Despair of the Intelligentsia

The preface and characters like Yourii reflect the post-revolutionary disillusionment of Russian intellectuals, who see political change as futile and are paralyzed by existential angst and self-loathing.

Lida's disillusionment with her brother's unromantic, mundane experiences reflects the intellectual's search for meaning in a seemingly indifferent world.

Yourii's crisis of faith in his revolutionary ideals and the generational conflict with his father illustrate the despair and alienation of the educated youth.

Yourii's artistic and philosophical struggles epitomize the existential despair and self-doubt common among educated Russians of the era.

Yourii's self-pitying narrative of being a misunderstood genius doomed by circumstances exemplifies the despair and sense of victimhood among the intelligentsia.