Kostya is Officer Mishin’s dolphin in “A Letter to Sylvia Plath.” Though the American dolphins believe that Kostya can perform all sorts of nefarious tasks, he insists that he’s just as kind and loving as they are. He adores Mishin and, like Sprout, is upset when their trainers fall in love with each other.
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Kostya Character Timeline in Only the Animals
The timeline below shows where the character Kostya appears in Only the Animals. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
A Letter to Sylvia Plath: Soul of Dolphin (Died 2003, Iraq)
...to purchase a dolphin from the Soviets, and his handler is going to come too. Kostya arrives with Officer Mishin to be the lead dolphin/handler pair in a classified training program....
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Kostya remains in isolation for a while before the sale. He spends a while with the...
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...ever use these skills in conflict; it’s just about learning new skills. Both Sprout and Kostya are selected for the program, so they travel to a Navy research base on San...
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...starts to return Bloomington’s affections. Bloomington is unaware and Mishin never voices her feelings, but Kostya and Sprout know from their scans—and they’re extremely jealous. They each adore their handler and...
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...in 1999, Sprout can attach a clamp to a human diver and Bloomington is engaged. Kostya and Sprout are both unimpressed.
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...date for their wedding. The ceremony takes place beside the pens where Sprout, Officer, and Kostya live. Bloomington reads a paragraph from the mark test paper and thanks the dolphins for...
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...Supposedly females are too sentimental and susceptible to feeling guilt. But Scout knows that if Kostya had been the first one out, he also would’ve killed himself—because he’s a dolphin.
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