the blizzard

Fate and chance propel The Blizzard. The central event that sets up the intrigue in the story is the blizzard, which is very much a chance based event -- the fact that it occured at all, on that night. That relatively unusual event then leads to Vladamir and Marya missing each other and Marya marrying, without her knowledge, Burmin. Likewise, when Vladamir arrives Zhadrino and finds Marya already married to another man (?), he leaves, heartbroken and angry.