The first scene we encounter is of young Pavel being expelled from school by the Priest. Then we are given a description of the everyday works that Pavel does to provide for himself. Slowly we are given more and more commentary on class struggles, especially after his friend Fyodor arrives. For obvious reasons it makes sense to have a growing discussion of class systems arrive as the Russian Civil War comes into frame, but what are moments you noticed class disparities prior to the war? I think the moment with the Priest and the three other boys to be the most notable: “I haven’t got any pockets,” and ran his hands down the sides of the trousers to prove it. “Ah-hah! So you say you’ve got no pockets, eh?” (388). I think this is an important moment for two reasons: it demonstrates that Pavel is poorer than the other children and it positions the reader to have a dislike of the Priest, a group later targeted by the Bolsheviks. What are your thoughts on this scene? Do you think it is pivotal in the discussion of classism?
