"A feeling of despair began to take possession of him; all the more as the streets became more thronged and the merchants began
to open their shops." Why would Ivan feel despair if the streets became "thronged"?
A. Ivan wanted to be alone so he could dispose of the nose.
B. Ivan was being followed by his wife.
C. The story takes place in St. Petersburg, Russia.
D. Ivan was feeling very guilty about cutting off the nose.
Answer: A. Ivan wanted to be alone so he could dispose of the nose.
Explanation: In this lines we can see the description of a man feeling desperate for an apparently inofensive situation (the merchants opening their shops, and the streets starting to be transited by people), this despair is caused by his desire of being alone so he could dispose of the nose he secretly had, and he couldn't do that if there were many people on the streets.
