Short Fiction · Chapter
II: The Village Headman explained
This chapter describes the authority and character of the village headman, a stern and respected figure who once served as an escort for Empress Catherine.
What happens
This chapter describes the authority and character of the village headman, a stern and respected figure who once served as an escort for Empress Catherine. It also depicts a drunken Cossack, Kalenik, stumbling through the streets on a magical Ukrainian night, mistaking houses and being teased by young girls.
Themes in this chapter
Social Class and Bureaucracy
The headman's authority and the villagers' deference highlight the rigid social hierarchy and bureaucratic power in the rural community.
Absurdity and Satire
Kalenik's drunken antics and the headman's pompous self-importance are presented with comic and satirical undertones.
Characters to notice
- The Village Headman
Described as a morose, severe, and important figure who once accompanied Empress Catherine and now rules the village with authority.
- Kalenik
A drunken Cossack who dances through the street, argues with the headman, and is misdirected by young girls.
Key passages
“Do you know a Ukraine night? No, you do not know a night in the Ukraine. Gaze your full on it. The moon shines in the midst of the sky; the immeasurable vault of heaven seems to have expanded to infinity; the earth is bathed in silver light; the air is warm, voluptuous, and redolent of innumerable sweet scents. Divine night! Magical night!”
The narrator asks if the reader truly understands the beauty of a Ukrainian night, describing the moonlit sky, the silver earth, and the warm, fragrant air as divine and magical.
Sets a lyrical, romantic tone for the chapter's setting.
“In outward manners he is morose and severe, and not fond of talking. Long ago, when the Empress Catherine of blessed memory journeyed to the Crimea, he was chosen as one of her escort for two whole days, and had the high honour of sitting with the imperial coachman on the box.”
The headman appears stern and taciturn, and his greatest pride is having served as an escort for Empress Catherine during her Crimean journey, sitting beside the coachman.
Establishes the headman's authority and his reliance on past glory.