(Originally Written September 15, 2011 in The Journal)
An Amateur Peasant Girl - Alexander Pushkin
Ivan Petrovitch Berestaff was likable but proud and thrifty man.
Gregory Ivanovitch Mouromsky was an old stamp noble who had squandred his wealth on opulence.
Ivan mocked Gregory. Gregory looked down on Ivan as a peasant.
On differentiating country women who grow peculiar but charming and the city women who are better off Pushkin states that the ladies of the city, "women receive perhaps better instruction, but intercourse with the world soon levels the character and makes their souls as uniform as their head-dresses". This is an interesting take on what culture does to individuals.
Alexie, the son of Ivan has returned to the country from the city as a disenchanted and mysterious youth and has attracted the countrywomen to him.
Liza, the daughter of Gregory has the most interest in Alexei. Liza was spoiled rotten and raised to match the English ways her father so readily copied.
"But is not the fear which accompanies our youthful escapades that which constitutes their greatest charm?"
What an odd story. It's like a happy ending version of Romeo and Juliet. It was like a farce-spoof of Shakespeare.
Mais etes-vous fou? Are you mad?
Showing posts with label Pushkin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pushkin. Show all posts
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Notes on The Queen of Spades
(Originally Written September 15, 2011 in The Journal)
The Queen of Spades - Alexander Pushkin
I play mirandole (not increasing the stakes)
Lizaveta Ivanova, is she the inspiration or is she the pawn for Hermann's advance for riches?
Hermann wishes not 'to risk the necessary in the hope of winning the superflous'
"Hermann wrote them under the inspiration of passion, and spoke in his own language and they bore full of the testimony to the inflexibility of his desire and the disordered condition of his uncontrollable imagination"
The irony of the paragraph of chapter five about the countess waiting for the midnight bridegroom is grim imagery in light of her death.
I like the tone of this sentence about people cheating by bending the cards: [He] "put straight the corners of cards that some player's hand had chanced to bend".
Russian stories seem to end so abruptly. I enjoy that though.
Lizaveta was the pawn by the way, though I am not sure Hermann always thought so.
The Queen of Spades - Alexander Pushkin
I play mirandole (not increasing the stakes)
Lizaveta Ivanova, is she the inspiration or is she the pawn for Hermann's advance for riches?
Hermann wishes not 'to risk the necessary in the hope of winning the superflous'
"Hermann wrote them under the inspiration of passion, and spoke in his own language and they bore full of the testimony to the inflexibility of his desire and the disordered condition of his uncontrollable imagination"
The irony of the paragraph of chapter five about the countess waiting for the midnight bridegroom is grim imagery in light of her death.
I like the tone of this sentence about people cheating by bending the cards: [He] "put straight the corners of cards that some player's hand had chanced to bend".
Russian stories seem to end so abruptly. I enjoy that though.
Lizaveta was the pawn by the way, though I am not sure Hermann always thought so.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)