Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in A Gentleman in Moscow, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Imprisonment, Freedom, and Purpose
Change and Adaptation
Friendship, Family, and Love
Chance, Luck, and Fate
Bolshevism and Class Struggle
Summary
Analysis
Six years after the Count’s failed suicide attempt, he climbs from his bed and makes himself a cup of coffee. He takes out a pitcher of cream, two biscuits, and a piece of fruit. He is cleaning up his breakfast when he notices an envelope on the floor, which must have been slipped under his door in the middle of the night. The Count picks up the envelope, on the front of which is written “Four o’clock?” He looks inside and exclaims “Mon Dieu.”
This account of the Count’s new morning routine contrasts with the Count’s first morning of house arrest. Before, he had been served by the hotel’s staff and had been unsure of what to do with his extensive time. Now, he prepares his own breakfast and is juggling many different appointments and responsibilities.
Themes
