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• 1 2020-10-01T11:08:38-04:00 Between Dog & Wolf 35-51 21 Sasha Sokolov plain 2020-12-14T08:56:20-05:00

  Richard Chen
  
  pg. 35 — copses
  A small group of trees

  pg. 35 — Fusoria
  Like the term Spindlewort, fusoria is another kind of "plant" mentioned in the passage that does not exist. However, there is a term similar to fusoria, called infusoria, which is a single-celled organism that is typically aquatic.

  pg. 35 — Scarletberry
  Scarletberry (otherwise Scarlet Berries, scientific name Solanum dulcamara), is a small vine-like plant that produces small, 1cm berries. These berries are often red in color and is eaten by various songbirds. To humans, this berry is extremely poisonous. This berry has a long history in humanity, often utilized by Greek herbalists and used to prevent "dark" or "witch" magic by those superstitious during the Middle Ages.

  pg. 35 — Snakeberry
  This "berry" species can refer to many various types of berry-producing plants, many of which are considered poisonous (Scarletberry falls into this category). These types of plants are often confused with the wild or common strawberries as they both produce small, scarlet berries in an ovular shape. 

  pg. 35 — Solanum
  Solanum is a scientific term for a genus of plants that are highly diverse, like that of Scarletberry or Snakeberry mentioned above, or potatoes and tomato plants. However, when people refer to Solanum, they typically refer to the most common genus, known in common terms as "Nightshade." Nightshade is common in both Europe and North America, and is considered highly poisonous upon ingestion (both the berries produced by nightshade as well as its foliage).

  pg. 35 — mallard
  Mallard is one of the most common duck that typically resides in the Northern Hemisphere. It has a green-head and brown-white body. Mallards can be considered the "ancestor" of most domesticated ducks.

  pg. 35 — freeshooters
  This may be referring to hunting games that are easy to shoot/kill. In the passage, Sokolov writes that the moaning of rowlocks resemble a duck's call, in which attracted a gaggle (a group of ducks/geese) of ragged freeshooters. This might have important connotations later on in the story, as the oblivious fowls don't know that they are moving towards their deaths. Another way to interpret this may be that in the balmy October weather, ducks can't tell the difference between whether the sound of a mallard's call is coming from a member of their own species, or the rowlock of a boat. One will kill them, the other will bring familial bonds. This may allude to later in the story, where a wolf is indistinguishable from a dog at dusk/twilight.

  pg. 36 — Pas D’Espaigne
  A term in French. Pas translates to "no," while D'Espaigne translate to "spider," but together, the term Pas D'Espaigne is referring to a dance that originated from Russia, but is common among French and Spanish speakers. This term could also be a play on words from Sokolov, as D'Espaigne is similar to another term in French: D'Espagne, which means Spain. Aspects of Spain are mentioned in the poem, where the musician that entranced the woman lady with their dancing was described as Spanish, like a fly stuck in a spider's web.

  pg. 36 — Mozart
  Referring to the famous composer, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, he is most famous composer of history. Mozart started composing his own music at the age of five at the Salzburg court. After a while, he traveled and stayed in Vienna, where he composed some of his most famous works; however, his decision to move cost him his financial security. Unfortunately, Mozart met an early end to his life, at the age of 35 during December of 1791, whereupon he was met with an unknown sickness that proved to be fatal. He was buried in a common grave and had an extremely modest funeral thereafter.

  pg. 36 — tête-à-tête
  A French phrase that means a private conversation between two people

  pg. 37 — Saint Vitus
  Saint Vitus is the patron saint of dancers, actors, comedians, and all other occupation that pertains to entertainment through various forms of art. In Christianity, he is of vast symbolic importance as he died a martyr during the Christian-prosecutions by the Roman Emperors during the year 303. As with all patron saints, they each have their own "name day," a day (or days) in which they are celebrated, with Saint Vitus's day being around June 15th. During the Middle Ages, Germanic people celebrated Saint Vitus's name day by dancing in front of a statue of Saint Vitus, with the dance being denoted as "The Saint Vitus Dance." However, as time passed, "The Saint Vitus Dance" began to have a much darker connotation, referring to a neurological/psychiatric disease (a form of rheumatic fever) that cause limbs and muscles to jerk involuntarily. 
  In relation to the poem, Saint Vitus's Dance may be both referring to the passing of Summer as the verse describes the coming of winter, while also alluding to the terrors of illnesses that may come during the winter season, including "The Saint Vitus Dance."

  pg. 37 — stilo
  A French term meaning a fountain pen or a thin, pointed object  

  pg. 38 — Bin ich
  A German phrase meaning "I am" or "Am I" in an interrogative sentence. If the phrase where to be switched around, i.e., Ich Bin, it would usually be used in a declarative sentence.

  pg. 38 — vesptertilio
  Referring to bats, or more specifically, vesptertilio is a genus for bats

  pg. 39 — Pushkin
  Referring to the famous Russian poet, playwright, and novelist, Alexander Pushkin. For many, he is considered the father of Modern Russian literature and had inspired countless of other famous poets, playwrights, and novelists alike for centuries to come. His works were so important, that a poem that he had written, titled "Ode to Liberty," resulted in his exile from the cities of Russian society by Tsar Alexander I himself, with Pushkin left under heavy surveillance. In this passage, Pushkin is being contrasted with another Russian figure, his friend Ivan Pushchin, who has a similar-sounding name.
  
  pg. 39 — Pushchin
  Most likely referring to Ivan I. Pushchin, a prominent member of organizing the Decemberist Revolution in Russia after the death of Tsar Alexander I. He was known to be friends with the infamous novelist, Alexander Pushkin, and has even produced poems of his own. Following the revolution, he was later arrested and was imprisoned for 9 years, after which he settled in a small, remote country-side home. 
  In the passage, Pushchin was perhaps Sokolov playing with the names of Pushchin and Pushkin as they are both similar sounding. 

  pg. 40 — chibouk
  Chibouk is a Turkish tobacco pipe.

  pg. 40 — pour l’appetite
  A French term meaning "For Appetite." 

  pg. 40 — cerceau
  A French term meaning "hoop" or "circle."

  pg. 40 — à petit
  A French term meaning "small." This is a word play, as pour l'appetite was contrasted with cerceau a petit, two similar spelled and pronounced French phrases in the poem. 

  pg. 43 — Pyotr
  Due to the nature of this book, Pyotr may also be referring to Fyodor or Yegor. Pyotr is described as a drunkard, who has a nephew named Pavel, in which he corresponds with. It is assumed that Pyotr isn't that well-off financially and makes alcohol of his own. He was mentioned in Ilya's passage, implying that Illya has met him.
  
  pg. 43. — Sloboda
  A region/settlements in modern-day Russia that had its term derived from the Slavic term for "freedom." As such, this region was supposed to be colonized by Russia, with incentives for colonialists being "tax-free" living. The Sloboda regions were historically settled by Cossacks.

  pg. 43 — Pavel
  The nephew of Pyotr in the passage from Ilya. In the book, Pavel quite often chastises Pyotr in writing for not being successful, and has sent Pyotr to Gorodnishche, a small town in Russia. 

  pg. 43 — Gorodnishche
  A very rural part of Russia, surrounded by steep cliffs and forests. This is the place Pyotr was sent by Pavel.

  pg. 45 — Krylobyl
  A  "wise" warden, as described by Ilya, who talks to Pyotr about the letter in the Russian alphabet, paralleled with the grinding stand (It is noted that the "zhe" character looks like a grinding stone and the wood frames). Krylobyl gave Pyotr advice on how Pyotr can become better in the eyes of Pavel.

  pg. 45 — Pozhilykh
  Am inspector from which Ilya is writing to mentioned in the beginning of the book. See here for details.

  pg. 45 — Lukich
  Most likely a Russian term. In this case, Lukich is referring to Pyotr when Krylobyl was talking to him.

  pg. 47 — Dzynzyrela
  A play on the last name of Ilya (Zynzyrela), which may also be a play on the English word for Cinderella.

  pg. 48 — pantofle
  Pantofle is an archaic word for slipper. Within this passage, Ilya was describing his encounter with his love interest, Orina. Like the connection made between Ilya and Cinderella, in Grimm's Fairy Tale version of Cinderella, she lost her glass slipper, paralleling Ilya's taking off his slipper at the request of Orina. The reader should also note that the mussels described in this section may be referring to Orina, how mussels are often good tasting (alluding to sexualizing Orina), but also could pinch a person (dangerous). Orina making Ilya take off his slipper can be both seen as flirtatious fun, while also damaging.

  pg. 48 — galife
  A military-like trouser that is often worn by the men of Russia.

  pg. 50 — Gutenacht
  A German phrase for "Good Night."

  pg. 51 — valenok
  A traditional Russian felt boot.

• 1 2020-10-01T11:08:53-04:00 Between Dog & Wolf 52-67 17 Sasha Sokolov plain 2020-11-23T15:04:51-05:00 pg. 56 — Mayday
  In former Soviet Union, May 1 (often called Mayday) was International Workers’ Day, one of the biggest holidays of the year.  
  
  pg.  57 — “laid for the old folks an egg, not an ordinary one but golden”
  Possibly referencing the Russian story "The Duck that Laid Golden Eggs". In this story, a family of a husband, wife, and son are given a duck that lays golden eggs by a folklore character who lives behind their stove. A shopman that is friends with them inspects the duck and sees that, written under its wing, it says "whoever eats this duck shall become a Tsar." He convinces the wife to cook the duck. 
  
  However, the son comes home hungry, sees the duck in the oven, and eats it. The shopman despairs. The wife and husband also despair, as they have lost their source of income, the golden eggs. Then, the son goes on a journey. He walks for ten days and ten nights. At the end of his journey, he walks through the gates of a city. Unbeknownst to him, the city had been in turmoil, and had made the decision that whoever walked through the gates next would be their new Tsar. So, the son became a Tsar. 
  
  pg. 58 — frog princesses
  Possibly referencing the Russian folktale "tsarevna frog": 
  
  A king wants his three sons to marry. He orders them to shoot arrows in different directions, and find their brides wherever the arrows land. Both of the older brothers' arrows land in the houses of wealthy aristocrats. The youngest brother's arrow lands in the mouth of a frog. The King asks the brothers to bring their brides to the palace to meet him. 
  
  The youngest brother is worried, but when his bride shows up to the dance his father is hosting, she has transformed into a beautiful princess, named Vasilisa the Wise. He runs to their home and burns her frogskin so she won't transform back. 
  When she discovers that he has destroyed her frogskin, she weeps. As it turns out, she had once disobeyed Koschei, an immortal, and was cursed to spend three years in a frogskin, only able to be her true self at night. She was almost at the end of these three years and then she would have been freed--but now, she is lost. 
  
  The youngest brother despairs, but sets out to find her. He asks Baba Yaga, a classic figure in folklore, for help. Baba Yaga explains how he can save his bride by locating a magic needle. 
  
  He ends up being able to save Vasilisa the Wise from Koschei. 
  
  pg. 58 — a cabbage, a goat, and a wolf
  A classic puzzle. A farmer has gone to the market. He bought a wolf, a goat, and a cabbage. He had to cross a river to get back, and rented a boat to do so. However, he could only carry himself and one other thing on the boat, i.e., the wolf, the goat, or the cabbage. He could go back and forth, but if he left the wolf and the goat together, then the wolf would eat the goat, and if he left the goat and cabbage together, the goat would eat the cabbage. How did he get home with all of his purchases?
  
  The presence of a wolf in this riddle is, of course, salient. Also relevant is the juxtaposition of this and the previously mentioned folk tales; this riddle, which Ilya "understands," might represent something more rational. 
  
  pg 59 — chlamyses
  A short cloak fastened at the shoulder, worn by men in ancient Greece.
  
  pg. 59 — a blue admiral’s gala galife
  A style of trousers in military uniform of the Soviet Army similar to riding breeches. 
  
  Pg. 62 — Enlightenment, located on the Nevsky
  Enlightenment was a joint-stock publishing company. It was started in 1896 and ran until 1922. 
  
  pg. 62 — the newly discovered apparatus of Monsieur Lumiere
  Referring to Lumiere's Cinématographe, a device to record, develop, and project motion pictures all in one go. Thought of as the first "viable" film camera, it shot what is considered to be the first motion picture. "La Sortie des ouvriers de l'usine Lumière", or, "Workers Leaving the Lumière factory", is footage of workers leaving their factory at the end of the day.
  
  pg. 65— a Jericho trumpet
  Possibly referring to a German war tactic used during the Blitzkrieg. Two screeching horns were attached to the wings of the aircrafts as a fear tactic for anyone on the ground. Also implicated in this reference is the Biblical story of Battle of Jericho. It was the first battle the Israelites fought, and during it, the Israelites made the walls of the city of Jericho fall by blowing shofars, which are trumpet-like instruments. 
  
  pg. 67 — the Yar
  Referring to a Moscow restaurant (that was also a theater) that Pushkin, Tolstoy, Chekhov, and Gorky all frequented.