First impressions of any work of art involve a perception of the totality of the overall themes of the work, and these will be considered first. In My First Goose the central theme concerns a kind of initiation into a group, into a new world. This theme implies two main themes: the individual in relation to the group (with the specifically Russian variation of the intelligentsia and the people) and the fate of innocence and beauty in a harsh world. Among other side issues are the latent sexuality of many of the actions, and the violence inherent in the everyday world. (These themes can be derived from a 'first-reading' response to this particular story but are of course common themes in the Red Cavalry cycle). The analysis will be an attempt to see to what extent these first impressions are correct, and at the same time to...