Sofia Petrovna Before the Purges, Essay

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It is as if she wishes Alik, not Kolya, had been arrested. Thus begins Sofia's overt suspicion of Alik, which reflects her budding paranoia toward the entire world. She even suspects her neighbors of stealing her kerosene.

Sofia's gradual descent into depression is the direct cause of her persecution of Alik Finkelstein. Alik is nothing like the image Sofia has of him, as being "impetuous" and cries out, "Lord how stupid you are!" (Chukovskaia 45). Alik remains steadfast and loyal in spite of her increasing anger. In fact, Alik is the one who understands that the Revolution is not as glorious as they had once believed; whereas Sofia remains blinded to the truth. Instead of being angry with the system, she takes out that anger on Alik Finkelstein. Alik actually seems to understand the gravity of Kolya's situation far better than Sofia, whose wallowing prevents intelligent action. For example, Sofia imagines she will walk right in at the prosecutor's office and tell him that Kolya was a good member of the Komsomol.

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Alik understands what is really happening, both with Kolya and with Sofia's being fired: "We've been put on the blacklist, as I understand it. Scoundrels! Where the hell did so many swine come from all of a sudden?"

Rather than gain common sense by listening to Alik, and rather than gaining an ally in someone who actually does care, Sofia accuses her son's defender of being a loudmouth. Alik exhibits saintly patience with the grieving Sofia, explaining that it was because he would not renounce Nikolai (he uses his full given name) that he was suspended from Uralmash. After Kolya's arrest, Sofia drives herself mad, using Alik as a scapegoat and as a means by which to divert responsibility from the Soviets. Read from this viewpoint, So -- a Petrovna can be interpreted more critically to reveal a preliminary stage in Chukovskaya's personal and intellectual development in trying to understand the unthinkable events around her," (Aragon 5).

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