Captain Mainwaring often a sympathetic subtext to his own personal neuroses; it is apparent several times that he devotes his energies to his Home Guard unit for a sense of comradeship and purpose lacking in other parts of his life, such as his career and marriage. On one occasion when his men spurned a parade to play darts against the ARP he expressed bewilderment, saying coming to the platoon is "the highlight of my day". It is frequently implied that he is trapped in a loveless and unhappy marriage to Elizabeth, his unseen wife, who is domineering, neurotic and withholding of affection.
What Is to Be Done? (novel) The "Dame in mourning" appearing at the end of the novel is Olga S. Chernyshevskaya, the author's wife. Characters with the last name "Kirsanov" also appear in Ivan Turgenev's "Fathers and Sons". Dostoyevsky argues with Chernyshevsky's ideas in "Notes from Underground". In particular, he responds negatively to Chernyshevsky's idealization of The Crystal Palace, a theme which is referenced throughout Russian literature. American playwright Tony Kushner referenced the book multiple times in his play "Slavs!". The main character of Gide's "Les caves du Vatican" (En. "Lafcadio's Adventures"), Lafcadio, resembles Rakhmetov. In the book "", author Chris Matthew Sciabarra claims that "What