Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. What do you know about Russia and St. Petersburg in the 19th century? Consider the historical and political events of this period as well as other examples of literature or art that were produced or set during this period. What are some things you associate with this period of Russian history?

Teaching Suggestion: The novel’s setting (Dostoevsky’s contemporary St. Petersburg) is key to understanding the novel. Dostoevsky takes advantage of the poverty and squalor of many of the inhabitants of 19th-century St. Petersburg, exploring the way such an environment impacts the psychology and values of the people living it. You may want to discuss the political background of Russia at the time Dostoevsky wrote and published his novel, including the growing internationalism of the Russian Empire under the Tsars and the emancipation of the Russian serfs in 1861.

• This article on the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum discusses the history of St. Petersburg.
• This short video from Modern Wall Street discusses the emancipation of the Russian serfs in 1861 and why this was such an important milestone.