Take a story's temperature by studying its tone. Is it hopeful? Cynical? Snarky? Playful?
Fatalistic, Reflective, Melancholy
And we make it sound like so much fun. But no, really, the oh-so-good intensity of "Spring in Fialta" lies in the sad, somber attitude of its narrative. Because Victor is looking back on Nina’s death, his nostalgia is bittersweet, both melancholy and appreciative. We’ve got a whole Shmoop Theme to talk about fatalism, but suffice it to for now to say that, because we know right from the start that Nina is going to die, Fialta takes on an almost doomed tone.