Essay Questions

Why is Alexander arrested and what is the irony surrounding his imprisonment?

Alexander is detained in the year 1917 after the Bolshevik rebellion. The principal reason why he is arrested by the government is to abolish his propagation of elitism. He is an aristocrat who the government blames of spreading propaganda against the progress of Russia. The irony surrounding his arrest is that he is life imprisoned in his luxurious hotel that he has been living for a long time. However, this time round he is taken to a smaller room but he can move freely within the hotel premises. The reader expected political prisoners to be imprisoned in government remands.

What angers Alexander about the new government while he is imprisoned?

The new government has come up with regulations that are not favorable for all. What angers Alexander more is the action by the government to remove the labeling of wine bottles to ensure that everything is equally valued. He is also not happy with the government's move to imprison people who speak their minds. However, with time he gets used to the new government's moves even if he does not agree with them.

Why did Mishka disappear for a long time before visiting Alexander in the hotel where he is imprisoned?

Despite Mishka being in support of the new government in Russia, he is against the evils done by the same government against society. He maintains his stand to correct the government where it is wrong. Later on, he is arrested by the government for spreading propaganda and sent to prison in Serbia. Alexander does not see him for a long time but he tries to keep himself busy with the hotel staff and Sofia. At last, Mishka is released and the first thing he does is to visit Alexander to share with him his predicaments.