Jokes (Motif)
The characters use humor to handle heavy subject matters that hound their reality such as death, war, and fascism. The practical jokes and laughter may seem like their indifference to the oppressive regime and the Cold War; however, the jokes are a reaction to a dire situation by a group of disillusioned and world-weary characters. Their tongue-in-cheek approach to Stalinism, life, and death highlight the existential thinking they choose to abide by. Therefore, laughter is their chosen response in making sense in a senseless world.
Insignificance (Motif)
Existentialism is at the center of the narrative echoing the attitudes of existentialists such as Nietzsche and Sartre. Set during the Cold War, it delves into the nature of the human condition at a time of uncertainty. The characters self-analyze and contemplate the insignificance of life and the absurdity of human existence. Dealing with mortality prompt the characters to express what they make of life as per their experiences. Through humor, they find the means to convey their sentiments in acknowledging the insignificance of life.
Stalin (Symbol)
Stalin appears as a character in a few vignettes that portray him as a jokester with a knack for sadistic humor. The fictionalized Stalin is utilized to symbolize the state of affairs in Eastern Europe while blending existentialism with humor. The characters choose jokes to make sense of their reality and render the fascist leader in the same context. Therefore, the narrative expresses the conflict between personal freedom and fascism through the jokes made by Stalin in creating order amid chaos. In essence, the oppression of the Soviet power can only be deduced as a form of a joke due to its absurdity.
Marionettes (Allegory)
The characters recognize the absurdity of human existence through subjective experiences. Marionettes appear in the narrative to represent the nature of man and history and hence the absurdity of authenticity. It emphasizes the inability to find meaning or value in life in a chaotic and insignificant world. In that, the universe has no meaning past the value we choose to give it. Therefore, the marionettes act as an allegory to this insignificance since human life faces oblivion after death.
