Name: _____________________________________________________ Date: ___________________

Period: ____________

Notes from the Underground

Part 2: Chapters VI-X
1. Describe the tone the narrator takes with Liza when they begin talking.

2. The narrator tells Liza a number of stories of husbands and wives and fathers he
has known. From where can we assume these stories come?

3. What comment of Lizas utterly deflates the narrator?

4. How does the thrust of narrators conversation change after Liza (perhaps
unwittingly) offends him?

5. In what way is the narrators conversation with Liza a success for him?

6. What treasure of hers does Liza take out for the narrator to appraise?

7. The narrator dreads that Liza will take him up on his offer and show up on his
doorstep. As usual, however, he also has a conflicting impulse. What is it this time?

8. What is ironic in the narrators referring to Apollon as a pedant who looks down
upon everyone?

9. For what action of the narrators does Apollon threaten to involve the police?

10. What, according to what he tells Liza when she visits him, is the narrator most
ashamed of?

11. How does Liza surprise the narrator after his outburst towards her?

12. Explain what love and the prospect of loving someone mean to the narrator.

13. Why does the narrator give Liza money when she takes her leave of him?

14. Why do you think the author includes a note at the end of the book explaining that
the narrators own notes do not end here and that the narrator went on to write more
that was not included in the text?

15. The narrator realizes hes incapable of love. What makes him incapable?

16. What does Liza do with the money he gives her? How does he react?

17. Explain what he means in his idle question

18. What does he realize about himself at the very end (when he talks about writing his
story)?