Noor Ul Ain

Roll no. 13
The Man Who lived in a Shell
MCQs
1. Upon whose talk does Burkin recall Belikov?
a) Varenka
b) Mavra
c) Marva
d) Urwa
2. Why does not Belikov keep a female servant?
a) Because he hats women
b) Because he is married
c) Because he fears of people getting notions
d) Because he does not need one
3. What is the nationality of Varenka?
a) British
b) Russian
c) Italian
d) Ukrainian
4. To Belikov what is trait of Varenka reminiscent of the ancient Greek?
a) Her facial features
b) Her manners
c) Her accent
d) Her way of dressing
5. What is Varenka’s life with her brother?
a) They used to quarrel with words
b) They used to travel a lot
c) They used to create music
d) They used to play games and sing songs
6. Mr. Irvin Ivanich is the doctor of
a) ENT
b) Animals
c) Birds
d) He is not a doctor
7. Why thing does Kovalenko not like about Belikov?
a) His strictness
b) His pride
c) His love for cleanliness
 d) His manners
8. About whom is the inscription “The Anthropos in Love”?
a) Belikov and Varenka
b) Belikov and Marva
c) Kovalenko and Varenka
d) Romeo and Juliet
9. What is Kovalenko’s attitude when Belikov expresses his dislike towards the siblings
riding the bicycle?
a) He is ashamed
b) He is pleased
c) He is angered
d) He is saddened
10. “This buoyant resonant ‘_____’ was the end of the Belikov’s courting and of his
earthly existence as well”.
a) Wow
b) Ouch
c) Hurray
d) Ha Ha
Short Questions
1) What sort of man is Belikov?
He is a very reserved, shy, traditional and conservative man. He has a
psychological fear in his mind and even doubts the beautiful things. Reality
irritates him and keeps him in a constant terror and perhaps to justify his
timidity, he keeps talking about past and things which have never been in
existence. He follows the rules and regulations and is very strict towards others
for following the rules. He is a silent type of man who do not talk too much but
used to listen others if he visited any other. He is so careful about his reputation
that he keeps a male servant instead of a female so that people would not
assume unnecessary thoughts.
2) Write down the character of Kovalenko.
He is a Ukrainian, history and geography teacher. He is tall 35 year old dark
complexioned man with a deep booming voice. He is totally opposite of the
character of Belikov. He is incompatible with Belikov as he does not like him
since their first meeting. On his last meeting with Belikov he behaves rudely with
him and pushed him to downstairs which is very humiliating for Belikov.
3) Draw the character sketch of Varenka.
She is 30 years old, tall, dark, loud Ukrainian woman and sister of teacher named
Kovalenko. She belongs to rich family but she has sincere feelings. She wants
variety as she is sick of the life she is spending with her brother. She is a gay and
jolly type of girl. The idea of marriage appears agreeable to her. She is ready to
 marry anyone, even the Greek teacher. It was the problem of the age and the
girls would marry anyone, simple for the sake of getting married. Taking onti
consideration all these problems, Varenka has marked liking for Belikov. She is
the first woman in Belikov’s life who has ever treated him with affection.
4) What are the visible themes of the story “The Man Who Live in the Shell”?
Psychological fear and skepticism is the central theme of the story which is
visible in the character of Belikov. He lives in isolation, does not want to change
himself and accept bitter realities of life. Then there is the theme of Introvert
versus extrovert as Belikov is introvert whereas Varenka and her brother are
extroverts. Another major concern is that humanity’s essential need to be free
from tyranny and coercion. In the character of Belikov, Chekhov has created a
memorable portrait of a social tyrant control over himself but also suppresses
impulses toward liberation in others.
5) In “The Man Who Lived in A Shell”, how is Chekhov’s view of love is different
from the romantic view of love in Romeo and Juliet?
The major "romance" of Chekhov's story, between Varenka and Belikov, is
opposite of that in Romeo and Juliet in every regard. Romeo and Juliet were
impetuous and married immediately. Belikov must wait to propose to see that
nothing adverse would come of it. The one couple was energetic and full of lively
energy. The other was constrained and hedged in by routine. In fact, the
beginning of the end for Varenka's hopes came when Belikov saw her riding a
bicycle on an outing. While Romeo didn't try to convince Juliet's parents in his
favor, Belikov tried to reprimand Varenka's brother after this so he would act
with more decorum. When Varenka saw Belikov prostrate after his tumble
downstairs, her love led her to burst into her robust laughter. When Juliet saw
Romeo prostrate in the tomb, her love led her to plunge a dagger into her
heart.