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.

Humiliated and Insulted MCQs

1. What is the narrator, Vanya, primarily looking for in new lodgings?

A. Quiet study area
B. A cheap, large room
C. Warm, dry basement
D. Central location

B. A cheap, large room.
Vanya needed self-contained accommodation, preferably large and cheap, because cramped spaces stifle his thoughts.

2. What emotion did the narrator often experience toward the old man (Smith) before meeting him?

A. Deep pity
B. Strange disgust
C. Intense suspicion
D. Professional curiosity

B. Strange disgust.
Vanya internally recalled feeling a strange sense of disgust towards the old man while they were outside the coffeehouse.

3. Who raised the narrator, Vanya, after he was orphaned?

A. General Krakhotkin
B. Prince Valkovsky
C. Nikolai Sergeich Ikhmenev
D. His mother’s cousin

C. Nikolai Sergeich Ikhmenev.
Vanya was an orphan taken in by Nikolai Sergeich Ikhmenev, a compassionate small landowner.

4. What was Nikolai Sergeich Ikhmenev’s former position on the Vasilevskoye Estate?

A. Manager
B. Landowner
C. Steward
D. Head servant

C. Steward.
Nikolai Sergeich held the position of steward on the Vasilevskoye Estate, which belonged to Prince Valkovsky.

5. What did Vanya find more enjoyable than actually writing his novels?

A. Reading critical reviews
B. Planning and imagining them
C. Discussing plots with Natasha
D. Researching historical figures

B. Planning and imagining them.
Vanya stated he found mulling over and imagining his compositions more enjoyable than committing them to paper.

6. Why did Anna Andreyevna (Natasha’s mother) initially fear Vanya marrying Natasha?

A. He was too young
B. He lacked a noble title
C. He wasn’t rich or an official
D. He was already ill

C. He wasn’t rich or an official.
Anna Andreyevna feared Vanya lacked wealth and rank, not being a princeling or collegiate councillor.

7. What advice did Ikhmenev give Vanya regarding his literary career and finances?

A. Poetry is sheer nonsense
B. Become a government attaché
C. Expect poverty for writers
D. Seek patronage abroad

C. Expect poverty for writers.
Ikhmenev warned Vanya that historically, the Muse has always been forced to starve in the garret.

8. What did Ikhmenev criticize about Vanya’s novel style when he first read it?

A. Too realistic
B. Lacked elevation
C. Too depressing
D. Too long

B. Lacked elevation.
Ikhmenev generally liked the story but insisted the style lacked elevation compared to soaring epic works.

9. What accusation did gossipmongers make about Natasha concerning Alyosha?

A. She was stealing his letters.
B. She tricked him into love.
C. She encouraged him to fight his father.
D. She was too proud.

B. She tricked him into love.
Rumors claimed Natasha had “deviously and immorally” tricked the twenty-year-old Alyosha into falling in love.

10. After Natasha left home for Alyosha, how did her parents treat the topic of her existence?

A. They argued bitterly about her.
B. They tacitly agreed not to talk about her.
C. They prayed openly for her return.
D. They kept her room ready.

B. They tacitly agreed not to talk about her.
The Ikhmenevs agreed not to mention Natasha, behaving as though she had never existed.

11. Why did Vanya agree to stay away from the Ikhmenevs for three weeks prior to Natasha’s elopement?

A. He needed to finish his novel.
B. Natasha asked him to keep his distance.
C. He was unwell and didn’t want to reproach them.
D. Ikhmenev ordered him to stay away.

C. He was unwell and didn’t want to reproach them.
Natasha believed Vanya stayed away for three weeks because he was ill and didn’t want to be a living reproach.

12. What does Natasha say she feels for Alyosha, in addition to passionate love?

A. A desperate need to torture him.
B. A strong, protective pity.
C. Intense intellectual respect.
D. A desire to change him.

B. A strong, protective pity.
Natasha confessed that Alyosha’s lack of character meant she loved him so much she’d happily be his slave.

13. What did Alyosha tell Natasha about his relationship with the wealthy fiancée, Katya?

A. He admitted he loved Katya more than Natasha.
B. He confessed he had lied about the engagement.
C. He said he loved Katya, but needed Natasha to survive.
D. He claimed he was merely pretending to love Katya.

C. He said he loved Katya, but needed Natasha to survive.
Alyosha told Natasha he loved Katya very much, but he could not survive a day without Natasha.

14. What was Vanya’s immediate reaction when Natasha asked him to be the go-between in her relationship with Alyosha?

A. He rejected the idea fiercely.
B. He offered to arrange everything for them.
C. He argued she should marry him instead.
D. He asked her to leave town immediately.

B. He offered to arrange everything for them.
Vanya desperately pleaded with Natasha not to leave home, offering to manage their meetings as a go-between.

15. What was Prince Valkovsky’s primary motivation for arranging Alyosha’s marriage to Katya?

A. Her high social standing.
B. Her pure, moral character.
C. Her large three-million-ruble dowry.
D. To punish the Ikhmenev family.

C. Her large three-million-ruble dowry.
The Prince admitted to Vanya he valued ambition, status, and money, and Katya possessed three million rubles.

16. Why did Alyosha reveal his engagement plans to Natasha’s family?

A. He knew his father would find out anyway.
B. He lacked the strength of character to keep secrets.
C. He wanted to make Natasha jealous.
D. His father forced him to confess immediately.

B. He lacked the strength of character to keep secrets.
Natasha excused Alyosha, saying he had no strength of character and would openly change sides and confess everything.

17. What condition did Ikhmenev give Vanya regarding his relationship with Natasha before the elopement?

A. Wait until the lawsuit is settled.
B. Wait one year or eighteen months for Vanya to earn money.
C. Seek the Prince’s blessing first.
D. Finish his next novel completely.

B. Wait one year or eighteen months for Vanya to earn money.
Ikhmenev stated they must wait 18 months or a year until Vanya establishes himself financially, then Natasha would be his.

18. What significant symbolic item did Ikhmenev first throw down, then sob over, regarding Natasha?

A. Natasha’s wedding ring
B. A lock of her hair
C. Her medallion
D. Her old nursery stories

C. Her medallion.
The enraged old man snatched up Natasha’s medallion from the floor and sobbed, kissing it repeatedly.

19. When Ikhmenev finally agreed to take in an orphan, what was his hidden motive?

A. To spite Alyosha.
B. To comfort Anna Andreyevna.
C. To transfer his affection from Natasha.
D. To set a good moral example.

C. To transfer his affection from Natasha.
Anna Andreyevna worried he wanted to blot out the memory of his own daughter and transfer his love to the new child.

20. Who was the dead man (Smith) whose lodgings Vanya moved into?

A. Nelly’s deceased father
B. A critic of Vanya’s work
C. Nelly’s grandfather
D. A former clerk of the Prince

C. Nelly’s grandfather.
Smith, who died in the coffee house, was Nelly’s grandfather, according to Vanya’s realization.

21. What profession did Nelly’s grandfather (Smith) allegedly have when he was rich?

A. Factory owner
B. Estate manager
C. Government clerk
D. Army officer

A. Factory owner.
Nelly told Vanya that her mother had mentioned Granddad owned some kind of a factory when he was rich.

22. Why did Nelly tell Vanya she refused to wear the cotton dress Bubnova bought her?

A. It was old and ragged.
B. She preferred simple, plain clothes.
C. It was too bright and noticeable.
D. Bubnova forced her to wear it.

B. She preferred simple, plain clothes.
Bubnova complained that Nelly deliberately ripped the dress, preferring simple clothes over “fancy stuff”.

23. What item was visibly displayed in the ground-floor window of Mrs. Bubnova’s house?

A. A small leather shoe
B. A miniature red coffin
C. A religious icon
D. A pair of spectacles

B. A miniature red coffin.
A red coffin indicated that a coffin-maker ran a small business from one of the ground-floor windows.

24. Where was Nelly born, according to her own account?

A. In Paris
B. In Switzerland
C. In London
D. In Cracow

B. In Switzerland.
Nelly, speaking of her time abroad with her mother, stated clearly that she was born in Switzerland.

25. What financial settlement was Ikhmenev ordered to pay following his lost lawsuit against the Prince?

A. One thousand rubles
B. Ten thousand rubles
C. Twenty thousand francs
D. Five hundred rubles

B. Ten thousand rubles.
Ikhmenev stated the court judgment required him to pay ten thousand roubles, necessitating the sale of Ikhmenevka.

26. What was Ikhmenev’s primary hidden reason for challenging Prince Valkovsky to a duel?

A. To save his daughter, Natasha, from ruin.
B. To prove his wealth and nobility.
C. To avoid paying the court fee.
D. To regain possession of Ikhmenevka.

A. To save his daughter, Natasha, from ruin.
He admitted his secondary reason was to totally “queer their pitch” and save his daughter from disaster.

27. What did Nelly’s mother ask her daughter to do if anyone tried to take her in after her death?

A. Run away immediately.
B. Ask everyone for charity instead.
C. Demand to be paid for work.
D. Go to her grandfather for help.

B. Ask everyone for charity instead.
Nelly’s mother advised her to “stay póor and ask for charity,” refusing to go to “them”.

28. Why was Masloboyev happy that Vanya told him about Nelly?

A. He recognized her grandfather.
B. He knew Bubnova and needed a new lead.
C. He hated Prince Valkovsky.
D. He wanted Vanya to marry Nelly.

B. He knew Bubnova and needed a new lead.
Masloboyev, having taken a bribe from the “nasty piece of work” Bubnova, wanted to follow up a lead.

29. How did Prince Valkovsky initially react to Vanya’s suggestion that he should publicly admit his lawsuit was invalid?

A. He laughed loudly, accepting the advice.
B. He refused, stating his case was legally valid.
C. He suggested Vanya consult Natasha first.
D. He agreed, but only if Ikhmenev apologized.

B. He refused, stating his case was legally valid.
The Prince insisted his case was valid, and admitting it was invalid would look cowardly: “my case was valid”.

30. What insult did the Prince use when comparing Vanya’s modest living to his chosen circle?

A. Vanya was morally corrupt.
B. Vanya practiced inverted class snobbery.
C. Vanya was too easily bribed.
D. Vanya was a failed student.

B. Vanya practiced inverted class snobbery.
The Prince called Vanya’s refusal to dine with him “inverted class snobbery” and shallow fastidiousness.

31. What did the Prince claim was lurking behind every human virtue, especially in noble undertakings?

A. Ignorance
B. Profound selfishness
C. Religious delusion
D. Weak character

B. Profound selfishness.
The Prince stated that he knew “for certain that behind every human virtue lurks profound selfishness.”

32. What shocking act did the Prince describe an insáne Parisian clerk committing for thrill?

A. Stealing priceless jewels
B. Publicly exposing himself
C. Faking his own death
D. Writing obscene poetry

B. Publicly exposing himself.
The clerk would step into the street cloaked, then fling the cloak open to expose himself to passers-by indecently.

33. What was the Prince’s reason for confessing his cynical philosophy to Vanya?

A. He wanted Vanya to feel kinship with him.
B. He detected Vanya had common sense and clarity of vision.
C. He hoped Vanya would write about him.
D. He was drunk and highly emotional.

B. He detected Vanya had common sense and clarity of vision.
The Prince claimed he wanted to demonstrate his true self to Vanya, whom he saw as having “more common sense” than others.

34. Who did Alyosha claim to have consulted before finally going to Natasha, leading to her decision to end things?

A. Vanya and Ikhmenev
B. Katya and her relatives
C. The Countess and Count Nainsky
D. Masloboyev and his friends

B. Katya and her relatives.
Alyosha boasted about meeting Katya’s idealistic cousins, Levenka and Borenka, who discussed lofty ideals.

35. What convinced Prince Valkovsky that Alyosha’s devotion to Natasha was serious (the “unaccustomed seriousness”)?

A. Alyosha refused the marriage dowry.
B. Alyosha convinced Katya to forgive Natasha.
C. Alyosha threatened to join the army.
D. Alyosha publicly renounced his inheritance.

B. Alyosha convinced Katya to forgive Natasha.
The Prince was astonished that Alyosha secured Katya’s forgiveness and promise of sisterly love for his rival.

36. What did Natasha accuse the Prince of using her proposed marriage to Alyosha for?

A. To get inside the Countess’s circle.
B. To put Alyosha’s mind at rest and dull his conscience.
C. To make Ikhmenev drop the lawsuit.
D. To embarrass Vanya publicly.

B. To put Alyosha’s mind at rest and dull his conscience.
She claimed the Prince only offered the betrothal to relieve Alyosha’s guilt and free him for Katya.

37. What was Prince Valkovsky’s stated plan for handling the three million ruble dowry?

A. Use it to pay Alyosha’s debts.
B. Keep it within his control for Alyosha’s sake.
C. Give it to Katya to spend on charity.
D. Invest it abroad immediately.

B. Keep it within his control for Alyosha’s sake.
He told the Countess the money would effectively be theirs (his and the Countess’s) for the taking if Alyosha married Katya.

38. When Alyosha learned of his father’s final confession to Natasha, how did he react?

A. He wept and blamed his father completely.
B. He became angry and punched a wall.
C. He blamed himself and tried to exonerate his father.
D. He was unable to understand what had happened.

C. He blamed himself and tried to exonerate his father.
Alyosha wept, claiming he was the culprit, and Natasha only turned on the Prince to find a scapegoat.

39. What was the reason Masloboyev gave for taking the two thousand rubles bribe from Prince Valkovsky?

A. He needed money for Alexandra Semyonovna.
B. He had proved the Prince was legally innocent.
C. He was swindled and took the money for the offence.
D. He needed to fund Nelly’s upbringing.

C. He was swindled and took the money for the offence.
Masloboyev felt the Prince had made a fool of him, and he took the two thousand rubles as compensation for the insult.

40. What does Nelly reveal about Azorka, the dog that died?

A. Azorka was a gift from Vanya.
B. Azorka belonged to her mother initially.
C. Azorka was trained to beg for money.
D. Azorka was the Prince’s favorite pet.

B. Azorka belonged to her mother initially.
Nelly revealed that Azorka was her mother’s dog, whom her grandfather loved after her mother left.

41. Why did Nelly repeatedly tell Vanya she was jealous of him leaving her to visit Natasha?

A. She feared Vanya would become bored with her company.
B. She was intensely jealous of Vanya’s love for Natasha.
C. She needed Vanya to protect her from Bubnova.
D. She believed Vanya only spoke ill of her mother.

B. She was intensely jealous of Vanya’s love for Natasha.
Natasha correctly analyzed that Nelly was jealous of Vanya’s devotion, which kept him from caring for the child.

42. What was Nelly’s reason for running away from Vanya and trying to find work?

A. She wanted to live by her mother’s principles.
B. She felt she was being mean to Vanya.
C. She feared Masloboyev would take her away.
D. She wanted to be a governess like Natasha.

B. She felt she was being mean to Vanya.
She claimed she couldn’t stay because she was “nasty” and “mean” to the kind Vanya.

43. What did Nelly offer to do for Natasha if she could live with her?

A. Be her friend and equal.
B. Be her maid and cook without pay.
C. Introduce her to Katya.
D. Pay for her room and board.

B. Be her maid and cook without pay.
Nelly proposed that Natasha should dismiss her maid so Nelly could wait upon her and cook for free.

44. What was the final, immediate consequence of Prince Valkovsky’s confession to Vanya?

A. Vanya was overwhelmed with violent anger.
B. Nelly was terrified and ran out into the street.
C. Vanya wrote a furious letter to Ikhmenev.
D. Alyosha decided to leave the country.

B. Nelly was terrified and ran out into the street.
Vanya found Nelly under a street lamp, shivering and frightened, after the Prince’s visit.

45. What medical issue did the doctor diagnose Nelly with?

A. Acute brain fever
B. Congenital heart defect
C. Rapid consumption
D. Severe malnutrition

B. Congenital heart defect.
The doctor stated Nelly suffered from a congenital heart defect, meaning she would eventually die.

46. What specific, dramatic element did Nelly include in her story to move Ikhmenev?

A. Her mother had saved Ikhmenev’s life once.
B. Her mother died in Bubnova’s basement.
C. Her mother sent her to ask for forgiveness before dying.
D. Her mother had cursed the Prince’s name.

C. Her mother sent her to ask for forgiveness before dying.
Nelly described her mother sending her to her father (Smith) for forgiveness just before she died.

47. What was Ikhmenev’s reaction after hearing Nelly’s entire story about her mother and grandfather?

A. He demanded that Vanya leave immediately.
B. He rushed out, crying for his daughter, Natasha.
C. He furiously denounced the Prince’s villainy.
D. He fell ill again and required a doctor.

B. He rushed out, crying for his daughter, Natasha.
After Nelly’s tale, Ikhmenev finally burst out, “Where is my Natasha! Where is she!” and ran for the door.

48. What did Nelly do immediately after Natasha and Ikhmenev reconciled?

A. She silently embraced Natasha.
B. She rushed into the garden.
C. She fell to the floor in a fit.
D. She confessed her love for Vanya.

C. She fell to the floor in a fit.
When Ikhmenev tried to hug her, Nelly uttered a terrifying cry and fell to the floor in a fit.

49. What secret promise did Nelly ask Vanya to make before she died?

A. To care for Masloboyev.
B. To prove she was legitimate.
C. To marry Natasha.
D. To destroy her grandfather’s books.

C. To marry Natasha.
Nelly took Vanya’s hand and asked him to promise that when she died, he would marry Natasha.

50. What became of Alyosha following his final parting with Natasha?

A. He married Katya, the wealthy fiancée.
B. He became a celebrated writer.
C. He remained with Katya in the country.
D. He joined the university friends.

C. He remained with Katya in the country.
Alyosha travelled to the country with Katya and her stepmother, and planned to marry Katya.

Brief Overview

Humiliated and Insulted is a novel by Fyodor Dostoevsky, published in 1861. The story is narrated by Ivan Petrovich (Vanya), a struggling young author.

The novel centres on complex love triangles and the destructive actions of the aristocracy against the póor.

Vanya loves Natasha, the daughter of Nikolai Ikhmenev. Vanya and Natasha grew up like siblings. Ikhmenev, a steward, was publicly insulted and called a thief by Prince Pyotr Alexandrovich Valkovsky due to a legal dispute over money.

Natasha leaves her parents to live with the Prince’s son, Alyosha. Alyosha is kind and immature, but easily influenced. Prince Pyotr actively works to separate them, wanting Alyosha to marry the wealthy Katerina Fyodorovna (Katya), who has a fortune of three million roubles.

Vanya meets a sick orphan named Nelly. Vanya helps Nelly and learns a shocking secret: Nelly is the illegitimate daughter of Prince Pyotr Alexandrovich.

Nelly’s mother was ruined by the Prince, who also stole her father’s money. The Prince fears that Nelly’s identity will be revealed.

Natasha realizes Alyosha will leave her for Katya. She returns home, and her father, who had previously cursed her, forgives her. Nelly’s story helps Ikhmenev understand his own cruelty. Natasha’s family takes in Nelly, but her health is failing. Vanya promises Nelly he will marry Natasha after Nelly dies.