Poprishchin as Russia
Pop quiz: who (or what) is lazy (1.1), secretly worried about being provincial (1.1), uneducated (2.1), penniless (3.1), petty (4.1), rather naturally unappealing (8.22), a failure (8.29), obsessed...
The Dogs
Let's have a look at how the dogs in the story, Medji and Fidele, spend their time. They sit within the confines of their homes (8.6), are pampered, write each other elaborate letters about their f...
The Dates of the Diary Entries
The dates in the diary entries start out looking completely normal, but when Poprishchin starts to think he is the king of Spain (12.1), they get increasingly strange (or just don't exist). These d...