Short Fiction · Chapter
Officer and Soldier-Servant explained
The chapter contrasts the idle, self-satisfied reveries of Second Lieutenant Alexander Michailovich Stebelkoff with the grim reality of his servant Nikita Ivanoff's conscription.
What happens
The chapter contrasts the idle, self-satisfied reveries of Second Lieutenant Alexander Michailovich Stebelkoff with the grim reality of his servant Nikita Ivanoff's conscription. Stebelkoff daydreams about dances and promotions while Nikita is brutally examined by a military commission, declared fit for service, and forced to leave his family. The chapter ends with both men asleep, highlighting the vast social divide between officer and peasant soldier.
Themes in this chapter
Social Marginalization and Compassion
Nikita is treated as subhuman by the military commission, described as an 'ape' and a 'regular ape,' while his master Stebelkoff lives in comfort and ignorance of his servant's suffering.
Suffering and Redemption
Nikita's conscription represents the arbitrary suffering imposed on the peasantry, with no prospect of redemption, as he is torn from his family and forced into a brutal system.
Characters to notice
- Alexander Michailovich Stebelkoff
A self-absorbed Second Lieutenant who reminisces about his past, dreams of becoming a General, and relies entirely on his servant Nikita for basic tasks.
- Nikita Ivanoff
A peasant conscript who is dehumanized during his medical examination, described as ape-like, and is forced to leave his family for military service.
- Ivan Ivanovich
An old man who meets Nikita after the examination, lamenting the loss of his family's only helper to conscription.
- Ilia Savelich
A sturdy-looking muzhik who advises Ivan that adopting Nikita earlier might have saved him from service.
Key passages
“вАЬApe!вАЭ said a rather stout, brisk-mannered Colonel, the military head of the Commission, leaning towards a spare young man with a handsome beard, a member of the Zemstvo Board, вАЬa regular ape!вАЭ”
The Colonel mockingly calls Nikita an ape, dehumanizing him in front of the commission.
This moment underscores the brutal class prejudice and lack of compassion shown to peasant recruits.
“вАЬHave they taken you?вАЭ he asked. Nikita did not answer, and the old man knew that it was so, and did not ask any more questions.”
An old man asks Nikita if he has been conscripted, and Nikita's silence confirms it, leaving the old man resigned to the loss.
This exchange captures the quiet despair of families losing their breadwinners to the military.
“вАЬWhat is there to do? The will of GodвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ there was one helper in the family, and now heвАЩs goneвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ andвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶вАЭ Ivan made a gesture with his hand.”
Ivan resigns himself to the loss of his family's only helper, attributing it to God's will.
This illustrates the fatalism and helplessness of the peasantry in the face of conscription.