Kamchatka

The Kamchatka peninsula symbolizes isolation. Because the region is separated from mainland Russia, it appears as its own geographic entity. The cultural and societal patterns which govern it are outside the rest of the country and world. Throughout the novel, the author shows how each character feels isolated based on her particular and distinct circumstances. The surrounding environmental landscape serves as a micro representation for each of the characters micro feelings of entrapment.

The Golosovsky Sisters

The Golosovsky sisters, Sophia and Alyona, represent the vulnerability of youth. After the girls disappear, the Kamchatka community realizes how fragile their young are, how the world seeks to rob them of their lives. Throughout the novel, the girls also seem to symbolize a fear of the unknown, compelling the characters to face the possibility of perpetual danger all around them. Because their disappearance goes so long without resolution, the...