The Queen of Spades

by Alexander Pushkin

Start Free Trial

The Golden Mean

Download PDF PDF Page Citation Cite Share Link Share

Pushkin’s “The Queen of Spades” is considered one of the seminal short stories of Russian literature, the beginning of a rich tradition. The main theme, however, is a moral borrowed from the ancient heritage of Latin and Greek literature: the golden mean. Hermann is a Russified German, a device in Russian literature used to depict the virtues of prudence, moderation, and hard work—the opposite of another stock device, the Russian who goes to extremes and lives life to the fullest. Obsession with winning money deflects Hermann from the correct path and disaster ensues; he goes broke and mad at the same time. The obsession also kills his humanity as he callously misuses Elizaveta, is responsible for the death of the countess, and then represses any feeling of remorse that he felt for this act.

The Power of the Supernatural

Download PDF PDF Page Citation Cite Share Link Share

Another view sees the story as the depiction of the power of the supernatural. If man tempts fate, then he is liable to punishment. The game is a symbol of life governed by fate; Hermann tries to short-circuit the process by using the secret and is destroyed.

Revenge of the Countess

Download PDF PDF Page Citation Cite Share Link Share

A third view sees the queen of spades as the countess’s revenge on Hermann for being frightened to death. Perhaps all three views are valid interpretations of the tale.

Get Ahead with eNotes

Start your 48-hour free trial to access everything you need to rise to the top of the class. Enjoy expert answers and study guides ad-free and take your learning to the next level.

Get 48 Hours Free Access
Previous

Summary

Next

Characters

Loading...