Prospekt (Symbol)
Nevsky prospekt stands here as a symbol of the cycle of life: the prospekt is empty in the early morning, then it is filled with children and their tutors, then young people come there, then respected officials appear; after the midday the prospekt becomes empty. When the night comes, the prospekt lights up again. It lives its full life till the deep night. And then it sleeps till the morning. And then again, the prospekt lives its circle. Reading the story, we notice that the author adores the prospekt, its beauty at the beginning; at the end of the story the author is disgusted of it, he calls everybody not to trust the prospekt. Probably, the author meant not the prospekt, but the life itself.
Motif of deception
This motif is clearly shown in the story. What is interesting, that it is hardly visible at the beginning, and is developing more and more by the end of the story. The first time we find this motif clearly when Piskarev follows a young lady, thinking of her pure beauty, innocence of her soul, her “eyes of heaven”. In some time it turns out that she works in a public house. At the end of the story we already see the narrator’s indignation of lie that penetrates into everything: people, things, and the very prospekt, in particular. Here, at the final, we see the motif of deception the most clearly.
Motif of a dream
This motif helps the author to contrast the imaginary, desirable world and the painful reality. Before the dream we see the hero being disappointed with his life. Then he falls asleep, and…becomes happy there. After the dream he becomes even more unhappy than he was before his sleeping. Actually the dream leads him to a suicide.
