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Classroom Exercises
Below are some ideas for teaching Brothers Karamazov that
we hope you'll find useful.
- Role-playing and Debate. Brothers Karamazov is
a book that lends itself very well to debate. One exercise that
is fun for students is to assign them different identities (for
example, Ivan and Smerdyakov; Fyodor and Zosima), provide them
an appropriate question, and ask them to debate in character.
This exercise requires students to master the finer points of
Dostoevsky's arguments and leads to lively class discussion.
- Small Group Questions on "Strains." One exercise
that worked well is to divide the class into small groups of three,
assign each one a different chapter of "Strains," and
ask them to define the precise nature of the strain assigned them.
Instruct students to find three passages of text that illustrate
the strain. Then ask them to consider how that strain related
to the book's larger issues. At the end of the class, reconvene
students and have them present their discoveries.
- Final Debate on "Who is the Hero of the Book?"
After they've finished the novel, divide your class into four
groups, each representing one of the four brothers. (You can include
Smerdyakov in the exercise.) Ask each group to develop the argument
that their brother is indeed the "hero" of the book.
Require that each group define "heroism" as Dostoevsky
might define it. Then open the matter up to class debate.
- Wrap-up Exercise. Another way of wrapping up the discussion
of the novel is to ask students to choose one passage that was
especially powerful or meaningful to them. In class, ask each
student to read that passage of text and to explain why he or
she found it powerful.
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