Hello, Decathletes, thanks for some great and thoughtful answers to last week's assignment. For this week, Read book two, "A Girl from a Different Circle". Then thoughtfully answer the following questions as a comment to this post. Please don't forget to respond to someone else's comment.
1. Why do you think Amalia and her family have moved to their new home?
2. There are many different threads to the plot in this chapter. Describe the changes to scene and character.
3. How do these changes come together at the end of this chapter?
4. How does Lara feel about Komarovsky?
5. Was there anything about this section that you did not understand?
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete1. I think they move to there new home because they want to move away from Amalia's husbands death and try to move on.
ReplyDelete2. It starts out as describing Amalia's family. Then Larisa's talks. Then it switches to the railway strike.
3. Misha tells Yura that Komarovsky is the lawyer from the train.
4. Lara was flattered at first and then is horrified about what happened.
5. I was confused aboout why the railway people went on strike.
I'm confused about the reason for striking as well. I'm guessing it's because of a variety of factors, like unfair wages, bad treatment, etc.
DeleteGood answers!
1) I think they moved because staying there would only remind Amelia of the death of her husband, and she would not be able to move on, or heal from her loss.
ReplyDelete2) It begins by describing Amelia, her family, and their lifestyle. Next, Komarovsky takes Lara out to dance when her mother was sick, and kisses her; meanwhile a strike is started at the railway. Then there is a flashback to the strike at the train. Then it switches to Yura when she discovers who the lawyer from the train is.
3) At the end of the chapters, Misha tells Yura that the lawyer from the train was Komarovsky.
4) At first, Lara is flattered by his romantic advances, but at the same time, she is appalled by them, and seeks comfort from the church, although she is not religious.
5) I didn’t understand why the railway workers went on strike in the first place.
Welcome to the blog Jordan! I agree with your answer to question one. The family really needed to move on from their grief and moving house seemed to be the best solution. Nice job!
DeleteYeah, sorry it took me so long, I also caught up on all the assignments!
Delete1. It seems that Amalia and her family moved to a new home to turn a new leaf. Staying in their house would only remind them of their father's absence where as an unfamiliar place with new surroundings would distract them from their grief and allow them a fresh start.
ReplyDelete2. The beginning of part two introduces the reader to Amalia Karlovna Guichard, and her children, Lara and Rodya. They have just moved from the Urals to Moscow following the death of their father and are adjusting to their new home and surroundings. We then meet Komarovsky, a friend of Amalia's late husband and a lawyer. We learn that he is infatuated With Lara. Further along, we learn that their is a railway strike being planned. Kuprik Tiverzin, a railway worker, starts the strike by blowing the horn of an engine repair shop. We meet Nikolai Nikolaevich, again, who is no longer the carer of Yura and is quite angry about what is occurring and how people are behaving in these crazy times. We then meet Alexandr Alexandrovich who is hosting a concert but has to leave in an emergency. He brings Yura and Misha Girdon with him to the Montegro hotel where Amalia has tried to commit suicide. Misha tells Yura that Komarovsky is the lawyer who allowed his father to drink himself to death. (I'm sorry this was so lengthy!)
3. At the end of the chapter we learn some valuable information. Komarovsky was the lawyer from the train! I wonder how this will affect both Yura, Lara and the plot.
4. Lara is innocent and naive and is flattered that a handsome man like Komarovsky is interested in a young girl like herself. She later says that she hates him as he has brought out the worst in her. She is ashamed of herself and blames it all on him for taking advantage of her. She then seeks comfort by attending church even though she is not religious .
5. I also do not understand why the railway workers went on strike.
Great answers. I don't know why the strike started, but I do know that some people joined the strike later because their bosses treat them badly.
DeleteI like what you put for the first question. It is confusing why the railway workers went on strike.
Delete1)I think Amelia moved to get away from her husbands death. To turn over a new leaf away from the place where they shared memories, and possibly to not feel guilty if she moves on.
ReplyDelete2) The chapter starts off with Mme. Guichard and her children. Then we're introduced to Komarovsky and his attitudes towards the two children (creepy man is creepy), then it changes to disturbances at a railroad junction, then back to Lara and her family along with the creepy man. Lara realizes two boys she knows are involved with the Presnya Uprising and they fear their house might be shelled, so they go to a hotel. At the hotel, Mme. Guichard tries to commit suicide. A doctor who is hosting a concert is summoned and Misha and Yura come alone with him. As they're leaving there is a flashback for Misha to the train and we discover Creep man is responsible for Dr. Zhivago seniors' death.
3) This all comes together when we learn that Creep man (going to call Komarovsky that from now on) is responsible for the elder Zhivagos' death.
4) First she's thinking 'That's really nice of him...I'm flattered'. Then she realizes he's not going to stop (and is possibly becoming obsessed with her), and she's horrified (Yeah! Go Lara!). Though she is not religious she goes to a church for comfort and possibly to help her confusion.
5) I read sparknotes after I read the chapter (and during if I'm that confused) but there is something I'm wondering: After Creep man kisses Lara in my version, there is this paragraph that starts 'Drop all this foolishness' is this a warning to Lara, the reader, or someone else? It seems out of place with the context I have (even though it's after they waltz). It seems to me it's warning Lara that she should never have danced with Creep man because he'll start more trouble for her, but I'm not sure.
Hmm, Your answer to number 5 IS confuseing.. Unfortunately, I do not know that either. But good answers!
DeleteWe must have different versions, because I don't remember Lara waltzing with creep man. Though you are very right, Komarovsky is strange, I get bad vibes just thinking about him!
DeleteI looked back, and found the part where they were waltzing; my mistake. In my book it states "She must stop all this nonsense" of playing the flirt, dancing and encouraging Komarovsky.
Delete1. Amalia moves to a new home so she can forget about her dead husband,
ReplyDelete2. It skips back and forth between characters. The changes show the characters coming together.
3. It ends with Misha telling Yura that Komarovsky was the one who made Yura's father start drinking, which lead to his death.
4. Lara likes him, but she's afraid she will become obsessed with him so she sorta wants to end the relationship.
1. I think Amalia moved away with her family due to Komarovsky. He encourages her to begin a life in Moscow running a workshop after the death of her husband.
ReplyDelete2. The Guishars start a new life in Moscow owning a dressmaking shop near a railway line. The railway workers organize a widespread strike in which a man named Tiverzin is involved. The son of one of the arrested strikers, Pasha, lives with him and his mother. They participate in a demonstration that quickly turns into a massacre, and Nikolai Nikolaievich witnesses it upon returning to Moscow. He ends up having some sort of political conversation with a man named Vyvolochnov. We return to Lara, who is tormented by her affair with Komarovsky. She and her family quickly become affected by war and are forced to move to the Montenegro. There Madame Guishar attempts suicide, bringing Yura, Misha, Lara and Komarovsky together at the hotel.
3. The series of events lead to Yura seeing Lara at the Montenegro and taking an interest in her, and Misha seeing Komarovsky at the same place, recognizing him as the man who guided Yura's father to his death.
4. Lara feels conflicted about Komarovsky. She feels trapped in their relationship, where he is in control and she is just a puppet under his power, but is flattered by the attention he gives her.
5. Anything Nikolai Nikolaievich says confuses me. What is he talking about with Vyvolochnov about beauty in 10? I feel like he's stating his political ideology but have no idea what he is talking about.
To address the #5s (Though I think some commenters, particularly Maria, did a good job of this already):
ReplyDelete-Why did the railway workers strike? You probably don't need to know the intricacies of Russian railway politics, but what I think you need to know about this is that workers in general were treated poorly. Remember at this time, Russia is basically a dictatorship (though they might have called it a monarchy), with the tsar at the top. The people have very little say, there are no unions and very few workers rights. Serfdom (look it up if you don't know what it is) had been only recently abolished in Russia--point is, people don't have a lot of rights, hence, a strike. Remember, that in a few short years from where we are in the book, there will be a workers revolution, called the Bolshevik revolution, to address these issues, so this is kind of the political angle of the book.
-"anything Nikoli Nikolaievich says"...I agree, and I believe he's meant to be a bit confusing. He's overly metaphysical and loves to hear himself talk. He was a priest, so his training is in abstract things about which he likes to talk. At this point, I wouldn't worry too much. He says some things about beauty and truth. Is he perhaps being set up by Pasternak as the political voice in the novel? Keep that in mind.
-Finally, Lara's complicated relationship with Komarovsky...she likes him but she is afraid of him, so she plays games. She knows she shouldn't and that he's bad for her, but oh he's such a good waltzer....what's a girl to do? Probably agonize about it for several more chapters. Point is, she's torn in her feelings for him and wants to tell herself not to be foolish by feeling for him.