in Fedor dovi white kns we navigate the cobblestone streets of Moscow to explore the depths of loneliness that echo through the pages of this masterpiece will the protagonist find the companionship he longed for or will he succumb to his Solitude stay tuned to find out but before [Music] that the short story is divided into six sections first night the narrator describes his exper experience of walking in the streets of St Petersburg he loves the city at night and feels comfortable in it because all the people he is used to seeing are not there he no longer feels comfortable during the day he drew his emotions from them if they were happy he was happy if they were despondent he was despondent new faces made him feel alone as he walked the houses would talk to him and tell him how they were being renovated or painted in new color or torn down he lives alone in a small apartment in St Petersburg with only his old and an unsociable maid matona to keep in company he tells the story of his relationship with a young woman nastenka a dimunitive of the name Anastasia he first sees her standing against the railing and crying he becomes concerned and considers asking her what is wrong but eventually he continues walking there is something special about her and he is very curious when he hears her scream he intervenes and saves her from a man who is harassing her the young woman holds his arm and he explains that he is alone that he has never known a woman and that he feels timid with her nenko reassures him that ladies like timidity and that she likes it too he tells her that he spends every minute of every day dreaming about a girl who would say two words to him who will not repulse him or ridicule him as he approached he says that he thinks of talking to a random girl timidly respectfully passionately telling her that he is dying in solitude and that he has no chance of success with her he tells her that it's a girl's Duty not to rudely reject or mock man as timid and luckless as he as they reach Nena's door he asks if he will ever see her again before she can answer he adds that he will be at the spot they met tomorrow anyway just so we can relive this one happy moment of his lonely life she agrees stating she can't forbid him not to come she has to be there anyway the girl would tell him her story and be with him provided that talking does not lead to romance she is as lonely as the narrator second night on their meeting nastenka seeks to find out more about about him he tells her that he has no history because he has spent his life utterly alone when she presses him to continue He suggests that he is of the type of the dreamer the dreamer he explains Is Not a Human Being but a creature of an intermediate sort he gives a long speech about his longing for companionship leading nastinka to comments you talk as if you were reading from a book he begins to tell his story in the third person calling himself the hero this hero is happy at the hour when all work ends and people walk about he references vasel zukovsky and mentions the goddess of fancy he dreams of everything from befriending poets to having a place in the winter with the Girl by his side he says that the dreariness of everyday life kills people while in his dreams he can make his life as he wishes it to be at the end of his moving speech nastenka sympathetically assures him that she will be his friend nastenka story nastenka tells the narrator her story she grew up with the strict mother who gave nastenka a largely sheltered upbringing her grandmother's pension being too small they rent a room in their house when their first lodger dies the grandmother rents to a younger man the young man begins a silent courtship with nastenka giving her books so that she may develop a reading habit she takes a liking to the novels of Sir Walter Scott and Alexander Pushkin the young man invites nastenka and her grandmother to a performance of The Barber of cev on the night that the young lodger is about to leave Petersburg for Moscow nastenka urges him to marry her he refuses immediate marriage and claims that he does not have money to support them but assures her that he will return for her a year later nenka finishes her story and notes that a year has gone and he has not sent her a single letter third night the narrator gradually realizes that despite his assurance that their friendship will remain platonic he has inevitably fallen in love with her he nevertheless helps her by writing and posting a letter to her lover and he conceals his feelings for her the await his reply to the letter or his appearance but nastenka grows restless at the other man's absence and takes Comforts in the narrator's Friendship unaware of the depth of the narrator's feelings for her she tells him that she loves him because he hasn't fallen in love with her the narrator despairing of his unrequited love notes that he has now begun to feel alienation from her as well fourth night nastenka despars because she knows that her love is in Petersburg but hasn't contacted her the narrator continues to comfort her for which she is extremely grateful leading him to break his resolve and confess his love for her asenka is disoriented at first in the narrator realizing that they can no longer continue to be friends in the same manner insist on never seeing her again she urges him to stay and suggests that their relationship might become romantic someday but that she wants his friendship in her life the narrator becomes hopeful at this Prospect as they are walking they pass by a young man who stops and calls after them he turns out to be Nena's lover and she jumps into his arms she returns briefly to kiss the narrator but Journeys into the night leaving him alone and brokenhearted morning the final section is a brief afterward about a letter he receives from asenka in which she apologizes for hurting him and insists that she will always be thankful for his companionship she says that she will be married within a week and hopes that he will come while reading the letter the narrator breaks into tears matona his maid interrupts His Thoughts by telling him she has f finished cleaning the cobwebs the narrator notes that though he had never considered matrona to be old she looked far older than she ever had and wonders if his own future is to be without companionship and love he refuses to despair but that I should feel any resentment against you nenka that I should cast a dark shadow over your bright Serene happiness that I should crush a single one of those delicate blooms which you will wear in your dark hair when you walk up the aisle to the altar with him oh no never never may your Sky be always clear may your dear smile be always bright and happy and may you be forever blessed for that moment of bliss and happiness which you gave to another lonely and grateful heart good Lord only a moment of bliss isn't such a moment sufficient for the whole of a man's life