Lekha Ravichandran
Class #3
IB English 12
Doctor Zhivago: Politics/Government
Pasternak’s novel, Doctor Zhivago, follows the life of the protagonist, Yurii Andreievich, who lives through the tumultuous changes that occurs in Russia during the early 20th century. The actions of the government and political affairs serve as the backdrop for the plot of the story. The war changes the behavior of the characters, makes life seem more chaotic, and the struggle for survival takes over all other aspects of life.
Strelnikov, formerly called Pasha, is one example of a character whose mentality was completely altered due to the consequences of war. Pasha was once a naïve young boy who later becomes a ruthless and violent leader known as Strelnikov. Soon after conversing with Yurii and traveling through Yuriatin, where he used to live, Strelnikov thought to himself: “Suppose his wife and daughter were still there! Couldn’t he go to them? . . . Yes, but how could he? They belonged to another life. First he must see this one through, this new life. . .” (253) He becomes so occupied and obsessed with war and politics that he believes that he must live up to his notorious reputation as an aggressive military soldier before even thinking about returning back to his family. Another character whose life is altered due to the political upheaval in Russia is Pamphil. “His constant fear for his family in the event of his own death rose to a new climax. . . In his desperate anguish . . . he killed them himself, felling his wife and three children with the same . . . ax that he had used to carve toys [for his children].”(370) Pamphil, once a sensitive and caring family man, resorted to murdering the ones he loved most out of pain and torment.
