Bro (novel)
Encyclopedia
Bro is a science fiction
novel by Vladimir Sorokin
, the first part in the series The Ice Trilogy, a “tripartite extravaganza [that] pummels the reader with super-dense chunks of satire, fantasy, parody, history and paranoid pseudo-theory.“ The other volumes are, respectively, Ice and 23,000.
Fer-The first sister that Bro awakens using a hammer constructed from the ice. She and Bro often have a very strong connection, referred to as the heart magnet, which helps them find their other brothers and sisters. Together, they are the only ones who are able to distinguish between average people and their siblings.
Ep-The first brother, who is awakened by both Bro and Fer.
Ig- Originally named Deribas. He was part of an illegal group of the Russian Social-Democratic Workers' Party and later became an ambassador of the OGPU, the predecessor of the KGB
. Due to his position, he is able to help Bro and their siblings adapt to human life by providing them with jobs.
Khram-One of the successors of Fer and Bro. Like her two siblings, she has a seeing heart. At the end of the novel, she must travel east to find her other half - the other sibling with the ability to find the members of the Light.
Religion - Certain features of the novel are particularly reminiscent of religion, especially notions of creation myths, heaven, the brotherhood, and souls. Perhaps the most prominent example in the novel is the tale Bro internalizes when he undergoes his awakening. Similar to the creation myth of other religions, the story begins with an ultimate being, in this case the Primordial Light creating the universe, including the Earth, inhabited by the 23,000 light rays, which evolve into the brotherhood. This brotherhood, comparable to any religious congregation, further contributes to the religious allusions. Within the group, they often using their heart rather than speech, placing greater emphasis on emotion, rather than reason, symbolizing a favoring of the soul, an important notion in religion. As Alexei Pavlenko writes: "Sorokin's language about the heart's awakening and its ability to communicate with other awakened hearts is compelling because it resonates with an ancient and rich mythology. In the Judeo-Christian and other ancient traditions…the heart is seen as the center of man's life, the point of ultimate presence." Finally, although Sorokin never explicitly addresses the afterlife, it is implied that the brotherhood are reunited after death, in an environment similar to heaven.
Society-In his interview, Sorokin states that The Ice Trilogy representative of his disappointment with society: "More precisely, contemporary civilization means the entire twentieth century, whose ready-made goods for mass mass consumption, mediocre taste and mass production have gradually transformed people into 'meat machines.' Multiply this by the total atheism advancing upon us, and human begins become a cog in this machine…" To reflect this view, Sorokin has attributed the name 'meat machine' to the ordinary humans in the novel and grotesquely describes all relevant aspects of humanity: life, death, warfare, crime, deceit and greed.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
novel by Vladimir Sorokin
Vladimir Sorokin
Vladimir Georgievich Sorokin is a contemporary postmodern Russian writer and dramatist, one of the most popular in modern Russian literature.-Biography:...
, the first part in the series The Ice Trilogy, a “tripartite extravaganza [that] pummels the reader with super-dense chunks of satire, fantasy, parody, history and paranoid pseudo-theory.“ The other volumes are, respectively, Ice and 23,000.
Plot Summary
The protagonist is a young boy growing up with a well of family in the Ukraine. Around 1918 when he turned 10 the Russian civil war forced him and his family to leave their home in hopes of trying to escape to Warsaw but they were hit by artillery fire and killed his father, brother, and uncle. The protagonist ends up living with an aunt in Moscow and attending college there. His aunt ends up being arrested at which point the protagonist abandons the apartment they were living in and has already dropped out of college. The protagonist decides to go on a expidition to find the Tungus meteorite which happened to strike earth the same day he was born. During this expidition the protagonist abandons the group and makes a spiritual connection with the meteorite which he describes as "Ice". The Ice tells the protagonist that he is a member of the brotherhood of the light and must go out into the world and find the rest of 23,000 members. The brotherhood of the light created the universe making one mistake which was earth. People and animals are disrupting the universe and the 23,000 want to come together to destroy the earth and restore order to th universe. The protagonist immediately sets out to accomplish this goal.Characters
Bro-The protagonist of the story. Originally named Alexander Snegirev, he was born June 30, 1908, the same day that the meteor reached the Earth. During his childhood, he develops a fascination with astronomy and, after dropping out of college, is given an opportunity to search for the meteor that fell the day he was born. During this trip, he finds the ice from the meteor and falls, striking his chest, and awakens with a new identity. His heart tells him that his new name is Bro and his goal is to unite all 23,000 of his brothers and sisters of the Light.Fer-The first sister that Bro awakens using a hammer constructed from the ice. She and Bro often have a very strong connection, referred to as the heart magnet, which helps them find their other brothers and sisters. Together, they are the only ones who are able to distinguish between average people and their siblings.
Ep-The first brother, who is awakened by both Bro and Fer.
Ig- Originally named Deribas. He was part of an illegal group of the Russian Social-Democratic Workers' Party and later became an ambassador of the OGPU, the predecessor of the KGB
KGB
The KGB was the commonly used acronym for the . It was the national security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 until 1991, and was the premier internal security, intelligence, and secret police organization during that time.The State Security Agency of the Republic of Belarus currently uses the...
. Due to his position, he is able to help Bro and their siblings adapt to human life by providing them with jobs.
Khram-One of the successors of Fer and Bro. Like her two siblings, she has a seeing heart. At the end of the novel, she must travel east to find her other half - the other sibling with the ability to find the members of the Light.
Major Themes
Identity-The protagonist of the story changes irrevocably after the explosion which kills his brother, father, and uncle. The protagonist then acquires a new identity, and becomes not truly human. Identity, and the concept of being reborn is a theme constantly touched upon in this novel. Another theme that comes into play later in the novel is the themes associated with Nazi Germany. Sorokin has been quoted saying that, “its frightening that all cities are beginning to resemble each other. People are becoming the same and dressing the same. The complete unification of humanity is underway.” In Bro the Brotherhood encounters Hitler and Nazi Germany, and the theme of one person or group controlling the whole is brought up.Religion - Certain features of the novel are particularly reminiscent of religion, especially notions of creation myths, heaven, the brotherhood, and souls. Perhaps the most prominent example in the novel is the tale Bro internalizes when he undergoes his awakening. Similar to the creation myth of other religions, the story begins with an ultimate being, in this case the Primordial Light creating the universe, including the Earth, inhabited by the 23,000 light rays, which evolve into the brotherhood. This brotherhood, comparable to any religious congregation, further contributes to the religious allusions. Within the group, they often using their heart rather than speech, placing greater emphasis on emotion, rather than reason, symbolizing a favoring of the soul, an important notion in religion. As Alexei Pavlenko writes: "Sorokin's language about the heart's awakening and its ability to communicate with other awakened hearts is compelling because it resonates with an ancient and rich mythology. In the Judeo-Christian and other ancient traditions…the heart is seen as the center of man's life, the point of ultimate presence." Finally, although Sorokin never explicitly addresses the afterlife, it is implied that the brotherhood are reunited after death, in an environment similar to heaven.
Society-In his interview, Sorokin states that The Ice Trilogy representative of his disappointment with society: "More precisely, contemporary civilization means the entire twentieth century, whose ready-made goods for mass mass consumption, mediocre taste and mass production have gradually transformed people into 'meat machines.' Multiply this by the total atheism advancing upon us, and human begins become a cog in this machine…" To reflect this view, Sorokin has attributed the name 'meat machine' to the ordinary humans in the novel and grotesquely describes all relevant aspects of humanity: life, death, warfare, crime, deceit and greed.