CHARACTER SKETCHES.. continues

Was Konstantin Makarich right in sending Vanka to Moscow? What impression do you  form after reading Vanka about him?

Konstantin  Makarich, is undoubtedly, one of the prime characters from the story 'Vanka '  which tells the unimaginable miseries of Vanka, an orphaned boy of nine. Konstantin Makarich, the only relative of Vanka, brought up the child as his mother Pelageya died at a very young age. This old man in his late sixties is an interesting character. He looks short physically but is way smart and agile. He always plants a smile on his face. His eyes are bleary although with drinks. He has a lot many worries and concerns that plague him every single day and night when he thinks about the little boy and his future. He knows that he wouldn't pull any longer. He had been toying with the idea of sending  him to learn something which could prove useful later in his life. But he and conscience might have been on a tug of war. Finally, as he deems himself more experienced at the roller coaster of life, he drew courage to send Vanka to Moscow to learn shoe making as an apprentice under the shoemaker Alyakhin. He never ever imagined that he is inviting unending misery for nine year old Vanka. He was a responsible night guard at the estate of the gentleman called Zhivarev. He was punctual and loyal and his sense of duty is worth to be appreciated. During night, he would roam round the estate with two of his loyal dogs eel and kashtanga, sounding his rattle. And during day time, he would either sit with the kitchen maids and crack jokes or would sleep. He uses snuffpowder and the most beautiful part of it is generously offering it to the maids and even to his dogs. He stays around and proves helpful to the gentry especially at Christmas time . He would bring the cut branches of  fir trees to  be decorated.He loved his child too much. He meant the world to him. He never wanted his sudden departure from this world to wreck havoc in the tender mind. Neither  was he comfortable in letting the child to live at the mercy of others. He also not wanted him to lead the life of an orphan,once he bids farewell from this world. Schools,in those days for the under privileged like Vanka did not actually work. They could neither offer safety nor a well earned trade. So, the old man thought to make Vanka self sufficient  ,first. He never meant any harm by keeping him away from school. In short, we couldn't blame Konstantin Makarich in not letting the child to learn in a school .The tough lessons of life that he has learnt, he possibly thinks that were not essentially from a school. For him life mattered more, and Vanka was on top of his priorities. He couldn't take chances to operate.An affectionate and caring old grandpa with a lot of compassion brimming  out. This is what Konstantin Makarich simply was.