Today we will talk about one of the most fascinating and wise novels in the history of Russian literature. As you already understood, this is “Poor People” by Dostoevsky. The summary of this work, although it will not allow you to fully experience the characters, imbue the atmosphere, but will allow you to get acquainted with the main characters and key plot points. So, let's begin.
Meet the protagonists
Devushkin Makar Alekseevich - the main character of the novel "Poor people" by Dostoevsky. A brief summary allows you to get a general idea about it. Devushkin, a forty-seven-year-old titular adviser, is engaged in transcribing papers in one of the St. Petersburg departments for a modest salary. By the time the story begins, he is just moving to a new apartment near Fontanka, in the "capital" house. Along a long corridor are the doors of the rooms of other residents, and Devushkin himself huddles behind a partition in a shared kitchen. His previous home was an order of magnitude better, but now for the adviser in the first place was cheapness, because he also had to pay in the same yard an expensive and comfortable apartment for Varvara Alekseevna Dobroselova, her distant relative. The poor official also takes care of a seventeen-year-old orphan, for whom, besides Devushkin himself, there is simply no one to stand up for.
The beginning of the tender friendship of Varenka and Makar
Varvara and Makar live nearby, but they are rarely seen - Devushkin fears gossip and gossip. However, both need empathy and warmth. How can the heroes of Dostoevsky’s novel “Poor People” find it? The summary does not mention how the correspondence between Makar and Varenka began, but very soon they begin to write to each other almost every day. 31 letters from Makar and 24 from Vari, written for the period from April 8 to September 30, 184 ... disclose their relationship. The official denies his dress and food in order to allocate funds for sweets and flowers for his "angel". Varenka, in turn, is angry at her patron for big expenses. Makar claims that he is driven only by paternal affection. The woman invites him to visit more often, they say, who cares? Varenka also takes home work - sewing.
A few more letters follow. Makar tells his girlfriend about his home, comparing it with Noah's Ark in the abundance of a diverse audience, draws portraits of his neighbors for her.
Here comes a new difficult situation in the life of the heroine of the novel “Poor People” by Dostoevsky. A brief outline in general terms tells us about how her distant relative, Anna Fedorovna, learns about Varenka. For some time, Varya and her mother lived in the house of Anna Fedorovna, and after the woman, in order to be able to cover the costs, she offered the girl (at that time already an orphan) to the wealthy landowner Bykov. He dishonored her, and now Varia is afraid that the Bulls and the swarm will find out her address. Fear undermined the poor man’s health, and only Makar’s care saved her from final “death”. An official sells his old uniform to go out of his box. By the summer, Varenka recovers and sends notes to her caring friend in which she talks about her life.
Varya’s happy childhood passed in the bosom of rural nature, in the circle of his family. However, soon the father of the family lost his job, followed by a series of other failures that brought him to the grave. Fourteen-year-old Varya and her mother were left alone in the whole world, and they had to sell the house to cover their debts. At this moment, Anna Fedorovna sheltered them. Vari’s mother worked tirelessly and ruining her already precarious health, but the patroness continued to reproach her. Varya herself began to study with Pyotr Pokrovsky, a former student who lived in the same house. The girl was surprised that a kind and worthy person disrespects his father, who, on the contrary, tried to see his adored son as often as possible. This man was once a petty official, but by the time of our history he had already completely drunk. Peter's mother, the landowner Bykov, gave him away with an impressive dowry, but soon the young beauty passed away. The widower married again. Peter himself grew up separately, Bykov became his patron and it was he who decided to place the young man, forced to leave the institute because of his state of health, “on bread” to Anna Fedorovna, his “short acquaintance”.
Young people get closer, caring for Varya's mother who does not get out of bed. An educated acquaintance introduced the girl to reading, helped her develop taste. But after some time, Pokrovsky falls ill with consumption and dies. At the expense of the funeral, the hostess takes all the few things of the deceased. The old father managed to take several books from her, he stuffed them with a hat, pockets, etc. The rain went. The old man in tears ran after the cart, which drove the coffin, and books fell from his pockets directly into the mud. He picked them up and continued to run after him. In anguish, Varya returned home to her mother, but she too soon overtook death.
As you can see, there are many topics that Dostoevsky touches on in his work. “Poor people,” a summary of which is the topic of our conversation today, also describe the life of Devushkin himself. In letters to Varenka he says that he has been serving for thirty years. "Kind", "quiet" and "quiet" people become the subject of ridicule of others. Makar is indignant, and considers Varenka to be the only joy in his life - as if "the Lord blessed me with a house and a family!"
Sick Varya gets a job as a governess, since for her Makar’s inability to take care of herself materially becomes apparent - even servants and watchmen no longer look at him without contempt. The official himself is against this, since he believes that in order to be useful, Varenka needs to continue to have a beneficial effect on him, on his life.
Varya sends Devushkin books - Pushkin's "Station Warden", and then - Gogol's "Overcoat." But if the first allowed the official to rise in his own eyes, the second, on the contrary, offends him. Makar identifies himself with Bashmachkin and believes that the author brazenly spied and unveiled all the little things in his life. His dignity is hurt, he believes that "after this we must complain."
Unexpected difficulties
Until early July, Makar squandered all his savings. More than poverty, he is only concerned about the endless ridicule of tenants over him and Varenka. However, the worst of all is that one day, one of her former neighbors, a “seeker,” an officer, comes to her and makes a woman “an unworthy offer.” Surrendering to despair, the hero for several days goes into a binge, disappears and misses the service. Devushkin meets with the offender and makes an attempt to shame him, but in the end he himself is thrown from the stairs.
Varya tries, as best she can, to console her defender and urges him not to pay attention to gossip and come to her for dinner.
Starting in August, Makar seeks to borrow money at interest, however, all his attempts fail. A new one was added to all previous problems: to Varenka, at the instigation of Anna Fedorovna, a new “seeker” appeared. Soon, Anna herself visits the girl. There is a need to move as soon as possible. From impotence, Devushkin again started drinking, but Varya helps him regain his self-esteem and desire to fight again.
The well-being of Varenka herself is rapidly deteriorating, the woman is no longer able to do sewing. On a September evening, to clear the alarm, Makar decides to take a walk along the Fontanka embankment. He begins to reflect on why, if labor is considered the basis of human dignity, so many loafers never feel the need for food and dress. He comes to the conclusion that happiness is not given to a person for some of his merits, and therefore the rich should not ignore the complaints of the poor.
September 9, Makaru smiled fortune. The official made a mistake on paper and was sent to the general to "dissect". The miserable and humble official aroused sympathy in the heart of “His Excellency” and personally received one hundred rubles from the general. This is a real salvation in the misery of Devushkin: he manages to pay for an apartment, clothes, a table. The magnanimity of the boss makes Makar feel ashamed of his recent “liberal” thoughts. The official is again full of hope for the future, he spends his free time reading the Northern Bee.
Here the character, who had already been mentioned by Dostoevsky, is again wedged into the plot. “Poor people”, the summary of which is approaching a conclusion, continues when Bykov learns about Varenka and on September 20 begins to get married to her. He seeks to have legitimate children so that the “worthless nephew” does not receive an inheritance. Bykov prepared a fallback: if Varia refuses him, he makes an offer to the merchant from Moscow. However, despite the fact that the proposal was made in a rude and unceremonious form, Varya agrees. Makar is trying to dissuade her friend (“your heart will be cold!”), But the girl is adamant - she believes that only Bykov can save her from poverty and return her honest name to her. From grief, Devushkin falls ill, but until the last day continues to help Varenka with the fees on the way.
End of story
September 30th the wedding took place. On the same day, just before leaving at Bykov’s estate, the girl wrote a farewell letter to an old friend .
The Girl's answer is full of despair. He will not be able to change anything, but considers it his duty to say that all this time he deprived himself of all blessings only because "you ... here, nearby, lived opposite." Now the formed syllable of the letter, and Makar himself, is not needed by anyone. He does not know by what right one can destroy a person’s life.