Essay Questions

Why is it significant that the author chose to use a nom de plume?

In The Kitchen Boy, the author Robert D. Zimmerman uses the false name Robert Alexander to originally publish his book. Although using a pen name is not unheard of, this action holds specific significance for this book. The entire plot is built around deception and lies and the hidden truth. The narrator Misha recaps this entire story after years of lies and hiding it, only to finally state the whole truth has not been revealed. Before the full truth can be found, Misha commits suicide, leaving the truth hidden. This entire premise of falsifications is evident from the very start of the book. Not the first page, but the cover, where Robert Alexander is written. It signifies the theme of the book that is about to come and could even be considered potential foreshadowing used by the author to present his novel's plot. In this simple yet ingenious way, Robert D. Zimmerman is able to capture the essence of his novel from the very start, and create a dynamic opening that entices the reader to turn the front cover.

Why do you think the Bolshevik soldiers let Leonid go?

Leonid was the kitchen boy, someone who had close interactions with the Romanov family and became very attached to them. It would seem likely that when the Bolsheviks executed the Tsar and his family as well as getting rid of the rest of their staff, they would execute Leonid as well. Despite that fact, Leonid managed to escape harm-free and did not have to go through even so much as questioning or interrogations about his plans and motives. One argument might be the humanity of the Bolshevik soldiers. However, this argument doesn't scale up to the events that took place. These soldiers imprisoned the Tsar, his wife, and his five young children, rarely letting them even leave the house. They then dragged them to a cellar in front of a firing squad and murdered them in cold blood. Not just the Tsar, but his children too, some who were as young as Leonid. Therefore, it can't be the prospect of their humanity that kept them from dealing with Leonid. Now we must examine why they killed the Tsar and his family. Well, the answer becomes obvious; they for killed so the Bolsheviks could take power, which was essentially a political reason. After this analysis it becomes clear that the Bolshevik soldiers let Leonid go based on a mixture of political reasons and humanity. Political reasons were the main force driving these soldiers and once the killing of Leonid was not justified by these reasons, they moved on to their second largest internal force: their humanity. It was once they realized that the killing of Leonid would go against their humanity that they let him go.

What is the importance of the author's background about this subject? How would this book have been without it?

Robert D. Zimmerman's background and life experiences were instrumental in the creation of his novel. He has traveled to Russia multiple times and has visited various parts of the country. He even went so deep into his travel and research that he studied at Leningrad State University. Zimmerman's study of the culture and history of the country of Russia became so extensive and far-reaching that it pervaded most of his literary pieces and enabled him to create dramatic fictions that were filled to the brim with historical allusions. Without this knowledge, it would have been nearly impossible for Robert D. Zimmerman to write The Kitchen Boy, much less any of his other novels focused on Russia's past. Without his background about the subject, the book would have been left bare. His historical allusions, from the Bolshevik Revolution to the Romanov family, create a setting and theme for the book that is vibrant and real. It pops out of the novel and sucks the reader in. Without this, Zimmerman would have had to create his own setting and theme from scratch. Another thing is that his background and experience and knowledge on the subject makes this work of fiction so much more believable and tangible. It feels like the events really did happen because the foundation is grounded in historical reality. That is why Zimmerman's background of the subject is so important.