18Īt the end of his long story about the Countess, Tomsky neglects to reveal the fate of the one man to whom she gave her magic faro formula. "Chaplitsky staked fifty thousand on the first card-a straight win-and by doubling and redoubling he recouped all his losses, with a bit left over. However, her anxious and conflicted excitement thrills her she finds the unknown risk of new feelings that Hermann provokes appealing. The reader knows Hermann has ulterior motives, and thus Liza's impulse to back away from him looks like a good instinct. In this passage, Liza is working out her feelings toward Hermann and the attention he gives her by standing on the street and looking up at her window. She backed away, tormented by curiosity and excitement-a completely new feeling." Narrator, p. ".she rushed across to the window-and the officer was standing in the same place, staring up at her. This "unknown power" could simply be greed and obsession, but it could also suggest a supernatural force exerting influence over Hermann's life. This quote, taken from the end of the second part of the story, speaks to the otherworldly quality that takes possession of Hermann and keeps bringing him back to the Countess's house.
"An unknown power seemed to be drawing him back there all the time." Narrator, p.
0 kommentar(er)
