Essay Questions

What is the significance of the Yellow Arrow? What does it represent?

The Yellow Arrow on which all of the characters are riding on is a representation of the progression through life. The characters riding on the train are representations of the different people one encounters in their lifetime; the friends who have become successful, the friend who you have lost connection with, the acquaintances and relationships that could have been. The outside of the train is an allegory for death or the possible afterlife, and the ruined bridge that the train is being driven off of represents certain death. This clever allegory overall provides another layer to the text and prevents it from being obvious and dull.

What changes does Andrei go through during the novel?

After Andrei’s revelation, he changes his attitude significantly. Before Khan tells him about the train’s existence, he is relatively ignorant, and only ever philosophical in a vague, meandering manner. However once this fact has been revealed, his attitude and personality changes from generally satisfied to desperate and often hopeless. These changes provide a significant change of tone of the novel; from lethargic and bored to chaotic and interesting. Andrei as a character becomes more engaging and developed as a person. As well as this, it provides us with a deeper meaning to analyze ‒ Andrei’s change of personality represents the hopelessness caused by the realization of self.

What does Grisha and Petr’s ‘Blue Car’ company represent?

Grisha and Petr are representative of entrepreneurs who cater to the rich and become successful from it. While Grisha has always had this attitude, Petr starts from a humble mindset, and eventually becomes totally absorbed in the company, abandoning Andrei as his monetary status rises. Their actual company is a representation of the luxuries and privileges provided to the upper class which allow them to have more comfort, luxury, and freedom.

What was the purpose of leaving the novel’s ending ambiguous?

The novel’s ending reaffirms the message that humanity will never find out what truly happens at the end of life, when we ‘leave the train’. The ambiguity of what the outside of the train actually represents is purposeful, leaving it up to the reader to decide whether they think it is the afterlife, or simply death. This also makes the text more thought-provoking and lets the reader think about the meanings.

What is ‘leaving the train’? What is the true meaning of it?

The meaning of ‘leaving the train’ is the departure of life, to either the afterlife or death. Since the train represents life, the outside of the train therefore has to represent the opposite; and throughout the novel, the outside of the train is shown in a strange, elusive way, thus increasing the strength of the allegory and adding more interest.