton Antonovich initially assume the two Golyadkins are related?

A. They share a hometown
B. They look like twins
C. They share a family likeness
D. They work in the same office

C. They share a family likeness.
Anton Antonovich first supposed the new employee was a close relative due to a family likeness.

31. How does Golyadkin Senior describe the shocking resemblance to Anton Antonovich?

A. Like two actors
B. As like as two peas
C. Like a photograph
D. A strange anomaly

B. As like as two peas.
Golyadkin explains that the likeness is so striking they are “as like as two peas.”

32. What specific object does Golyadkin Junior snatch and carry into His Excellency’s room?

A. Golyadkin Senior’s hat
B. An important official document
C. A gold watch
D. A quill pen

B. An important official document.
The double suddenly snatched the required document and rushed into His Excellency’s room.

33. What “indecent gesture” does the double perform on Golyadkin Senior at the office?

A. Tearing his clothes
B. Pinching his cheek
C. Sticking out his tongue
D. Spitting on the floor

B. Pinching his cheek.
The double repeated his indecent gesture of pinching him on the cheek in front of the clerks.

34. What gesture does the double make after shaking Golyadkin Senior’s hand?

A. He kissed his hand
B. He made an offensive gesture
C. He bowed deeply
D. He wiped his fingers on a handkerchief

D. He wiped his fingers on a handkerchief.
The double snatched away his hand, wiped his fingers on a handkerchief, making an offensive gesture.
35. What does the double call Golyadkin Senior in front of the clerks?

A. A scoundrel
B. Russian Faublas
C. The Bear
D. A doormat

B. Russian Faublas.
The double squeaked, “This is our Russian Faublas, gentlemen; allow me to present the young Chevalier de Faublas.”

36. After his humiliation, Golyadkin Senior internally resolves he will not be used as what?

A. A lackey
B. A scapegoat
C. A doormat
D. A stepping stone

C. A doormat.
He resolves that he will not allow himself to be used as a “doormat for people to wipe their dirty boots on.”

37. What did Golyadkin and his double drink together during their evening of artificial friendship?

A. Tea
B. Punch
C. Vodka
D. Coffee

B. Punch.
Petrushka brought rum, and host and guest each drank three or four glasses of punch.

38. What does the double write for Golyadkin Senior to demonstrate his amiable feelings?

A. A long letter
B. Four lines of verse
C. A short story
D. An official report

B. Four lines of verse.
The double wrote four lines of verse, which were sentimental and written with beautiful handwriting.

39. What does the double say about Golyadkin Senior’s writing style in the verse?

A. It shows his honesty
B. It shows his great love
C. It has a beautiful style
D. It needs improvement

C. It has a beautiful style.
The four lines of verse were written with some feeling and in a beautiful style and handwriting.
40. What action does Petrushka take that shows he is likely compromised by Golyadkin Junior?

A. He demands a raise
B. He ignores his master
C. He gets drunk and insults Golyadkin Senior
D. He steals Golyadkin Senior’s coat

C. He gets drunk and insults Golyadkin Senior.
Petrushka, found blind drunk, implies that Golyadkin Senior has “come double.”

41. What item does Vakhrameyev’s letter claim Golyadkin Senior stole and sold to Karolina Ivanovna?

A. His old watch
B. A pound of lump sugar
C. His furniture
D. His new shoes

B. A pound of lump sugar.
Vakhrameyev’s letter claims Petrushka sold Karolina Ivanovna a pound of lump sugar, implicating Golyadkin.

42. What item does the deceiving letter from Clara Olsufyevna instruct Golyadkin to bring for the elopement?

A. A ladder
B. A carriage
C. A pistol
D. Warm blankets

B. A carriage.
She instructs him to “Be waiting for me in your carriage today at exactly nine o’clock.”

43. Where does Golyadkin go to write his defiant letter to his double?

A. His office
B. A private room at the tavern
C. His flat, immediately upon returning
D. The street corner

C. His flat, immediately upon returning.
He set himself down on the sofa in his flat and immediately began scribbling a furious letter.

44. What does Golyadkin suggest as the inevitable consequence of the double’s impossible behavior?

A. Utter disgrace and defeat
B. Exposure to the police
C. Transfer to another city
D. A duel with pistols

A. Utter disgrace and defeat.
Golyadkin warns his double that his conduct will lead to nothing but his utter disgrace and defeat.
45. What does Golyadkin Senior accidentally grab instead of his handkerchief at the tavern?

A. His pipe
B. His medicine bottle
C. His wallet
D. His gloves

B. His medicine bottle.
Instead of his handkerchief, he pulls out the little bottle of dark medicine prescribed by Christian Ivanovich.

46. What official instruction does the porter Mikheyev bring Golyadkin?

A. That he has been promoted
B. To hand over his business to Ivan Semyonovich
C. To report to the doctor
D. That he is being transferred

B. To hand over his business to Ivan Semyonovich.
The official envelope contained instructions to hand over all his business to Ivan Semyonovich.

47. What does Petrushka claim his new master, Katerina Ivanovna, enticed him to do?

A. Steal Golyadkin’s money
B. Take Eustaphy’s place
C. Move to the country
D. Run away from the city

B. Take Eustaphy’s place.
Petrushka was evidently leaving to take Eustaphy’s place at Katerina Ivanovna’s lodging.

48. What does Golyadkin Senior decide to do to prepare for the elopement?

A. Buy a fox-fur coat
B. Rent a better apartment
C. Find a marriage license
D. Get more money

A. Buy a fox-fur coat.
He decides to buy a “good fox-fur coat” from the shopkeeper downstairs for Clara Olsufyevna.

49. Who appears at Olsufi Ivanovich’s door at the moment of Golyadkin’s final humiliation?

A. Olsufi Ivanovich
B. Andrey Philippovich
C. Christian Ivanovich Rutenspitz
D. Vladimir Semyonovich

C. Christian Ivanovich Rutenspitz.
The doors were flung open, and Christian Ivanovich Rutenspitz, his physician, stood on the threshold.
50. What is the terrible final judgment delivered to Golyadkin by the physician in the carriage?

A. He must move to the provinces
B. He is morally ruined
C. He will receive quarters with service
D. He will be taken to Siberia

C. He will receive quarters with service.
Christian Ivanovich states: “You will haf official quarters, with firewood und Licht und service.”

Brief Overview

The Double: A Petersburg Poem is the second novel written by Fyodor Dostoevsky. It was first published on 30 January 1846.

The novel explores the life of Yakov Golyadkin, a nervous and impoverished clerk living in a small flat in St. Petersburg. He is often worried about his finances and believes he has enemies. Golyadkin decides to hire a carriage to attend a party hosted by his acquaintance, Olsufi Ivanovich.

He is very careful to avoid encountering his colleagues, especially his boss, Andrey Philippovich. The party refuses Golyadkin entry, but he forces his way in through the back passage. He makes a scene in the ballroom, attempting to dance, and is forcibly removed.

Running through the stormy city, Golyadkin encounters a mysterious man who looks exactly like him. This double is immediately hired at Golyadkin’s office. Golyadkin senior welcomes the humble double home, and they briefly become friends, drinking punch together.

Soon, the double becomes arrogant, mocks Golyadkin senior, and works to undermine him at the office. Golyadkin senior realizes he is being betrayed by the double and many of his colleagues. He rushes to confront his superior, His Excellency, but the double is publicly favored instead.

Golyadkin is finally seized and placed in a closed carriage. The driver is revealed to be the doctor, Christian Ivanovich, who sternly informs Golyadkin that he will receive quarters he does not deserve.

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