Revolution and Class Conflict

Lost Roses centres around the socio-political factors of the Russian Revolution in the early 19th century, motivated significantly by unequal distribution of wealth between the Russian peasantry and the aristocracy. Russia in the WWI era saw widespread revolt of the lower class, leading to the destruction of the monarchy, as well as violence and executions of the nobility. This viewpoint is alternated with the ignorance and privilege of the Russian upper class and the monarchy's role in producing an economic crisis. The theme of revolution and class conflict features foreshadowing as a motif, as the protagonists' narratives predict the overthrow of the Russian elite and the Imperial rulership.

The perspectives of the main protagonists provide readers with insight into the poverty and famine affecting the Russian peasantry leading up to the revolution; most significantly, Varinka's connection to Taras highlights the motivations behind the...