Question- Comment on the setting, theme and tone of the story.

Ans-

The story begins unconventionally with a question asked by the protagonist Even though Iona is around people, he has no one to talk to. He is kept waiting endlessly while the nature plays its part. The old, bent figure is turned more like a phantom with the snow settling on his face and body. He is into a zone of oblivion. The setting, theme and tone of the story can be better understood as below:

Setting: The story is set in a city of Russia. It is about a Russian sledge driver whose wife has already died. The son who was the staff of his old age also died a week ago. His daughter named Anisya lived in the country so he had no one to talk to. It occurs during the cold, harsh winter. The harshness of the winter snow is related to the lack of emotions that is presented by the people the old man encounters.

When the story opens, it is seen it is the twilight of evening. Big flakes of wet snow are falling everywhere and they have spread like a sheet on roofs, horses, backs, shoulders, caps etc. The author introduces us to the important character, Iona Potapov who is sitting bent doubled on a box without stirring The regular snowdrift has turned him as white as a ghost. It clearly hints at his state of unawareness. His only company at the moment is a horse his little mare rather. The author has lent a beautiful description to her even by stating Her stillness, the angularity of her lines, and the strik-like straightness of her legs make her look like a halfpenny ginger bread horse. This clearly hints her being as mute and silenced as her master. Thus, she is white and motionless too.

The weather being cold and wintry lends darkness and gloominess not just to the environment but to the people around who are bereft of all emotions. The bustle of the street does turns noisier but the silence of the master-horse duo is something which draws our attention. Their muteness, their silence speaks about the loss of humanity in the world where no one has time to even cast a look at the phantom like figure whose snow-plastered eyelashes indicate his death-in-life existence and who hasn't budged for long when suddenly a passenger looking for a sledge turns the central characters to some action shaking off the snow from the bodies of the still figures.

Theme: The single main theme of the story is 'grief 'or' 'misery' of the old man which dwells deep in his heart and is compelled to come out in the cold, wintry evening for earning his living. Iona Potapov, the driver, takes several fares and each time tries to share his grief with his passengers but ends up being rebuked and scolded for no rhyme and reason.

The title of the story 'Lament' means to express sorrow, regret or unhappiness about something. Through the story, the author emphasizes the depth of human nature. Just like the weather is miserably cold, so is the attitude of the people who are in a rush to reach their destination without any concern for the people around. A father lost in despair, dejection and hopelessness is at the fag and of his life. He lost his son in a week and finds it difficult to accept the truth. He is burdened with immense sorrow and grief. It is hard to overcome the pain unless he gets an outlet to drain it off. It can only happen if he gets someone to talk to. May be, the magic of human contact or communication helps him feel better. He is filled to the brim with anguish. pain and suffering waiting desperately for a release. He mistakes the world and its people for understanding his emotions and lending a compassionate hearing to his tale of woe. Thus, he tries talking to his fares - the military officer, the three revellers and even the cabman back in the yard but is only met with disappointment. Someone is disclined, or too frivolous to understand the gravity of the situation or even overcome by sleep that he is not paid heed to every single time he tries. He remains unsuccessful till the end when finally he has the revelation of the baselessness of human nature. The mean attitude exhibited by people is exposed and thereafter a miserable creature finds his true friend and companion in his horse who he narrates the story as if were a human. The horse too does not disappoint him but munches, listens and breathes on her master's hands. Though she may not comprehend what he speaks yet lends a listening ear to a grief stricken man who is laden with enormous sorrow

Another theme which the story hints at is the loss of feelings in human beings. People are too busy to even see what is happening around. As known that everyone is fighting a battle, so do not judge anyone before you know anything about them. The character Iona is just looked as a sledge driver. No one understands his pain. All the people he meet that evening only berate or ridicule him. But, he being a gentlemanly being has good words for everyone. This evidently projects the meanness that has become a vital ingredient of human personality.

Tone It is quite a sad story. It is melancholic and depressing in its tone. The grief, the pain only intensifies with the action proceeding. The setting of the story itself sets the background for the action that unfolds later. It primarily deals with the loneliness of a Russian cab driver mourning over the death of his son due to fever. Thus, the story has no lighter moments. It propagates along in the same pace spitting dullness, dejection and despair of an old man who is at the fag end of his life with no proper support system. The death of his son has rendered him helpless. He is unprepared. He looks for a soul to talk to for his comfort. Thus, the need to come out on a cold wintry evening coupled with the compulsion to earn his living. The poignant tale of a despondent father goes only more painful with each encounter the old man has that evening. Such is the extent of the indifference in the people that the readers feel one in the sorrow of a miserable father.

The tone in the story evokes pathos. Pathos is a quality that evokes pity or sadness. In his lucid, conversational style of writing, the author with his third person omniscient narration talks about the hollowness of human beings. The story attempts to remove the external mosk people often tend to wear on their faces. The story provides an insight to the human character.

The indifference the old cab driver meets everytime only mounts up his sorrow and he is in a dire need to release the sea of sorrow. Creating ripples and waves in his heart deep down inside. Through the story, the author ultimately provides catharsis. The man finds some solace or comfort talking to his sole friend, true companion, his horse. He thereby gets some relief from strong, repressed emotions. The last lime, 'Iona is carried away and tells her all about it' indicates it.

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