The Death of a Government Clerk

“One fine evening the no less fine head clerk, Ivan Dmitrich Chervyakov, was sitting in the second row of the orchestra, watching The Bells of Corneville through his opera glasses. He was watching and feeling on top of the world.”

This opening sentence is key to the story because it establishes context. In this case, the setting is an opera house, which represents a high-class institution for intellectuals and other sophisticated members of society. Chervyakov’s characterization is also on display with this sentence. He is described as “no less fine” and “feeling on top of the world” because he is a government clerk who hopes to attain the same high-level status as the other opera patrons.

“Peasants sneeze, so do police chiefs, and sometimes even privy councilors. Everybody sneezes.”

This observation occurs after Chervyakov has unleashed a dramatic sneeze in the middle of the opera. His anxiousness about class is already evident here. He hopes to justify the act by saying that all members of society are equal in their need to sneeze. The fact that he feels compelled to make this justification shows the reader that the appearance of status is extremely important to Chervyakov.

“Chervyakov became embarrassed, gave a silly smile, and started watching the stage. He was watching, but he no longer felt on top of the world. He began to be troubled by a sense of anxiety.”

This quotation contains foreshadowing, as Chervyakov has already started to give voice to his anxiety. He realizes that part of his sneeze intruded upon a high-level general in the