Pushkin's "the Queen of Spades"

“The Queen of Spades” was a story that I enjoyed reading, because I enjoy the style of writing used by Russian classical writers, and the themes and symbols they apply and cover in their works. It is difficult to classify this piece of writing as a short story because of its complex and intricate structure. This complexity is obvious in the various flashbacks and subplots present within the work itself. One of the main reasons I enjoyed the book was the fact that its narrative style is objective to the point of cold-bloodedness and this automatically excludes the possibility of there being any sensationalism in the writing form. The other reason I enjoyed reading this book was because, even though it is quite short, it is packed full of symbols and themes, which together end up giving a subtle message about how one should live one’s life. Also, Pushkin was able to portray all those themes through one main character and his interactions with others: Hermann. Moreover, there are a large number of central themes in Pushkin’s work, and they range from obsession, to immoral behavior, to risk and life’s capriciousness.

The first impression the reader has about Hermann is that he is a prudent and calculating German who doesn’t like to take risks, but who, nonetheless, enjoys the intricacies and gamble of a game of cards. He himself confesses to this conflict within him by stating, “Play interests me very much, but I am not in the position to sacrifice the necessary in the hope of winning the superfluous” (1).

However, once Hermann hears the story told by Tomsky about his grandmother, the Countess, and that she holds the secret of 3 winning cards, he becomes obsessed, and this is the first major theme throughout the work. His obsession is what leads him to commit immoral acts and at the same time start taking risks he normally never would. Due to his obsession, he pretends to be interested in Lizaveta, who is the Countess’s ward, in order to gain entry into the house. He even contemplates getting romantically involved with old and frail Countess herself. In the end, he trick Lizaveta, gains access to the house and decides to threaten the Countess into telling him her secret, thus causing her death. Furthermore, Hermann feels no regret or shame for his