Short Fiction · Character

Alexander Romanov Shasha

A reckless young man whose riotous demands and spiteful affair with his father's mistress drive the household toward ruin and disgrace.

major

Also known as Shasha

First appearance: short fiction

As a major figure in Short Fiction, Alexander Romanov Shasha is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

The uncle who slaps the boy, initiating the conflict.

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Shasha is the son of Roman, and he rioted, kicked up rows, and demanded a winding up of Roman's affairs, turning the older man green with wrath. Not content with his own wife, he took up with his father's mistress—a cook and a soldier's wife—just to spite him, while exhausting his wife with jealousy. His provocations and the family's unraveling form the volatile center of the story's early-middle movement.

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Character Web

15 connections

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Relationship types

Friendship
Other

Character groups

Protagonist
Author and memory figures
Diverse ensemble of fate and perception
Prophet and peasant
Foreign traveler and existential reflection

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point

The "Endnotes" chapter functions as the narrative climax because it strips away the story's pretense of direct…

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Relationships

Makar
friendship · positive
Alexander Romanov Shasha and Makar are friends or comrades, often depicted in casual or… How this plays out →

Relationship notes

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In the story

Alexander Romanov Shasha appears across 11 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Figures
I
II
III
IV
V
VI
VII
+3 more

Figures
The uncle who slaps the boy, initiating the conflict.
I
The boy (nephew) who quarrels with his uncle, then seeks reconciliation and asks to see the figures.
II
The uncle who sternly refuses the boy's requests, invoking adult authority and a principle against giving in to children.
III
The child Eugene, who is the target of the narrator's anger and physical punishment.
IV
The boy who is slapped and cries intensely, seeking comfort.
V
The boy who, after crying, plays with matchboxes and defiantly declares he will never love the narrator again.
VI
The child addressed as 'you,' whose pride is broken by the grandmother's words and who eventually gives in to life's demands.
VII
The child being taught, who timidly seeks forgiveness and happiness through learning figures.
A Night Conversation
The listener in the night conversation, receiving Theodot's confession.
I Say Nothing
The protagonist of the chapter, a young man who endures beatings from his father and responds with ominous silence and cryptic threats.
An Evening in Spring
The drunken muzhik who interacts with the beggar, buying his trousers and sharing drink and song.

Chapter companion notes

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See Alexander Romanov Shasha in Figures