Written by Avani S, Year 12

Our first English Extension was an absolute success as we had the honour of listening to the exceptional Dhyani, a Year 12 student who gave up her time on Wednesday to give us a spectacular talk on the beauty of Russian Literature. Dhyani explored the timeless resonance of three of her favourite Russian literary pieces and how they remain pertinent to mankind’s present-day struggles despite the passing of time. Firstly, she walked us through Fyodor Dostoevsky’s ‘Crime & Punishment’, where she related a morally conflicted law student’s (Raskolnikov) internal conflict with guilt and his conscience after he murders a wealthy woman (not a spoiler, this happens in the first few chapters!). She then went on to examine the complex web of relationships in Leo Tolstoy’s ‘Anna Karenina’, particularly focussing on the blooming relationship between Anna and Vronsky and the restrictions placed upon them by society. I also loved her appreciation of the multiple thematic storylines that ran through the book, including that of Levin, a broken-hearted farm boy who Tolstoy uses as a representative for social mobility surprisingly from a higher to a lower class, emphasising that the contentment of life should take precedence over superficial luxuries. My favourite piece of the three was Dhyani’s excellent portrayal of Anton Chekhov’s ‘The Cherry Orchard’, where Dhyani confessed her personal relation to the play, summarising it astutely as ‘Time waits for no man.’

Dhyani gave an fantastic speech and convinced many people in the audience to pick up a Russian book that evening, myself included! Her presentation was wonderful to listen to and provided us with an absolutely incredible start to this year’s English Extension!