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Alik Finkelstein
Mrs. Kiparisova is a family friend of Sofia Petrovna’s. Her husband is a doctor who was close colleagues with Sofia’s husband, Fyodor Ivanovich. Sofia is shocked to learn one evening that Dr. Kiparisov has been arrested as an enemy of the Soviet Union. She can’t bring herself to believe such a thing, and she says as much when she later bumps into Mrs. Kiparisova on the street. She’s shocked by Mrs. Kiparisova’s appearance, thinking that she looks older than she actually is. The old woman is dressed in felt boots even though the weather isn’t that cold, and she tells Sofia that her husband isn’t guilty. Sofia is overjoyed to hear this, saying that she knew Dr. Kiparisov wouldn’t betray the Soviet Union and that he’ll surely be let out soon, since the government doesn’t imprison innocent people. But Mrs. Kiparisova isn’t so sure. When Kolya is later arrested, Sofia experiences the same thing her friend went through; she even finds herself wearing felt boots in fairly warm weather. Throughout Kolya’s imprisonment, Mrs. Kiparisova stays in touch with Sofia, eventually urging her not to write an appeal on Kolya’s behalf. Doing so, she says, will only remind government officials that they forgot to deport Sofia. As for Mrs. Kiparisova, she and her daughter are being deported, and she has little hope of ever reuniting with her husband.
Mrs. Kiparisova Quotes in Sofia Petrovna
The Sofia Petrovna quotes below are all either spoken by Mrs. Kiparisova or refer to Mrs. Kiparisova. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 7
Quotes
“And really, why are you so upset? Since [your husband] isn’t guilty—then everything will be all right. Nothing can happen to an honest man in our country. It’s just a misunderstanding. Come on, don’t be discouraged…Stop by and have a cup of tea sometime!”
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Chapter 18
Quotes
“Don’t write it!” whispered Kiparisova, bringing her huge eyes, ringed with yellow, close up to Sofia Petrovna’s face. “Don’t write one for your son’s sake. They’re not going to pat you on the back for an appeal like that. Neither you, nor your son. Do you really think you can write that the investigator beat him? You can’t even think such a thing, let alone write it. They’ve forgotten to deport you, but if you write an appeal—they’ll remember. And they’ll send your father away, too…and who brought this letter, anyway? And where are the witnesses?...And what proof is there?...”
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Mrs. Kiparisova Quotes in Sofia Petrovna
The Sofia Petrovna quotes below are all either spoken by Mrs. Kiparisova or refer to Mrs. Kiparisova. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 7
Quotes
“And really, why are you so upset? Since [your husband] isn’t guilty—then everything will be all right. Nothing can happen to an honest man in our country. It’s just a misunderstanding. Come on, don’t be discouraged…Stop by and have a cup of tea sometime!”
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 18
Quotes
“Don’t write it!” whispered Kiparisova, bringing her huge eyes, ringed with yellow, close up to Sofia Petrovna’s face. “Don’t write one for your son’s sake. They’re not going to pat you on the back for an appeal like that. Neither you, nor your son. Do you really think you can write that the investigator beat him? You can’t even think such a thing, let alone write it. They’ve forgotten to deport you, but if you write an appeal—they’ll remember. And they’ll send your father away, too…and who brought this letter, anyway? And where are the witnesses?...And what proof is there?...”
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
