Fyodor Dostoevsky's "B.K." Novel Quiz

Answer: a letter Mitya composed when he was drunk

It was Ivan Fyodorovich who called it thus. It told plainly that whenever Ivan was gone, Mitya would have his chance to murder his father and obtain the three thousand roubles.

At first, Katerina Ivanovna was not going to use it, but when Ivan said that Smerdyakov had been the actual murder and he himself was responsible by will, Katerina's love for Ivan got the better of her, and she showed the letter to the defense.

Answer: Lyagavy

Lyagavy abhors his given name, and prefers to be called Gorstkin. Samsonov is the name of the man who told Mitya that Lyagavy would be able to help him obtain money from his father, because Lyagavy was in a dispute about the price of timber with Fyodor Pavlovich. Mitya meets Suhoy Possyolok, who helps him get to Gortskin's abode.

He tells Mitya that Gortskin hates being called Lyagavy, and Mitya would be wiser to call him so. It turns out that the whole thing was a ruse: Gortskin really had no business with Mitya's father.

Answer: Onion

Grushenka tells Aloysha the story. A woman who was extremely wicked died, and was going to Purgatory. Her guardian angel appealed to God to ask Him what could be done to bring her to Heaven. God asked the angel what good deed the woman had ever done, and He was told that she had given an onion to an old beggar woman. God said to take that same onion, and if the angel could pull her out, she would get to go to heaven.
The angel did it, and the onion began unraveling. Other souls grabbed onto the woman who was holding her onion, so that they be pulled out as well. However, the woman maliciously shoved them away, which resulted in the onion snapping.
Whenever someone says they gave somebody an onion, they are alluding to this story. Grushenka gives Alyosha an onion by being kind to him.

Answer: Lise

Lise is Katerina's little sister. At first she's confined to a wheelchair, but eventually a miracle starts happening and she gets healed. She wants Alexei to marry her when she comes of age. Lise often goes into hysterics.

Ivan Fyodorovich corrupts her. He tells her of dark and dismal things, and death is an amusing subject to Lise.

Answer: Ivan Fyodorovich

Ivan Fyodorovich believes he has indirectly killed his father, due to what Smerdyakov tells him. Alyosha tells him, without cognizance of Smerdyakov's discourse with his brother, that he was not the murderer.

Answer: Hanged himself

While it is not sure that Smerdyakov actually killed Fyodor Pavlovich, he does admit to it. And it is astonishing that a mere servant got hold of three thousand roubles without stealing it. However, Smerdakov knows that Ivan Fyodorovich will turn him in, and thus he commits suicide by hanging himself.

Answer: Work in the gold mines

Madame Khohlakov has faith in Mitya's abilities to search in the gold mines for riches. However, he desires the three thousand roubles right away, and she doesn't have that much to loan him. He never goes into the gold mines.

Answer: Staraya Russa

Staraya Russa, Ladoga, and Pskov together make up the Novgorod Republic.

Mitya's case is recorded in the newpapers. and causes attention to be paid to the town. Dostoevsky doesn't reveal the name of the town until near the denoument, in the last book.

Answer: The Injured Foot

Here it is:

"A cativating little foot
Though swollen and red and tender!
The doctors come and platers put,
But still they can not mend her.
Yet, tis not for her foot I dread-
A theme for Pushkin's muse more fit-
It's not her foot, it's her head
I tremble for her loss of wit!
For as her foot swells, strange to say,
Her intellect is on the wane
Oh, for some remedy I pray
That may restore both foot and brain!"

It was meant as a reference to Madame Klohklakov. "The Grand Inquistor" is something by Ivan Fyodorovich. "Life of a Sinner" was supposed the title of the trilogy that "The Brothers Karamazov" was to be a part of. The galloping troika is a symbol Ippolit Kirillovich used in his prosecution speech against Mitya.

Answer: Ivan Fyodorovich

He says this to Ivan as the latter is leaving town, and it really disturbs him.