Uneven power dynamics.

The trope of some poor, desperate and suffering peasant woman trying to beg for help in a dignified way from some presumed rich and powerful man is such a weird kink but seems an absolute staple of Russian literature across the board.

The focus on the uneven power dynamic just comes across as creepy in what's otherwise dry and depressing romps of existential focus on death and despair and the destruction of the human spirit.

What a strange genre.