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Matryona
The gentleman is a customer who comes to commission boots from Semyon after Mikhail’s workmanship has given the business a good reputation. The gentleman is extremely well-fed and large—so large, in fact, that Semyon’s measuring tape does not fit around his leg. The gentleman’s size astounds Semyon and Matryona, who are very thin from never having quite enough to eat. And, beyond his powerful build, the rich gentleman’s personality frightens Semyon and Matryona. He is rude and domineering, clearly used to having his way in all situations, and repeatedly threatens Semyon with severe repercussions if the boots do not meet his (impossibly high) standards. It also confuses and infuriates the gentleman that Mikhail is inexplicably smiling. And, although the gentleman clearly has more than enough money, he is remarkably ungenerous, offering to pay Semyon only half the value of the leather itself—and only if the boots last a whole year without losing their shape.
The Gentleman Quotes in What Men Live By
The What Men Live By quotes below are all either spoken by The Gentleman or refer to The Gentleman. 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 6
Quotes
Mikhail kept staring until suddenly he smiled and his whole face lit up.
‘What are you grinning at, idiot?’ the gentleman asked. ‘You’d better see to it that the boots are ready on time!’
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Chapter 7
Quotes
Matryona went over to watch Mikhail working and was amazed to see what he was doing.
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Chapter 10
Quotes
“‘Children cannot live without a father or mother,’ she pleaded. So I did not take that woman’s soul.”
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Chapter 11
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“And I could hear this man wondering how to protect his body from the winter cold and feed his wife and children. And I thought, ‘I am perishing with cold and hunger, but here is someone whose only thought is how to find a warm coat for himself and his wife, and food for his family.’”
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Chapter 12
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‘I came to understand that God does not wish men to live apart and that is why He does not reveal to each man what he needs for himself alone.’
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The Gentleman Quotes in What Men Live By
The What Men Live By quotes below are all either spoken by The Gentleman or refer to The Gentleman. 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 6
Quotes
Mikhail kept staring until suddenly he smiled and his whole face lit up.
‘What are you grinning at, idiot?’ the gentleman asked. ‘You’d better see to it that the boots are ready on time!’
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Chapter 7
Quotes
Matryona went over to watch Mikhail working and was amazed to see what he was doing.
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Chapter 10
Quotes
“‘Children cannot live without a father or mother,’ she pleaded. So I did not take that woman’s soul.”
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Chapter 11
Quotes
“And I could hear this man wondering how to protect his body from the winter cold and feed his wife and children. And I thought, ‘I am perishing with cold and hunger, but here is someone whose only thought is how to find a warm coat for himself and his wife, and food for his family.’”
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Chapter 12
Quotes
‘I came to understand that God does not wish men to live apart and that is why He does not reveal to each man what he needs for himself alone.’
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