Question

Excerpt from Chapter 7 of Anna Karenina, by Leo Tolstoy

Agafea Mihalovna went out on tiptoe; the nurse let down the blind, chased a fly out from under the muslin canopy of the crib, and a bumblebee struggling on the window-frame, and sat down waving a faded branch of birch over the mother and the baby.

"How hot it is! if God would send a drop of rain," she said.

"Yes, yes, sh—sh—sh—" was all Kitty answered, rocking a little, and tenderly squeezing the plump little arm, with rolls of fat at the wrist, which Mitya still waved feebly as he opened and shut his eyes. That hand worried Kitty; she longed to kiss the little hand, but was afraid to for fear of waking the baby. At last the little hand ceased waving, and the eyes closed. Only from time to time, as he went on sucking, the baby raised his long, curly eyelashes and peeped at his mother with wet eyes, that looked black in the twilight. The nurse had left off fanning, and was dozing. From above came the peals of the old prince’s voice, and the chuckle of Katavasov.

"They have got into talk without me," thought Kitty, "but still it’s vexing that Kostya’s out. He’s sure to have gone to the bee house again. Though it’s a pity he’s there so often, still I’m glad. It distracts his mind. He’s become altogether happier and better now than in the spring. He used to be so gloomy and worried that I felt frightened for him. And how absurd he is!" she whispered, smiling.

She knew what worried her husband. It was his unbelief. Although, if she had been asked whether she supposed that in the future life, if he did not believe, he would be d*mned, she would have had to admit that he would be d*mned, his unbelief did not cause her unhappiness. And she, confessing that for an unbeliever there can be no salvation, and loving her husband’s soul more than anything in the world, thought with a smile of his unbelief, and told herself that he was absurd.
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In the excerpt, what does the motif of bees represent?

A. infidelity
B. the aristocracy
C. peaceful pastoral life
D. disbelief in the church
E. disturbing thoughts

How does the introduction of Kostya change the tone of the scene?

A. The tone changes from calm to chaotic.
B. The tone changes from peaceful to disturbed.
C. The tone changes from objective to subjective.
D. The tone changes from confused to understanding.
E. The tone changes from impressionistic to academic.

Which of the following excerpts from the passage most closely supports the interpretation of the bedsheets as a symbol of Kitty's frivolity?

A. "'What does he keep reading philosophy of some sort for all this year?' she wondered."
B. "'If I don’t see to it, Agafea Mihalovna will give Sergey Ivanovitch the wrong sheets,' and at the very idea of this the blood rushed to Kitty’s face."
C. "going back to her former thoughts, she remembered that some spiritual question of importance had been interrupted, and she began to recall what."
D. "she thought, and passed instantly to the consideration of where it would be more convenient to put Katavasov, to sleep alone or to share Sergey Ivanovitch’s room."
E. "if she had been asked whether she supposed that in the future life, if he did not believe, he would be d*mned, she would have had to admit that he would be d*mned.
. . ."

In the passage, Kostya's books serve as a metaphor for which of the following to Kitty?

A. amusement
B. illumination
C. salvation
D. d*mnation
E. understanding

How does the style of the passage connect to the theme of maintaining the social order?

A. Its vivid description of numerous characters shows that changes are coming to every social class.
B. Its pastoral focus on the mother and child shows the way in which beliefs are passed through classes.
C. Its use of stream of consciousness shows how the protagonist becomes distracted from larger issues.
D. Its long and complex sentences show that matters related to social rank and privilege were equally complex.
E. Its matter-of-fact tone shows that the social order was of vital and primary importance to members of society.

What is the purpose of the description of the baby at the beginning and end of this passage?

A. to foreshadow larger social changes
B. to create suspense about his destiny
C. to illustrate the importance of the next generation
D. to imply that Kitty's children will turn against her
E. to show Kitty's primarily domestic function

How do the canopy and the fan in the first paragraph of this passage develop a theme present in the passage?

A. They show a typical household scene.
B. They illustrate the suffering of the lower classes.
C. They represent the separation of women from men.
D. They represent the sheltered world in which Kitty lives.
E. They demonstrate Kitty's desire to think well of her husband.

Answer 1

1. Bees = disturbing thoughts

2. Introduction of Kostya = peaceful to disturbed

3. Frivolity = "going back to her former thoughts, she remembered..."

4. Books = D-tion

5. Social order = use of stream of consciousness shows...

6. Baby = Kitty's primarily domestic function

7. Canopy/fan = sheltered world Kitty lives

8. physical location = isolation from men talking inside

9. Suspense = revelation and development of Kostya's problems

10. Kitty & Kostya's character = round, character doesn't have to be present to be characterized

Step-by-step explanation:

I just took it...