Sonechka 86-91
pg. 87 — "a perfectly well-adjusted matrimonial triangle"
Sonechka has become a housewife and mother. With her actual daughter gone, Jasia has become her surrogate. Despite knowing about the unusual sexual relationship between Robert, Sonechka's husband, and Jasia, she believes all is well and happy. Having this peaceful, functioning family is more important to Sonechka, so she deceives herself. She has nothing else in her life, so the only thing she can do is convince herself that her family is harmonious.
pg. 88 — Vasilievsky Island
An island in St.Petersburg that is home to many of the city's institutes including Saint Petersburg State University. Many of the institution reside in some of the oldest building in the city of St.Petersburg dating all the way back to the 18th century. Many of the old buildings have historical significance, for example on of the building in use by Saint Petersburg State University used to be the palace of Peter II.
pg. 88 — sovbourgeois system
A reference to the bourgeois which is a theory from Karl Marx that puts an emphasis on the middle class. It posits that the middle class should be the dominant class within society. Tanya and her boyfriend, Alyosha, seem to want to escape this system for "additional opportunities," hinting at a more capitalistic mindset from the two characters.
pg. 89 — Soviet Union under Brezhnev
Leonid Brezhnev (1906-1982) was a the Russian politician and is famous for the Brezhnev Doctrine which was developed in response to the Truman Doctrine. The Brezhnev Doctrine stated that the Soviet Union is free to interfere anywhere that it feels communism is being threatened.
pg. 90 —"umblemished," "fresh," "white"
Richard's way of describing Jasia only emphasizes the oddity of his passion. He very much sees her more as an angel than as a human. He seems to solely describe her using terms for purity or cleanliness.
pg. 91 — cerebral haemorrhage
Bleeding in the brain. The cause of Richard's death. The choice for him to die this way could suggest he died because he was not right in the head.
