The story was written in 1933 at a time when Hitler had just taken power, and Nabokov's description of the brothers reflects the mentality and methods of Nazi thugs. The figure of Romastoski is peculiar as he initially appears to be a literary man, but as the story evolves he is a criminal according to the police report. The story gives no clue to indicate that the police report was manipulated, however there is no evidence that the police searches for the murderer.