By Konstantin Trutovsky (1826–1893), via Wikimedia Commons. Public domain. Source
Fyodor Dostoevsky in 1847.
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Fyodor Dostoevsky in 1847, by Konstantin Trutovsky (1826-1893). Dostoevsky published his first novel, Poor Folk, in 1846, and immediately found himself hailed as a genius by fellow writers. His distaste for serfdom led him into the company of political activists interested in socialism, a politics for which he had little sympathy and which he came to detest, but the Government made no allowances and on April 23, 1849, he was arrested, tried and sentenced to death. Even as the rifles were raised Emperor Nicholas I commuted the sentence to four years’ penal servitude in Siberia; Dostoevsky wrote about them in Buried Alive (also known as ‘The House of the Dead’).
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Fyodor Dostoevsky in 1847.
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By Konstantin Trutovsky (1826–1893), via Wikimedia Commons. Public domain.
Fyodor Dostoevsky in 1847, by Konstantin Trutovsky (1826-1893). Dostoevsky published his first novel, Poor Folk, in 1846, and immediately found himself hailed as a genius by fellow writers. His distaste for serfdom led him into the company of political activists interested in socialism, a politics for which he had little sympathy and which he came to detest, but the Government made no allowances and on April 23, 1849, he was arrested, tried and sentenced to death. Even as the rifles were raised Emperor Nicholas I commuted the sentence to four years’ penal servitude in Siberia; Dostoevsky wrote about them in Buried Alive (also known as ‘The House of the Dead’).
Suddenly, without a word to anyone, the gentleman set off and flew full speed in pursuit of my unknown lady. She was racing like the wind, but the staggering gentleman was overtaking — overtook her. The girl uttered a shriek, and... I bless my luck for the excellent knotted stick, which happened on that occasion to be in my right hand. In a flash I was onthe other side of the street; in a flash the obstrusive gentleman had taken in the position, had grasped the irresistible argument, fallen back without a word, and only when we were very far away protested against myaction in rather vigorous language. But his words hardly reached us. “Give me your arm,” I said to the girl. “And he won’t dare to annoy us further.” She took my arm without a word, still trembling with excitement and terror. Oh, obtrusive gentleman! How I blessed you at that moment!
1. What is the author
aiming to achieve in writing this?
2. Note any words, devices or turns of phrase that
strike you. How do they help the author communicate his
ideas more effectively?
3. What impression does this passage make on you?
How might you put that impression into words?
Based on The English Critic (1939)
by NL Clay, drawing on The New Criticism: A Lecture Delivered at
Columbia University, March 9, 1910, by J. E. Spingarn,
Professor of Comparative Literature in Columbia University,
USA.
Précis
The girl became first agitated, and then frightened, calling out wildly for help. The narrator leapt to her defence, ready with the stout stick he carried. The tipsy gentleman retired breathing threats, but the narrator silently blessed him, for the trembling girl meekly allowed our hero to lead her away, arm in arm.(53 / 60 words)
The girl became first agitated, and then frightened, calling out wildly for help. The narrator leapt to her defence, ready with the stout stick he carried. The tipsy gentleman retired breathing threats, but the narrator silently blessed him, for the trembling girl meekly allowed our hero to lead her away, arm in arm.
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Variations:
1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 60 words.2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 50 words.3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: despite, if, may, must, or, ought, since, unless.
Suggest answers to this question. See
if you can limit one answer to exactly
seven words.
Why did the narrator feel grateful to the tipsy gentleman?
Suggestion
Because he had brought Nastenka to him.
(7 words)
Variations:
1.expand your answer to exactly fourteen words.2.expand your answer further, to exactly twenty-one words.3.include one of the following words in your answer: if, but, despite, because, (al)though, unless.
JigsawsBased on this passage
Express the ideas below in a single
sentence, using different words as much as possible.
Do not be satisfied with the first answer you
think of; think of several, and choose the best.
I met Nastenka. A drunk man made it possible. He frightened her.
Variation:
Try rewriting your sentence so that it uses one or more of
these words:
1.If 2.Never 3.Thank
For each group of words, compose a sentence that uses all three. You can use any form of the word: for example, cat → cats, go → went, or quick → quickly, though neigh → neighbour is stretching it a bit.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1Rail.Street.Yellow.
2After.Evening.Leaning.
3Left.Railing.Should.
Variations:1.include direct and indirect speech2.include one or more of these words: although, because, despite, either/or, if, unless, until, when, whether, which, who3.use negatives (not, isn’t, neither/nor, never, nobody etc.)
Make words (three letters or more) from the seven letters showing below, using any letter once only. Each letter carries a score. What is the highest-scoring word you can make?
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