2LITERATURE: QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Chapter I)
Herman, the central character of the novella Queen of Spades by Pushkin, has been depicted as
an ethnic German, who was apparently a prudent, honest man who believed in conventional and
stereotypical honesty and “ethical” code of conduct, acted like a gentleman in front of the nobles
and people of the Castle of the Duchess. Apparently, Hermann is seen to be a man with high
morals and puritan belief, being an engineering officer, he never actually went out of the
boundary. Apparently, he never played cards or gambled before he came in contact with the
nobility and fell in the trap of greed and obsession of materialistic desire.
3. “The story of the three cards had produced a powerful impression upon [Hermann’s]
imagination, and all night long he could think of nothing else. ‘If,’ he thought to himself the
following evening, as he walked along the streets of St. Petersburg, ‘if the old Countess would
but reveal her secret to me! if she would only tell me the names of the three winning cards. Why
should I not try my fortune? . . . No! Economy, temperance and industry: those are my three
winning cards; by means of them I shall be able to double my capital--increase it sevenfold, and
procure for myself ease and independence.’” (The Queen of Spades, Chapter II)
3. In the story “Queen of spades” by Pushkin, Hermann, an ethnic German officer, was
overjoyed and obsessed with the fact that he could achieve the fortune of the nobility if
he could win the gamble of cards (Randall). He knew that the old countess had the secret
of winning the game. He could not think of anything else except the gamble he was
wishing to play to try his fortune. His lust for money, power and possession made him
lecherous and overambitious to win the gamble. He plotted to manipulate the old

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