Composition on Dostoevsky’s A Gentle Creature and Other Stories

Honors World Literature

Mrs. Suellentrop

After reading “A Gentle Creature,” “White Nights,” and “Dream of a Ridiculous Man,” choose one of the following topics for your composition:

Ø Look at the Chronology of Fyodor Dostoevsky at the beginning of the book immediately after the introduction, as well as the narrative of Dostoevsky’s life on the very first page of the book. Notice what happened during the course of his lifetime, both on a societal and personal level. Consider how these events may have affected him. Write an essay about how his life may have affected his work, focusing on the three short stories you read. Identify how plot, characters, setting, or theme, for example, may have been influenced by his family and personal experiences, as well as by the societal happenings in Russia at that time.

Ø In “Dream of a Ridiculous Man” the narrator describes the inhabitants of the utopia as people who “[…] desired nothing and were serene, they did not strive for a knowledge of life, as we do, because for them life was complete in itself” (119). How does this statement not represent the main characters in Dostoevsky’s stories?

Ø What part do dreams play in each story? Are dreams viewed in a positive or negative light, and do they have a positive or negative effect on the main characters. Consider this quote from Dostoevsky: “The exterior must keep in steady balance with the interior. Otherwise, in the absence of exterior phenomena, the interior will assume too dangerous an upper hand. Nerves and fantasy will occupy a very large place in one’s being” (Introduction, ix-x). It may be helpful to refer to the discussion of dreams in Dostoevsky’s works in the Introduction of the book.

Keep in mind that any examples you use must be significant. For example, if you choose to write on the first prompt, an insignificant comparison between Dostoevsky’s life and his stories would be that his mother died from consumption, as does one of his characters. Instead, focus on examples that are of importance to the main components of the story.

Requirements

• 2-4 pages long
• Typed, double spaced, 12 point Times New Roman font
• Proper heading (no title page needed), as well as proper header, page number, and title placement
• One direct quote per body paragraph, properly cited according to MLA requirements
• Works Cited page
• Use at least five vocabulary words from any unit we have studied so far, and underline them in your composition.

Due Date: Tuesday 11/9