The Endless Steppe

Despite the muddiness of spring, Esther is happy in school and with her friends. During the summer, the Rudomins focus on raising their potato crop. When life in the shared hut becomes unbearable, Samuel gets permission for them to move to an empty hut in another part of the village. The Rudomins move; the Kaftals choose to stay behind. For Esther, “the wretched little hut [becomes her] dream house” (131). The Rudomins delight in their new privacy. Working to create a vegetable garden brings back memories of Grandfather, and Grandmother is relieved that Esther remembers him.

The Rudomins’ enjoyment of their hut is interrupted when they are assigned a tenant to move in with them. Esther is concerned when she discovers that the new tenant is a village beggar, “Vanya the bum” (134). The Rudomins discover that Vanya’s name is Ivan Petrovich. Ivan turns out to be an agreeable, well-mannered housemate; to the Rudomins and to the rest of the village, he transforms from his former identity as a mere beggar. Just as suddenly as he arrived, Ivan disappears.