The Daughter of a Captain, selected stories from Pushkin's novels

Author: Pushkin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-03-01
Features: Who does not curse the postmaster? Who has not argued with them? Who has not, in a fit of rage, demanded that deadly ledger, recording all their arbitrary resentment for being offended, roughly treated, and neglected? Who does not regard them as those wicked creatures of the past—worse than scribes or robbers in the forests of Mordor? But if we are a little more just and put ourselves in their shoes, perhaps we would be more lenient when we blame them. What kind of person is a postmaster? An undeniable fourteenth-class sufferer, whose official position only saves them from being beaten, and not necessarily even then (I hope the reader will ask themselves this). Vyazemsky jokingly calls them masters, but what is their duty? Is it not real hard labor? They are restless day and night. Travelers often vent their anger on them for the loneliness of the journey. Bad weather, rough roads, stubborn drivers, and weak horses—all of it is the postmaster’s fault. The moment travelers step into his humble dwelling, they glare at him as if he were an enemy. If he can get rid of the unwanted guest as quickly as possible, that is already lucky for him. But what if there happens to be no horse?