Setting - Russia - Paradise of the Blind

The first 200 words of this essay...

Russia

The Social and economic background of this story is that of poverty and a stark difference between the upper class and the lower class ("exported workers"). The geography of Russia is sparsely populated, wide, open space. Travel is difficult. The climate is extremely cold, but also extremely beautiful. The characters in this story are: Madame Vera, the roommates, and Hang. They are affected by the setting in the way they interact, in their health and travel, and in their own emotional well-being. The atmosphere in this story is one of hopelessness and fatigue, and the tone indicates the author's condemnation of the conditions that workers such as Hang were subjected to during the communist regime of the Soviet Union.

Hang is poor. She lives in shared accommodation, with other girls who are equally poor, and all of them live in conditions of hard labour. They are preoccupied by money because of their poverty, counting the price of everything. There is a distinct difference of wealth in the society, where the rich consider the poor with disdain. As Hang steps onto train, she brushes past a wealthy lady and is received with a glare. Her