Write a character sketch on Semyon Ivanov from the story 'The Signal'.
Answers
Answer:
In Garshin’s original story, written in the 1880s, Semyon is a veteran of the Russo-Turkish War who takes a job as a railroad track-walker, which means he lives with his family in a hut near railroad tracks and is responsible for maintaining a certain portion of the rails, including such things as clearing away snow in winter. His neighboring track-walker, Vasily, likewise lives in a hut, some six or seven miles away.
In my revision, the job and its duties are brought up to date in terms of modern technology, and put in an urban setting: Vasily and Semyon, a veteran of Afghanistan, are now Metro track-walkers in Washington, D.C.
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Semyon Ivanonv was a track-walker. His apartment was ten blocks away from a metro station in one direction and twelve blocks away in the other. About four blocks away there was a cotton mill that had closed the year before, and its tall chimney rose up darkly. Many of the retail shops along these blocks had closed the year before too.
Semyon Ivanov’s health had been completely shattered. Four years before he had served right through the war as assistant to an officer. The sun had roasted him, the cold frozen him, and hunger famished him on the marches of forty and fifty kilometers a day in the heat and the cold and the rain and the shine. The bullets had whizzed about him, but, thank God! None had struck him.
Semyon’s unit once been on the firing line. For a whole week there had been skirmishing with the Taliban, only a deep ravine separating the two hostile armies; and from morn till eve there had been a steady cross-fire. Thrice daily Semyon carried a steaming coffee and his officer’s meals from the camp kitchen to the ravine. The bullets hummed about him and rattled viciously against the rocks. Semyon was terrified and cried sometimes, but still he kept right on. The officers were pleased with him, because he always had hot coffee ready for them.
He returned from the campaign with limbs unbroken but crippled with PTSD. He had experienced no little sorrow since then. He arrived home and soon after his father, an old man, and his little four-year-old son had died. Semyon remained alone with his wife. They could not do much. It was difficult to work with an aching mind. They were upside down on their mortgage, and could no longer make the payments, so they started off to seek life in new places. They stayed for a short time near the base in Ft. Belvoir, Virginia, then went to Dale City to stay with family but nowhere found luck.
Absurd, bold, bleak, humorous, and astonishing works of fiction and art by queer writers of all orientations.
Then the wife went to work at Walmart, and Semyon continued to apply for jobs all over DC. Once he happened to ride the metro, and at one of the stations the face of the station-master seemed familiar to him. Semyon looked at the station-master and the station-master looked at Semyon, and they recognized each other. He had been an officer in Semyon’s battalion.
Explanation:
In Garshin’s original story, written in the 1880s, Semyon is a veteran of the Russo-Turkish War who takes a job as a railroad track-walker, which means he lives with his family in a hut near railroad tracks and is responsible for maintaining a certain portion of the rails, including such things as clearing away snow in winter. His neighboring track-walker, Vasily, likewise lives in a hut, some six or seven miles away.
In my revision, the job and its duties are brought up to date in terms of modern technology, and put in an urban setting: Vasily and Semyon, a veteran of Afghanistan, are now Metro track-walkers in Washington, D.C.
- - -
To better prepare for the homestretch of the presidential election, we've made our ongoing list of Donald Trump's atrocities downloadable, free of charge. If you are moved to make a donation in any...
Semyon Ivanonv was a track-walker. His apartment was ten blocks away from a metro station in one direction and twelve blocks away in the other. About four blocks away there was a cotton mill that had closed the year before, and its tall chimney rose up darkly. Many of the retail shops along these blocks had closed the year before too.
Semyon Ivanov’s health had been completely shattered. Four years before he had served right through the war as assistant to an officer. The sun had roasted him, the cold frozen him, and hunger famished him on the marches of forty and fifty kilometers a day in the heat and the cold and the rain and the shine. The bullets had whizzed about him, but, thank God! None had struck him.
Semyon’s unit once been on the firing line. For a whole week there had been skirmishing with the Taliban, only a deep ravine separating the two hostile armies; and from morn till eve there had been a steady cross-fire. Thrice daily Semyon carried a steaming coffee and his officer’s meals from the camp kitchen to the ravine. The bullets hummed about him and rattled viciously against the rocks. Semyon was terrified and cried sometimes, but still he kept right on. The officers were pleased with him, because he always had hot coffee ready for them.
He returned from the campaign with limbs unbroken but crippled with PTSD. He had experienced no little sorrow since then. He arrived home and soon after his father, an old man, and his little four-year-old son had died. Semyon remained alone with his wife. They could not do much. It was difficult to work with an aching mind. They were upside down on their mortgage, and could no longer make the payments, so they started off to seek life in new places. They stayed for a short time near the base in Ft. Belvoir, Virginia, then went to Dale City to stay with family but nowhere found luck.
Absurd, bold, bleak, humorous, and astonishing works of fiction and art by queer writers of all orientations.
Then the wife went to work at Walmart, and Semyon continued to apply for jobs all over DC. Once he happened to ride the metro, and at one of the stations the face of the station-master seemed familiar to him. Semyon looked at the station-master and the station-master looked at Semyon, and they recognized each other. He had been an officer in Semyon’s battalion.