Introduction
Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkins The Queen of Spades is fairly regarded as one of his most talented, most fascinating, and most intriguing stories. Written in accordance with the basic rules of a card game, Pushkin tries to evaluate and judge the complexity of human interrelationships and the impact of societal standards and norms on individual perceptions about reality. Lisaveta Ivanovna the representation of social loneliness and social rejection brought up by and living with an old Countess, a young woman is bound to experience a whole series of pressures and failures, unable to tame the old womans capricious nature and blind to Hermanns mercenary intentions about herself. Despite continuous social victimization and under the double pressure of the old countess and that of Hermanns mercenary plans, Lisaveta Ivanovna, nevertheless, exemplifies the triumph of her emotional power and endurance over her fate in many aspects, her obedience and submission to the rules of her destiny make the destiny more favorable toward the young woman and give her another chance to become happy.
Pushkins The Queen of Spades resembles a complex and never-ending card game, in which people, places, decisions, and actions are so closely interrelated, that it is never possible to predict what will happen next. In this complex system of interrelationships, Lisaveta Ivanovna plays a victim of her own social position she neither has a chance to become a respected member of her society, nor is she given an opportunity to find a good husband and a partner for life. You never know what youre talking about Open that small window. There as I thought windy and bitterly cold. Unharness the horses. Lisaveta, were not going out there was no need to dress up like that (Pushkin 869). The changeable and overtly capricious nature of the old Countess creates a serious pressure on Lisaveta she cannot tame the old woman and has a bare chance to find personal happiness. Lisaveta Ivanovnas personal space is limited to the extent, which does not leave her any freedom of choice. Her life is narrowed to being a household martyr she pours out tea and is reprimanded for putting in too much sugar she reads novels aloud and is held guilty for all the authors faults she accompanies the Countess on her walks, and is made responsible for the state of weather and the pavement (Pushkin 870). The salary attached to her position is never paid, but she is expected to be dressed as everybodyelse (Pushkin 870). Pushkin is correct, when saying that Lisavetas place in society is nothing but pitiable, because she is known to everyone but is not noticed by anyone and this deceptive publicity only aggravates her feeling of loneliness and social rejection (870).
In conditions of complete loneliness, it is natural and even anticipated that Lisaveta falls in love with Hermann on the one hand, she finds it difficult to withstand his pressures on the other hand, these feelings are the only possible means for Lisaveta to use her romantic potential and to love
Nevertheless, the letter made her feel extremely uneasy. For the first time in her life she was entering into a secret and confidential relationship with a young man. His audacity shocked her. She reproached herself for her imprudent behavior, and did not know what to do. Should she stop sitting at the window and by a show of indifference cool off the young mans desire for further acquaintance Should she send the letter back to him Or answer it with cold-hearted finality (Pushkin 872).
These thoughts are running through Lisavetas mind, while she is trying to maintain a reasonable emotional balance and to conceal her feelings from everyone. Her loneliness and social rejection produce a two-fold effect she has a unique opportunity to thoroughly reconsider her actions and feelings toward Hermann and she also fails to see what stands behind his mercenary intentions toward her. Her romantic character and a natural female desire to be loved make Lisaveta virtually blind, and this blindness make her failure and the discovery of the truth even more painful Lisaveta Ivanovna listened to him with horror. So those passionate letters, those ardent demands, the whole impertinent and obstinate pursuit all that was not love Money that was what his soul craved for It was not she who could satisfy his desire and make him happy (Pushkin 878). However, as it often happens in a card game, destiny and luck turn their face toward Lisaveta and give her another chance to become a happy woman.
Throughout her life, Lisaveta has either been used as a unique tool of satisfying someone elses mercenary desires or had to suffer the lack of human attention and understanding. During the Ball, when Tomsky, vexed with the Princess Polina for not flirting with him as she usually did, had wished to revenge himself by a show of indifference he had therefore summoned Lisaveta Ivanovna and together they had danced an endless mazurka (Pushkin 876-7), the readers are given a unique chance to see the full picture of Lisavetas isolation and her social inferiority. However, as it often happens during card games, destiny turns toward those, who were able to submit themselves to its power. In many aspects, Lisaveta Ivanovna is the only real winner in Pushkins story that she is lucky to marry a very agreeable young man, who has a good position in the service somewhere (Pushkin 883) creates a vision of destiny as of the vicious circle of desires, in which luck and happiness return to those who have enough patience and endurance to go through the major life difficulties without losing their dignity, and being able to learn from their failures and mistakes.
Conclusion
The Queen of Spades is written in accordance with the basic rules of a card game people, places, actions, and decisions are so closely interrelated that it is virtually impossible to predict what will happen next. In his short story, Pushkin initially positions Lisaveta Ivanovna as the victim of the norms and constraints in her society she is bound to cope with the capricious nature of the old Countess and does not have a single chance to find her happiness. She is used by Hermann to satisfy his mercenary desires and does not have an opportunity to realize her inner spiritual potential. However, as it often happens in a card game, destiny turns to those who were able to submit themselves to its will as such, Lisaveta Ivanovna creates a vision of destiny as of the vicious circle of desires, in which luck and happiness turn to those who are able to go through the major life difficulties without losing their dignity.
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