Daniel Ho

Smith P7
Timed Write
What impact Grand Duchess Maria would have made iI she had survived the Romanov
execution will never be known, but it`s always interesting to imagine what would be diIIerent iI
history had taken a diIIerent course. The Kitchen Boy, by Robert Alexander, is a historical Iiction
that retells the story oI the execution oI the Romanovs, twisting the plot so that Grand Duchess
Maria survives. Although Maria herselI is not a main character, she plays an important role by
aiding in the development oI the main character Misha and changing him into a better man.
Maria provided the pivotal point in Misha`s liIe by giving him an opportunity Ior
redemption. Misha volunteered to participate in the execution oI the Romanovs, and was ordered
to Iire at Maria. He held his riIle and aimed at Maria, and made a clear decision to Iire. He
regretted his decision aIterwards, however, upon reIlecting his time spent with the Romanovs
during their captivity. Wishing he hadn`t volunteered himselI Ior the execution, he couldn`t
Iorgive himselI and looked Ior any opportunity to make up Ior his actions. Upon Misha`s
discovery that Maria was still alive, he saw a chance Ior redemption. This event served not only
as what leIt him a changed man, but also the climax oI the story.
AIter Maria changed Misha into the man he was, his continued development and need to
work to make up Ior his participation in the Romanov execution. Upon escaping to the United
States, Maria led the two oI them to keep the Romanov gems in their home until the Iamily
received an Orthodox burial. Additionally, it had been Maria who came up with the idea oI
telling Kate one big lie in order to explain the 'hundred truths that surrounded what happened
during the Romanov captivity, and what Kate would have to do to Iinish what her grandparents
had started. This is signiIicant because resolution to the entire story was Kate Iinishing oII the
last will oI the Romanovs, and this concluding event was directed by Maria.
Daniel Ho
Smith P7
Maria proved to be a large Iactor in the unraveling oI the events oI the story, and Misha`s
growth throughout the story. The Iact that she was not a major character did not matter in terms
oI her importance, showing that she, as a minor character, still had a signiIicant impact on the
plot oI the book.