VANKA

Vanka

Poor Vanka.

He has it rough.

He deserves better.

He might as well be writing to Santa Claus.

The pleading letter that may save him will never get to the grandfather.

The only letter the grandfather may get about Vanka is one informing him his grandson has perished.

Well, the grandfather may not really care about Vanka as he send him off to Moscow. Maybe the grandfather thought he was doing Vanka a favor. Or maybe he got some money from the transaction.

I guess this would make the story even more tragic if the grandfather received the letter and did nothing.

Since this story is so sad I'll assume if the grandfather ever got the letter he would come and rescue his grandson. Call me sentimental.

How ironic is it that Vanka works for the shoemaker but doesn't have any shoes himself?

But I guess this isn't so unusual as workers from around the world are laboring day and night to provide us with goods which they themselves will never have.