Yama by Aleksandr Kuprin (best ereader for pdf TXT) 📕
Description
Yama (The Pit) recounts the lives of a group of prostitutes living and working in Anna Markovna’s brothel in the town of K⸺. The women, subject to effective slavery through the removal of their papers and onerous debts, act out a scene of easy affability every evening for the part ignorant, part monstrous clients, while keeping secret their own pasts and wished-for futures.
The book was Kuprin’s attempt to denormalize the cultural ambiguity of the legal brothels of the time. His dedication—“to mothers and youths”—expresses his desire that there should no longer be a silent acceptance of the actions of the “fathers, husbands, and brothers.” The novel was notable for portraying the inhabitants of the brothels as living, breathing people with their own hopes and desires, not purely as a plot point or scenario.
The critical response was mixed: many found the subject matter beyond the pale. Kuprin himself placed his hopes on a favourable review from Leo Tolstoy, which didn’t come; but there was praise for Yama as both social commentary and warning, and an appreciation for Kuprin’s attempt to detail the everyday lives of his subjects.
The novel had a troubled genesis, with the first part taking nine years between initial proposal and first publication; the second and third parts followed five years later. It was a victim of the Russian censors who, tellingly, disapproved more of scenes involving officials visiting the brothels, than the brothels themselves. It was only later during preparations for an anthology of his work that an uncensored version was allowed to be released. This edition is based on the translation to English by Bernard Guilbert Guerney of that uncensored version, and was first published in 1922.
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- Author: Aleksandr Kuprin
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“But, then, there’s nothing said in the rules about sureties.”
“There’s many a thing not said! In the rules it also does not say that it’s permitted to carry a girlie out of the house, without giving warning to the owners.”
“But in any case you’ll have to give me her blank.”
“I will never do such a foolishness! Come here with some respectable person and with the police; and let the police certify that this friend of yours is a man of means; and let this man stand surety for you; and let, besides that, the police certify that you are not taking the girl in order to trade in her, or to sell her over to another establishment—then as you please! Hand and foot!”
“The devil!” exclaimed Likhonin. “But if that surety will be I, I myself! If I’ll sign your promissory notes right away …”
“Young man! I don’t know what you are taught in your different universities, but is it possible that you reckon me such a positive fool? God grant, that you have, besides those which are on you, still some other pants! God grant, that you should even the day after have for dinner the remnants of sausages from the sausage shop, and yet you say—a promissory note! What are you bothering my head for?”
Likhonin grew completely angry. He drew his wallet out of his pocket and slapped it down on the table.
“In that case I pay in cash and immediately!”
“Ach, that’s a business of another kind,” sweetly, but still with mistrust, the housekeeper intoned. “I will trouble you to turn the page, and see what the bill of your beloved is.”
“Keep still, you carrion!”
“I’m still, you fool,” calmly responded the housekeeper.
On the small ruled pages on the left side was designated the income, on the right were the expenses.
“Received in stamps, 15th of April,” read Likhonin, “10 roubles; 16th—4r.; 17th—12r.; 18th—sick; 19th—sick; 20th—6r.; 21st—24r.”
“My God!” with loathing, with horror, reflected Likhonin. “Twelve men in one night!”
At the end of the month stood:
“Total 330 roubles.”
“Lord! Why, this is some sort of delirium! One hundred and sixty-five visits,” thought Likhonin, having mechanically calculated it, and still continued turning the pages. Then he went over to the columns on the right.
“Made, a red dress of silk with lace 84r. Dressmaker Eldokimova. Morning dressing sacque of lace 35r. Dressmaker Eldokimova. Silk stockings 6 pair 36 roubles,” etc., etc. “Given for cab-fare, given for candy, perfumes bought,” etc., etc. “Total 205 roubles.” After that from the 330r. were deducted 220r.—the share of the proprietress for board and lodging. The figure of 110r. resulted. The end of the monthly account declared:
“Total after the payment to the dressmaker and for other articles, of 110r., a debt of ninety-five (95) roubles remains for Irene Voschhenkova and with the four hundred and eighteen roubles remaining from last year—five hundred and thirteen (513) roubles.”
Likhonin’s spirits fell. He did try, at first, to be indignant at the expensiveness of the materials supplied; but the housekeeper retorted with sang froid that that did not concern her at all; that the establishment demanded only that the girl dress decently, as becomes a girl from a decent, genteel house; while it did not concern itself with the rest. The establishment merely extended her credit in paying her expenses.
“But this is a vixen, a spider in human shape—this dressmaker of yours!” yelled Likhonin beside himself. “Why, she’s in a conspiracy with you, cupping glass that you are, you abominable tortoise! Cuttlefish! Where’s your conscience?”
The more agitated he grew, the more calm and jeering Emma Edwardovna became.
“Again I repeat: that is not my business. And you, young man, don’t express yourself like that, because I will call the porter, and he will throw you out of the door.”
Likhonin was compelled to bargain with the cruel woman long, brutally, till he grew hoarse, before she agreed, in the end, to take two hundred and fifty roubles in cash, and two hundred roubles in promissory notes. And even that only when Likhonin with his half-yearly certificate proved to her that he was finishing this year and would become a lawyer.
The housekeeper went after the ticket, while Likhonin took to pacing the cabinet back and forth. He had already looked over all the pictures on the walls: Leda with the swan, and the bathing on the shore of the sea, and the odalisque in a harem, and the satyr, bearing a naked nymph in his arms; but suddenly a small printed placard, framed and behind glass, half covered by a portière, attracted his attention. It was the first time that it had come across Likhonin’s eyes, and the student with amazement and aversion read these lines, expressed in the dead, official language of police stations. There with shameful, businesslike coldness, were mentioned all possible measures and precautions against infections; the intimacies of feminine toilet; the weekly medical inspections and all the adaptations for them. Likhonin also read that no establishment was to be situated nearer than a hundred steps from churches, places of learning, and court buildings; that only persons of the female sex may maintain houses of prostitution; that only her relatives, and even then of the female sex exclusively, and none older than seven years, may live with the proprietress; and that the proprietors and the owners of the house, as well as the girls, must in their relations among themselves and the guests as well, observe politeness, quiet, civility and decency, by no means allowing themselves drunkenness, swearing and brawls. And also that the prostitute must not allow herself the caresses of love when in an intoxicated condition or with an intoxicated man; and in addition to that, during the time of certain functions. Here also the prostitutes were most strictly forbidden to commit abortions. “What a serious and moral view of things!” reflected Likhonin with a malicious sneer.
Finally the business with Emma Edwarodvna was concluded. Having taken the money and written out a receipt, she stretched
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