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Peter Radzikowski
Professor Nakhimovsky
February 25, 2008
A Look Into Russian Society Through Pushkin
In order to grasp the irony and to understand the social commentary that exists in Alexander Pushkin’s “The Queen of Spades”, it is important to realize the magnitude of gambling in Russia’s culture at the time. Helfant eloquently states this fact, “Gambling [serves] as an index of character in nineteenth-century Russia.” Pushkin’s story acts as venue for Pushkin to comment on this prevalence on gambling in Russian youth culture. He primarily achieves this goal through the use of character of Hermann. His character provides an insight into Russian youth and the vices that plague them. In the story, he undergoes great changes in character and virtue due to his obsession with gambling and more importantly, figuring out how to win at gambling. This obsession stems from a story that his friend’s grandmother possesses the knowledge of some supernatural winning card combination that will bring him otherwise unattainable wealth. Furthermore it is important to note that Pushkin himself was a gambler in his youth and fell under the same spell he denounces in the story. This is the main source of irony in the story. Helfant states that in his lackluster gambling career, Pushkin had amounted debts of approximately 80,000 rubles and that he had maintained the belief he considered “the passion for gambling is the strongest of passions.” I believe that the character of Hermann is loosely based on a younger version of himself and the struggles the character encounters are the similar to those he had earlier in life.
In the beginning of the story, the reader is shown a scene of Russian officers gambling. This is where we are first introduced to Hermann, the russianized-german engineer. He is sitting watching the card game, but does not play. “Gambling is of great interest to me,” he says, “but I am not in a position to sacrifice what is necessary to me in the hope of gaining the superfluous.” Another one of the card player, Tomsky, reveals to us a facet of Hermann character and nature: he explains that he is a good German, “He is calculating, that is all there is to it.” In this scene the reader can sense that Hermann is an outsider whose respective place in the social ladder would imply that he is not normally at a card game of this grandeur. “ [Hermann] was the son of a Russified German, who had left him a little capital. Firmly resolved to ensure his independence. Hermann did not touch even the interest earned by these fund; he lived on his salary alone, denying himself even the slightest extravagance…. Yet at the same time he would sit by the card table whole nights and follow with feverish trembling the different turns of the game.” Pushkin then expands our view of Hermann to an anecdote for the entire youth population: Hermann “ was a gambler at heart, but never touched a card” , a quality that is common to all Russian youth.
The story then focuses on the story of Tomsky’s grandmother and the knowledge she posses of a secret card combination. He explains that his grandmother once had suffered seemingly unrecoverable gambling losses in Paris, but had eventually recouped them through the help of a French nobleman and his three card formula that always wins and can never be repeated. Upon hearing this story, Hermann becomes obsessed with the thought that a secret combination could offer him a lifetime’s fortune.
Hermann’s obsession grows once he figures out that Tomsky’s grandmother is still alive, and in fact is the old countess who owns the house they are playing in. He then devises a plan to lead on the countess’ naïve companion and ward. Lizaveta Ivanovna. Through love notes and other hints, he succeeds in duping her into falling in love with him. And after a ball, that the countess will be attending, he forces Liza to allow him to wait for the old woman to return in her room. After several hours of waiting, the countess returns to her room to find Hermann waiting there impatiently. He then confronts her threateningly, demanding that she give him the secret. Amidst the altercation and yelling, the old woman becomes frightened and dies. And with his opportunity to learn the secret gone, Hermann reveals his true motives to Liza, breaking her heart.
The next scene opens with Hermann at the old countess’ funeral, peering into her open casket. As he looks closer the old countess looks back at him, he is so shocked that he immediately faints. Later that night the old countess visits him in the form of a phantom and she concedes to him, “ I have come her against my own will, but I have to fulfill your wish. The three, the seven, and the ace, one after the other will win for you—but on these conditions, that you never play more than one card in one day, and that you never gamble again. I forgive you my death on condition that you marry my ward, Lizaveta Ivanovna…” Hermann is visibly startled by the visit, but remains steadfast with the opportunity to use the secret. He then goes to richest, most exclusive gambling house in St. Petersburg, where he is formally introduced to its owner, Chekalinsky. Pushkin again expands this description of the betting house to comment the present day state of St. Petersburg with respect to gambling and youth: “Young men thronged to his house, forgetting the balls for the sake of card and preferring the seductions of faro to the enticements of gallantry.”
At this point in the story we can see a distinct change in the nature of Hermann’s gambling obsession. His obsession becomes not only about the secret card formula, but also about proving he belongs at the same table with someone as important as Chekalinsky. Hermann then sits down at the table and announces his stake, 47,000 rubles—his entire life savings. This creates a stir amongst the rest of gamblers. The predicted three wins, and Hermann leaves immediately as was his instructions. The next night, he bets 94,000 rubles, and the seven wins. On the third and final night, all patrons of the establishment eagerly await Hermann’s arrival to the gambling house, as his winnings have vaulted him to pseudo-celebrity status. People abandon their own gambling and cluster around Hermann as he approaches the table. Chekalinsky is visibly nervous that Hermann will win again, but attempts to cover this uneasiness with a smile. The cards are then dealt. “ ‘The ace has won!’ said Hermann and turned his card face up. ‘Your lady has been murdered,’ said Chekalinsky affably. Hermann shuddered: indeed, instead of an ace, the queen of spades lay before him. He could not believe his eyes, he could not fathom how he could possibly had pulled the wrong card. Suddenly, it seemed to him that the queen of spades had screwed up her eyes and grinned. He was struck by a definite similarity. ‘The old woman,’ he cried out in horror.”
The story ends with Hermann going mad and eventually committed to a mental institution. Where “he doesn’t answer any questions and keeps muttering with extraordinary rapidity, ‘Trey, seven ace! Trey, seven, queen!’” We learn that Liza is happily married and that Tomsky is eventually promoted and marries as well.
At first glance, the story seems supernatural in nature and speaks of forces that Hermann is unable to control. But I believe this to be incorrect. Hermann really was not visited by the dead countess nor was there ever a secret, winning card combination. All of the supernatural elements in the story came from Hermann’s greed obsessed mind. In actuality, he was nothing more that ambitious young man who was an outsider to the elite. His ambition and desire to rise in the social ladder lead to his obsession with gambling and his subsequent madness.
In addition to showing the negative aspects of gambling, Pushkin also cleverly comments on the relationship of current youth of the day with their elders. There exists a distinct difference between the ambition and greed of the youth and the nature of the “old aristocratic” Russians. The relationship between Hermann and the Old Countess shows this as the critic Angus Calder explains: “The force of the story lies in the contrast between Hermann, obscure thruster of the new age of Napoleonic greed… and the ancient Countess who lives with her memories of Catherine’s day, when she was a famous beauty. Pushkin combines his secure grasp of social relationships… the result [is] a cryptic but suggestive prose symbolism.” This cultural examination reveals yet another aspect of Pushkin’s attitude towards the nature of Russia’s youth.
In conclusion, Pushkin’s “Queen of Spades” provides commentary into the state of the Russian youth with regards to gambling and their ambitious nature to climb the social ladder along with the consequences that result from means to climb this ladder. It also allows Pushkin to put an examining eye on himself and allow some closure of his own personal ordeals involving gambling.
WORKS CITED
1. Helfant, Ian M. The High Stakes of Identity; Gambling in the Life and the Literature of Nineteenth-Century Russia. Evanston: Northwestern University Press, 2002
2. Sproat, Iain, Professor Leonid Arinshtein, Professor John Bayley, and Professor A.D.P. Briggs. The Queen of Spades and other prose fiction. The Complete Works of Alexander Pushkin. Nine, Antony Rowe. Idyllwild: Charles Schlacks, Jr. , 2001.
3. Calder, Angus. Russia Discovered: Nineteenth-Century Fiction from Pushkin to Chekhov. London: Heinemann, 1976.
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