E109 Study Questions – Pushkin, "The Queen of Spades"

1. Analyze how Pushkin changes emphasis in each chapter; how does he use the divisions to keep the reader off-balance?

2. Pushkin has definite opinions in this story about the use and abuse of imagination; imagination disguises reality, projects desires, and can be used as a tool in manipulating one’s own and others’ views on life. Pick one or two examples and analyze what Pushkin’s ideas are on the issue of imagination.

3. The narrator’s superiority suggests that this story contains moral and social criticisms. Look at several examples of how the narrator controls our attitudes towards the events and characters in the story.

4. Consider how each of the Conclusion’s elements has been prepared for earlier in the story. To sum up, explain how you feel the Conclusion does or does not appropriately conclude the story.