In the Morning

"Night" begins as Mamochka and her retarded adult son, Alexei, wake up in their communal Moscow apartment. Alexei wakes from fantastic dreams filled with dragons, dwarves, and mushrooms, but Mamochka's rising is much more ordinary: she is occupied with replacing her false teeth, reattaching a hair piece, and clothing her stout frame. Alexei waits in his bed for his mother to "give the order" to get up and begin his day.

Mamochka guides Alexei through his morning ritual of teeth brushing, ear washing, and toilet flushing, coming in behind him to make sure he has not left a mess. In Alexei's mind, getting through his morning rituals is similar to following a large map with the dangers clearly marked and with Mamochka as his "experienced pilot." The dangers are the people in the apartment building he and his mother live in, but she helps guide...