Fyodor Dostoevsky

Fyodor Dostoevsky Study questions

Crime and Punishment

Facts about Fyodor Dostoyevsky

➾ Despite being a well-known author, Dostoyevsky lived in near-poverty and was plagued by compulsive gambling debts.

➾ His father, a doctor who ruled the family strictly, was murdered by his own serfs who poured vodka down his throat.

➾ Although he loved literature, his father forced him to train in engineering at the military academy in St. Petersburg.

➾ Dostoyevsky was arrested for treason after joining the Petrashevsky Circle, a group of radical intellectuals who advocated government reform.

➾ He was taken before a firing squad and stood waiting for execution before a messenger arrived to announce that the tsar had commuted his death sentence.

➾ Authorities are believed to have intended the execution to be a mock execution all along, designed for psychological punishment.

➾ His prison experiences and near-death moment converted him from pro-Western liberal-socialist ideas to an intense spirituality and a specific Russian brand of Christianity.

➾ He had to spend several years after his prison camp term in Siberia as an army private before he could return to St. Petersburg.

➾ Dostoyevsky suffered from epilepsy, a condition little understood at the time, which began during his incarceration in the labor camp.

➾ Saddled with massive debts, he wrote the novella The Gambler in just one month by dictating it to a stenographer to avoid losing all rights to his past and future works.

➾ He subsequently married that stenographer, Anna Snitkina, who helped reform his life, managed his career, and nursed him through his depression and epilepsy.

Fyodor Dostoevsky MCQs

1. In what city was Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky born in 1821?

A. St. Petersburg
B. Moscow
C. Omsk
D. London

B. Moscow
He was born in Moscow, where his father worked as a doctor at a hospital for the póor.

2. What was the profession of Dostoyevsky’s father?

A. A writer and critic
B. A teacher
C. A doctor/former army surgeon
D. An engineer

C. A doctor/former army surgeon
His father was a staff doctor at the Mariinsky Hospital for the Póor in Moscow.

3. How old was Dostoyevsky when his mother died?

A. Twelve
B. Sixteen
C. Twenty-one
D. Thirty

B. Sixteen
His mother’s death in 1837 was a significant emotional blow during his formative teenage years.

4. Despite his love of books, what subject did Dostoyevsky’s father insist that he study?

A. Medicine
B. Law
C. Philosophy
D. Engineering

D. Engineering
His father sent him to a military engineering academy, a practical career path Dostoyevsky disliked.

5. Where did Dostoyevsky train in engineering from 1838 to 1843?

A. Moscow University
B. The St. Petersburg Literary Academy
C. The military engineering academy in St. Petersburg
D. The Siberian Military Outpost

C. The military engineering academy in St. Petersburg
He was sent to St. Petersburg for a military engineering education, which he found uninspiring.

6. How did Dostoyevsky’s father die, an incident that had a profound impact on Fyodor?

A. He died in a duel.
B. He died during a cholera epidemic.
C. He was murdered by one of his serfs.
D. He committed suícide due to debt.

C. He was murdered by one of his serfs.
The violent death of his father, reportedly by his own serfs, deeply influenced Dostoyevsky.

7. What rank did Dostoyevsky graduate with from the Academy of Military Engineers in 1843?

A. Colonel
B. Lieutenant/Sublieutenant
C. Captain
D. Private

B. Lieutenant/Sublieutenant
He graduated as a sublieutenant but his heart was not in a military career.

8. What reason is given for Dostoyevsky quickly abandoning his military career after graduating?

A. He was medically discharged.
B. He was forced out by debt collectors.
C. He preferred writing to serving in the army.
D. He immediately moved abroad.

C. He preferred writing to serving in the army.
His passion was always for literature, and he resigned his commission to become a full-time writer.

9. How many children eventually consisted of Dostoyevsky’s family (including him)?

A. Four
B. Five
C. Six
D. Seven

D. Seven
Fyodor was the second of seven children born to Dr. Mikhail and Maria Dostoyevsky.

10. What types of novels did young Dostoyevsky enthusiastically read?

A. Only Russian novels
B. Only German novels
C. English and Spanish novels
D. Russian, French, and German novels

D. Russian, French, and German novels
He was well-read in European literature, which influenced his complex philosophical novels.

11. What was the title of the translation of Balzac’s work that Dostoyevsky published in 1844?

A. Póor Folk
B. The Double
C. Crime and Punishment
D. Eugenie Grandet

D. Eugenie Grandet
His first published work was a translation of this French novel, which had little success.

12. What was Dostoyevsky’s first original published work (a short novel) in 1846, which was widely acclaimed?

A. The Double
B. Notes from Underground
C. Póor Folk
D. The Gambler

C. Póor Folk
This sentimental novel was a huge critical success and made him famous in literary circles.

13. Who was the influential critic who championed Dostoyevsky’s first original published work?

A. Mikhail Petrashevsky
B. Vissarion Belinsky
C. Leo Tolstoy
D. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

B. Vissarion Belinsky
Belinsky, the leading critic of the day, praised Póor Folk and hailed Dostoyevsky as a new talent.

14. What group of radical intellectuals did Dostoyevsky join in 1848, named after its leader?

A. The Nihilist Front
B. The Sons of Russia
C. The Petrashevsky Circle
D. The St. Petersburg Critics

C. The Petrashevsky Circle
He joined this group of radical thinkers who discussed utopian socialism and political reform.

15. What political view did the Petrashevsky Circle advocate for?

A. Isolationism
B. Absolute monarchy
C. Reforming the autocratic tsarist government
D. Complete separation from Western Europe

C. Reforming the autocratic tsarist government
The group discussed Western philosophies and social reforms, which was seen as a threat by the Tsar.

16. On what charge was Dostoyevsky arrested in 1849?

A. Gambling fraud
B. Sedition against the Church
C. Murder
D. Treason

D. Treason
He and other members of the Petrashevsky Circle were arrested for treason against the Tsar.

17. What was Dostoyevsky’s initial sentence for his crime?

A. Four years of military service
B. Life in prison
C. Death
D. Exile to Moscow

C. Death
He was sentenced to death by firing squad, a sentence that was commuted at the last possible second.

18. Where was Dostoyevsky placed in solitary confinement for eight months following his arrest?

A. Moscow’s Hospital for the Póor
B. The Siberian Labor Camp
C. The Petropavlovsky Fortress
D. His family home in St. Petersburg

C. The Petropavlovsky Fortress
He was held in the Peter and Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg during the investigation.

19. What happened to Dostoyevsky’s death sentence?

A. It was carried out immediately.
B. He escaped before the execution.
C. It was commuted to a term of hard labor in Siberia.
D. He convinced the Tsar to grant him amnesty.

C. It was commuted to a term of hard labor in Siberia.
The mock execution was a cruel ploy; his sentence was changed to four years of hard labor in Siberia.

20. What duration of hard labor in a Siberian prison was Dostoyevsky’s sentence reduced to?

A. One year
B. Two years
C. Four years
D. Eight years

C. Four years
His death sentence was commuted to four years of hard labor in a Siberian katorga.

21. Through his dealings with ordinary inmates in prison, Dostoyevsky developed an understanding of the criminal mentality and what else?

A. Engineering principles
B. French literature
C. Western politics
D. The Russian soul

D. The Russian soul
His time in Siberia gave him what he considered a profound insight into the common Russian people.

22. During his time in prison, Dostoyevsky rejected his earlier pro-Western ideas and instead embraced:

A. Nihilism
B. A specifically Russian brand of Christianity
C. Materialist atheism
D. Utilitarianism

B. A specifically Russian brand of Christianity
His prison experience led to a profound spiritual conversion to Russian Orthodox Christianity.

23. After his release from the prison camp, Dostoyevsky spent several more years in Siberia doing what?

A. Teaching literature
B. Serving as an army private
C. Working as a civilian doctor
D. Traveling abroad

B. Serving as an army private
His sentence included a period of forced military service in Siberia after his labor camp term ended.

24. In what year did Dostoyevsky return to St. Petersburg?

A. 1849
B. 1854
C. 1859
D. 1864

C. 1859
After his prison term and mandatory military service, he was finally allowed to return to St. Petersburg.

25. What affliction was Dostoyevsky troubled by throughout his later life?

A. Severe chronic asthma
B. Tuberculosis
C. Epilepsy
D. Paralysis

C. Epilepsy
He suffered from epilepsy, and his seizures are described in several of his major novels.

26. What was the name of Dostoyevsky’s first wife, whom he married during his military service?

A. Anna Snitkina
B. Apollinaria Suslova
C. Iris Murdoch
D. Marya Dmitrievna Isaeva

D. Marya Dmitrievna Isaeva
He married Marya, a widow, while still in Siberia. Their marriage was unhappy and turbulent.

27. Who was the student with whom Dostoyevsky had an affair during his first trip abroad in 1862?

A. Mariya Isaeva
B. Anna Snitkina
C. Apollinaria Suslova
D. Iris Murdoch

C. Apollinaria Suslova
His turbulent affair with Suslova was a source of great emotional distress and financial ruin from gambling.

28. What personal misfortune did Dostoyevsky experience in the mid-1860s?

A. The burning of his manuscripts.
B. The death of his wife and his brother, Mikhail.
C. The loss of his inheritance.
D. A second arrest and exile.

B. The death of his wife and his brother, Mikhail.
These deaths, along with his gambling debts, left him financially and emotionally devastated.

29. What compulsive habit often forced Dostoyevsky to write intensely?

A. Compulsive spending on clothing
B. Compulsive drinking
C. Compulsive gambling
D. Compulsive collecting of art

C. Compulsive gambling
His severe gambling addiction repeatedly plunged him into debt, forcing him to write for advances.

30. Who did Dostoyevsky marry in 1867, who had served as his stenographer?

A. Marya Dmitrievna Isaeva
B. Apollinaria Suslova
C. Anna Grigorievna Snitkin
D. Iris Murdoch

C. Anna Grigorievna Snitkin
Anna Snitkina, his second wife, brought stability to his life and managed his finances.

31. In the mid-1840s, which work introduced the concept of the “double”?

A. Póor Folk
B. Notes from Underground
C. The Double
D. The Idiot

C. “The Double”
This early novella explored the psychological breakdown of a man haunted by his doppelgänger.

32. The concept of the “double” suggests that a person may have what?

A. Physical illness
B. Financial ruin
C. A psychological breakdown
D. A good or evil “twin”

D. A good or evil “twin”
This concept explores the divided self and the psychological breakdown of the protagonist.

33. Which book, based on his years in prison, did Dostoyevsky publish in 1861?

A. Crime and Punishment
B. Notes from Underground
C. The Idiot
D. The House of the Dead

D. The House of the Dead
This novel was a fictionalized account of his brutal experiences in the Siberian prison camp.

34. Which complex work, considered the preface to his great novels, was published in 1864?

A. The Double
B. The Gambler
C. Notes from Underground
D. The Idio

C. Notes from Underground
This work introduced the “underground man” and the existentialist themes of his later masterpieces.

35. Which novel is widely regarded as Dostoyevsky’s first true masterpiece?

A. The Brothers Karamazov
B. The Idiot
C. Crime and Punishment
D. Demons

C. Crime and Punishment
Published in 1866, this novel about Raskolnikov’s crime is one of the most famous in world literature.

36. Why did Dostoyevsky write the novella The Gambler in just one month?

A. To fulfill a request from his first wife.
B. To chronicle his experiences in Siberia.
C. To pay his debts and meet a contract deadline.
D. To detail the life of his brother Mikhail.

C. To pay his debts and meet a contract deadline.
He wrote it under extreme pressure from a publisher, dictating it to Anna Snitkina.

37. Which of the following is NOT listed among Dostoyevsky’s foremost later novels?

A. The Idiot
B. The Possessed
C. Poor Folk
D. The Brothers Karamazov

C. Póor Folk
Póor Folk was his acclaimed first novel, not part of his later, great masterpieces.

38. Which of Dostoyevsky’s novels is regarded by many as the apex of his career?

A. Crime and Punishment
B. Notes from Underground
C. The Gambler
D. The Brothers Karamazov

D. The Brothers Karamazov
Published in 1880, this was his final and most ambitious novel, exploring deep philosophical questions.

39. With which contemporary is Dostoyevsky regarded as one of the two greatest nineteenth-century Russian novelists?

A. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
B. Leo Tolstoy
C. Franz Kafka
D. Mikhail Petrashevsky

B. Leo Tolstoy
Dostoyevsky and Tolstoy are considered the two giants of 19th-century Russian literature.

40. In his final years, what three things did Dostoyevsky finally gain?

A. Health, a divorce, and property
B. Political power, freedom, and notoriety
C. Critical acclaim, social prestige, and financial security
D. A government pension, a military rank, and critical rejection

C. Critical acclaim, social prestige, and financial security
After a life of struggle, his final years brought him the stability and recognition he had long lacked.

41. What ideas did Dostoevsky write about in his books?

A. Scientific and technical issues
B. Agricultural and engineering issues
C. Deep political, social, and religious issues
D. Economic theory

C. Deep political, social, and religious issues
His novels are famous for their profound engagement with psychology, philosophy, and spirituality.

42. Dostoyevsky’s insights into human psychology anticipated the theories of which influential figure?

A. Carl Rogers
B. Ivan Pavlov
C. Sigmund Freud
D. Jean-Paul Sartre

C. Sigmund Freud
His exploration of the “underground,” guilt, and irrational motives prefigured Freudian psychoanalysis.

43. Dostoyevsky’s rejection of leftist political thought is evident through characters like Raskolnikov, Luzhin, and whom?

A. Marmeladov
B. Razumikhin
C. Svidrigailov
D. Lebezyatnikov

D. Lebezyatnikov
Lebezyatnikov in Crime and Punishment is a caricature of the superficial, “progressive” thinkers Dostoyevsky mocked.

44. Which major 20th-century philosophical movement looked to Dostoyevsky for his insights?

A. Liberal-Socialism
B. Nihilism
C. Existentialism
D. Utilitarianism

C. Existentialism
Thinkers like Camus and Sartre saw Dostoyevsky as a forerunner of existentialist ideas about freedom and absurdity.

45. Dostoyevsky’s experiences traveling abroad fueled his rejection of what?

A. Russian literary journals
B. Western philosophies/Western society
C. Orthodox Christianity
D. Russian military traditions

B. Western philosophies/Western society
His trips to Europe solidified his belief that Western materialism and atheism were corrupting.

46. What did some scholars claim Dostoyevsky’s view of the Russian character prophesied?

A. The golden age of Tsarist reform.
B. The expansion of the Russian railway system.
C. The Russian Revolution and deprivations under Soviet rule.
D. The dissolution of military academies.

C. The Russian Revolution and deprivations under Soviet rule.
His insights into radicalism (Demons) and suffering were seen as prophetic of Russia’s future.

47. What did Dostoyevsky’s great later novels form the basis for?

A. His early radical political views.
B. The philosophy of nihilism.
C. His lifelong intense spirituality and beliefs.
D. The theories of engineering.

C. His lifelong intense spirituality and beliefs.
His major novels were the vehicles for his deeply-held spiritual and philosophical convictions.

48. Dostoyevsky’s novels were major influences on which fields in the twentieth century?

A. Architecture and mathematics.
B. Literature and philosophy.
C. Engineering and medicine.
D. Economics and law.

B. Literature and philosophy.
His work profoundly influenced 20th-century literature and philosophical movements like existentialism.

49. Which of these later novelists drew inspiration from Dostoyevsky?

A. Jane Austen
B. James Joyce
C. Albert Camus
D. Ernest Hemingway

C. Albert Camus
Albert Camus and other existentialists drew heavily on the themes found in Dostoyevsky’s work.

50. What is the epitaph inscribed on Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s tomb?

A. Truth is beauty, beauty truth.
B. The memory of a life well spent is eternal.
C. A man who cannot change his mind cannot change anything.
D. Verily, verily, I say unto you, except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone…

D. Verily, verily, I say unto you, except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone…
This Bible verse (John 12:24) reflects his deep Christian faith and themes of resurrection.

The Adolescent MCQs

1. What is the narrator’s primary reason for writing his story?

A. To seek literary fame
B. To prove his high morals
C. To satisfy an inner need
D. To criticize his parents

C. To satisfy an inner need.
He writes to satisfy a violent inner need caused by the strong impression made on him by past events.

2. What is the narrator’s name and age at the beginning of Part Two?

A. Versilov, twenty-four
B. Dolgoruky, nineteen
C. Sokolsky, twenty-two
D. Lambert, sixteen

B. Dolgoruky, nineteen.
The narrator identifies himself as Dolgoruky, legally the son of a serf, and is nineteen years old.

3. Who is the narrator’s biological father?

A. Prince Sokolsky
B. Makar Dolgoruky
C. Mr. Versilov
D. Mr. Andronikov

C. Mr. Versilov.
He states that his real father, who molded his thinking, is the landowner named Versilov.

4. Who is the narrator’s legal father?

A. Versilov
B. Makar Ivanovich Dolgoruky
C. Abbe Rigaud
D. General Akhmakov

B. Makar Ivanovich Dolgoruky.
The narrator’s legal father is Makar Ivanovich Dolgoruky, a former serf on the Versilov estate.

5. What was the narrator’s job in Petersburg before he decided to resign?

A. To keep a sick old man amused.
B. Collegiate assessor.
C. Writer.
D. Military officer.

A. To keep a sick old man amused..
His job, which he decided was humiliating, consisted simply in keeping a sick old man amused.

6. How does Versilov characterize his relationship with Arkady’s mother in the early days?

A. A calculated affair.
B. A great romance.
C. It happened “just like that.”
D. Based on true compassion.

C. It happened “just like that.”.
Versilov claimed there was no romance, assuring Arkady that the affair happened “just like that”.

7. What does Arkady initially suggest his mother valued in Versilov?

A. His wealth and status
B. His French and singing
C. His sincerity and piety
D. His ability to lead

B. His French and singing.
She may have fallen in love with his French, his singing, and his Parisian hair part.

8. What is the ultimate purpose of Arkady’s “idea”?

A. Self-sufficiency and power
B. Universal peace
C. To become famous
D. To expose Versilov

A. Self-sufficiency and power.
The plain object of his “idea” is self-sufficiency, but he admits he also needs power.

9. What two qualities define the attainment of Arkady’s idea, according to him?

A. Courage and money
B. Education and charm
C. Perseverance and relentlessness
D. Connections and luck

C. Perseverance and relentlessness.
He states that the two key words of the secret to becoming a Rothschild are perseverance and relentlessness.

10. What does Arkady compare “real living life” to for modern man?

A. A dream
B. A grand adventure
C. Labor or service
D. A philosophical question

C. Labor or service.
Versilov later suggests that people today regard real “living life” almost as labor or service.

11. Why did Arkady stop reading books for two years?

A. Lack of time
B. Fear of disproving his “idea”
C. Financial necessity
D. He believed reading was useless

B. Fear of disproving his “idea”.
He stopped reading for fear of stumbling upon something that would disprove his cherished idea.

12. What was Katerina Akhmakov’s opinion of Versilov’s character?

A. He was a great hero.
B. He was too honest.
C. He was a “literary intellectual.”
D. He was a perfect gentleman.

C. He was a “literary intellectual.”.
Katerina characterized Versilov as a “literary intellectual” when discussing his behavior.

13. What critical document does Arkady possess related to the Sokolsky inheritance?

A. Makar’s will
B. Katerina’s love letters
C. A legal letter to Andronikov
D. Versilov’s military commission

C. A legal letter to Andronikov.
Arkady possesses Katerina’s letter to Andronikov regarding the Sokolsky inheritance, which he calls the “document”.

14. What shocking secret does Prince Sergei reveal about Liza?

A. She stole the document.
B. She is pregnant by him.
C. She married Makar.
D. She is a secret spy.

B. She is pregnant by him..
Prince Sergei reveals that Liza, Arkady’s sister, is pregnant by him.

15. What criminal activity was Prince Sergei involved in with Stebelkov?

A. Theft from the Prince
B. Gambling fraud
C. Forgery of Railway shares
D. Blackmail

C. Forgery of Railway shares.
Sergei confessed to taking part in the forgery of *** Railway shares with Stebelkov and others.

16. What was Versilov’s reaction immediately after receiving the document from Arkady?

A. He celebrated the victory.
B. He destroyed the letter.
C. He renounced the inheritance entirely.
D. He fled Petersburg.

C. He renounced the inheritance entirely..
Versilov gave the letter to the lawyer and declared his refusal to accept the inheritance he had won.

17. How did Makar Dolgoruky react to his illness?

A. He worried about his wealth.
B. He feared death and refused help.
C. He was cheerful and serene.
D. He planned to become a monk.

C. He was cheerful and serene..
Despite knowing his life was ending, Makar maintained a serene and cheerful disposition.

18. What did Makar say was the greatest mystery?

A. The stars’ composition
B. What awaits man’s soul beyond
C. The complexity of science
D. Man’s innate goodness

B. What awaits man’s soul beyond.
Makar states that although nature is a mystery, the “greatest mystery is what awaits man’s soul in the world beyond”.

19. Why did Makar leave his wife (Arkady’s mother) when she was ill?

A. He became bored with her.
B. He became a pilgrim/wanderer.
C. He joined the army.
D. He was ordered by Versilov.

B. He became a pilgrim/wanderer..
The doctor calls Makar an out-and-out nomad or religious tramp, indicating his nature.

20. What literary/historical figure did Arkady’s schoolmate Lambert admire?

A. Shakespeare
B. Paul de Kock
C. Paul de Kock
D. Dickes

D. Dickes.
Trishatov refers to Dickens’ Old Curiosity Shop and Arkady confirms reading it. (Note: Dickens is also cited later in the source.)

21. What did Liza tell Arkady to convince him not to send the letter confessing Sergei’s past misdeeds?

A. It was too risky for her.
B. It would ruin his career pointlessly.
C. It was not based on fact.
D. It would offend Versilov.

B. It would ruin his career pointlessly..
Liza thought that sending the letter would completely ruin his future career without necessity.

22. Who attempted to take the old Prince Nikolai Sokolsky to Arkady’s apartment?

A. Liza and Versilov
B. Anna Versilov and her brother
C. Lambert and Trishatov
D. Katerina Akhmakov and Bjoring

B. Anna Versilov and her brother.
Arkady is surprised to find the old Prince in his apartment, brought there by Anna.

23. Why did Anna marry the old Prince Nikolai Sokolsky?

A. She loved him deeply.
B. To secure a high social status.
C. To save him from his daughter.
D. To ensure Versilov’s inheritance.

C. To save him from his daughter..
Anna claims she took this step to save the kind and trusting old father from his scheming daughter (Katerina).

24. What emotional state characterized Arkady when he realized he had offended Versilov violently?

A. Fury and hatred
B. Contrition and confusion
C. Blameless self-pity
D. Renewed vindictiveness

B. Contrition and confusion.
After realizing his viciousness, Arkady felt contrite and confused, feeling ill at ease.

25. Which feeling does Arkady say is indispensable for “living life”?

A. Love for money
B. Lofty ideal
C. Anger at injustice
D. Pity for the poor

B. Lofty ideal.
Versilov states that the “lofty ideal” is absolutely indispensable, being the source of joyful, living life.

26. Why did Kraft commit suícide?

A. Despair over second-rate Russia
B. Shame over his actions
C. Fear of scandal
D. Loss of faith in God

A. Despair over second-rate Russia.
Kraft killed himself because his physiological data proved Russians were a second-rate people.

27. What physical item did Versilov break in a fit?

A. A vase
B. His own walking stick
C. An icon
D. A portrait of Liza

C. An icon.
Arkady hears that Versilov broke an icon into two halves, which the old prince dreamed about.

28. What concept does Makar use to describe the existence of a high ideal coexisting with base behavior in Russians?

A. Hypocrisy
B. Nomadism
C. Breadth (of character)
D. Piety

C. Breadth (of character).
Arkady muses on the capacity for a lofty ideal alongside something base, calling this trait “breadth”.

29. How did Versilov view his own social/cultural status?

A. A European bourgeois
B. A representative of the highest Russian cultural type
C. A characterless being
D. A wandering artist

B. A representative of the highest Russian cultural type.
He claims to belong to a purely Russian “higher cultural type” with universal concern.

30. What was the name of the girl who committed suícide after being humiliated by a merchant and Versilov’s confusing charity?

A. Anfisa
B. Olga
C. Lidia
D. Maria

B. Olga.
The girl who poisoned herself, leaving a note, was named Olga.

31. Where was Arkady’s mother staying while Versilov pursued Lidia Akhmakov?

A. Moscow
B. Konigsberg
C. Petersburg
D. Ems

B. Konigsberg.
Versilov left his mother in Konigsberg with her young daughter, where she felt abandoned.

32. Why did Arkady dislike Katerina Akhmakov’s beautiful smile?

A. It was too charming.
B. He found it mischievous and sarcastic.
C. It was overly timid.
D. It reminded him of Versilov.

B. He found it mischievous and sarcastic..
Arkady tells Katerina he couldn’t bear her smile, viewing it as mocking, artless, and sarcastic.

33. When meeting Arkady after his recovery, what did Makar give him?

A. Advice about praying daily
B. His personal savings
C. His pilgrim staff
D. A small icon

A. Advice about praying daily.
Makar advises Arkady to try to get into the habit of praying every day, reminding him to stick up for the church.

34. How did Arkady feel about his mother after reconciling with her during his illness?

A. He felt only shame toward her.
B. He felt pure, desperate love for her.
C. He felt indifference and mild contempt.
D. He felt she was secretly scheming.

B. He felt pure, desperate love for her..
He whispered to her in a dream of his desperate love and shame for treating her like a flunkey.

35. How did Katerina Akhmakov describe Versilov in his presence?

A. Magnificent and charming
B. A superior intelligence
C. Having something ridiculous about him
D. A great writer

C. Having something ridiculous about him.
She tells Versilov plainly that she always had the impression that there was something ridiculous about him.

36. According to Versilov, what prevents him from sitting in judgment of others?

A. He is too lazy and finds it unpleasant.
B. He is concerned about his moral regeneration.
C. He never achieves a lofty ideal.
D. He is too intelligent to judge.

A. He is too lazy and finds it unpleasant..
He says he is too lazy and finds judging others unpleasant, believing he must earn the right through suffering.

37. What was the name of the German-Russian former classmate and enemy of Arkady?

A. Stebelkov
B. Ferfichkin
C. Lambert
D. Dergachev

C. Lambert.
Lambert was the boy who beat him up at school and later became involved in the final plot.

38. What was Lambert’s proposed reward for helping Arkady marry Katerina Akhmakov?

A. A high-ranking government job.
B. Thirty thousand rubles.
C. Full forgiveness of all his debts.
D. A position as Arkady’s secretary.

B. Thirty thousand rubles..
Lambert proposed that Arkady give him thirty thousand rubles as a little present for his efforts.

Something smells fishy here!

39. What insult did Bjoring hurl at Anna Versilov during the confrontation?

A. He called her a common próstitute.
B. He called her a vile schemer and fiancée.
C. He insulted her clothes.
D. He denied she was Versilov’s daughter.

B. He called her a vile schemer and fiancée..
Bjoring accused her of being a “vile schemer” after calling her the “fiancée” of the old Prince.

40. What action did Arkady take in the heat of the moment against Bjoring?

A. He shot him with a revolver.
B. He insulted him back.
C. He challenged him to a duel.
D. He pounced on him with his fists.

D. He pounced on him with his fists..
Bjoring’s insults were “more than I could stand,” causing Arkady to pounce on him with his fists.

41. Where did Arkady find himself immediately following the brawl with Bjoring?

A. At Vasin’s apartment
B. Running away to Moscow
C. In a police station cell
D. At the gaming saloon

C. In a police station cell.
Arkady was arrested after the fight and found himself sitting in the cell of the police station.

42. How does Arkady feel about his aggressive confrontation with Mrs. Prutkov and Versilov during Makar’s illness?

A. He felt triumphant.
B. He was happy to have broken the chain.
C. He regrets it to this day.
D. He felt justified in his anger.

C. He regrets it to this day..
He states that the fatal phrase slipped in and triggered an outburst that he regrets to this day.

43. Versilov claims that he and his cultural type are unique because they possess what kind of concern?

A. Financial concern
B. Universal concern
C. Selfish concern
D. Religious concern

B. Universal concern.
Versilov characterizes his type as one filled with universal concern, a feeling for the whole world.

44. What was Katerina Akhmakov’s true reason for meeting Versilov in his lodgings?

A. She wanted to prove her love.
B. She came out of charity and fear.
C. She needed the inheritance money.
D. She wanted to return the letter.

B. She came out of charity and fear..
She admits she came because she loved him once, but primarily came out of charity.

45. Why did Makar bequeath three thousand rubles to Arkady’s mother?

A. To ensure she could join him as a pilgrim.
B. As a repayment of an old debt to Versilov.
C. Because he knew Versilov was unstable with money.
D. To ensure his illegitimate children were provided for.

C. Because he knew Versilov was unstable with money..
Makar bequeathed the money, doubled by interest, because he understood Versilov had a precarious grip on money.

46. When Versilov was away, who took Arkady’s mother and sister back to Russia when they ran out of money in Konigsberg?

A. Makar Dolgoruky
B. Versilov himself
C. Mrs. Prutkov
D. Katerina Akhmakov

C. Mrs. Prutkov.
Versilov forgot to send money, and Mrs. Prutkov appeared, taking Arkady’s mother and sister back to Russia.

47. How did Mrs. Prutkov react when Arkady admitted she loved Versilov all her life?

A. She slapped him in anger.
B. She confessed and kissed him.
C. She denied it violently and fled.
D. She laughed it off contemptuously.

B. She confessed and kissed him..
She called him an “idiot” but admitted she did love him, crying and laughing at the same time.

48. What literary work is referenced when Arkady’s mother is likened to a long-suffering beloved?

A. Woe from Wit
B. Poor Anton
C. Othello
D. Les Miserables

D. Les Miserables.
Versilov refers to the scene where the escaped convict meets the little girl in Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables.

49. What physical feature of Arkady’s mother did Versilov realize he loved while apart from her?

A. Her hair color
B. Her gentle eyes
C. Her sunken cheeks
D. Her pale complexion

C. Her sunken cheeks.
His realization of love began with her sunken cheeks, which caused him real physical pain to think of.

50. What does Arkady decide to seek after his feverish moment of epiphany following Makar’s talk?

A. A life of solitude
B. Revenge on his enemies
C. Beauty
D. Political power

C. Beauty.
After that blissful minute, Arkady decided, “from now on, I shall seek beauty” and leave them all.

Brief Overview

The Adolescent, which is also translated as A Raw Youth, is a novel by Fyodor Dostoevsky. It was first published in 1875. The narrative focuses on the turbulent experiences of the protagonist, Arkady Dolgoruky, an illegitimate young man.

Arkady’s primary goal is to acquire immense wealth and power, often referred to as becoming as wealthy as a Rothschild. He seeks this self-sufficiency to resolve his identity crisis. Arkady is the son of the mysterious aristocrat, Versilov, who is entangled in brutal emotional conflicts.

Arkady secretly possesses a valuable document, a letter, that relates to the widow Katerina Akhmakov. His father is currently feuding with this woman. Arkady’s family is further complicated by his half-sister, Lisa, who is involved with the dishonest Prince Sergei Sokolsky.

The situation is worsened by the greedy character Lambert, who attempts to manipulate the family for his own gain. The kind man who is Arkady’s legal father, Makar Dolgoruky, passes away during this period. In the resulting chaos, the crucial document is stolen from Arkady. The novel concludes shortly after a fight leaves Versilov unconscious.