Collage 368

Natasha is too trusting, emotionally naive. She is fooled, duped by Anatoly Kuragin. We feel so sorry for her and we are oh so helpless in our postion as a reader/observer. We just want to shake the book at scream at Natasha, "How could you be so stupid to get involved with THAT?" Are we yelling at Natasha....or at Russia? Is there hope for Natasha? Is there hope for Russia? Everything has fallen to pieces. How will she fly out of her predicament?

I used "leather" on the first one. I wanted something really black and leathery - like Anatoly Kuragin - a real snake. The material actually is vinyl or plastic--which is more appropriate to represent Anatoly! -- Chris

Christiane Carney Johnson
from page 743-744 of original text
collage, watercolor, leather
made 2/22/11
page 591-593 Pevear/Volokhonsky translation