A House of Gentlefolk · Chapter
XXVII explained
After an evening outing, Lavretsky escorts Marya Dmitrievna, Lisa, and the children home.
What happens
After an evening outing, Lavretsky escorts Marya Dmitrievna, Lisa, and the children home. During the ride, he and Lisa share a quiet, intimate moment, affirming their friendship. Lavretsky returns home in a state of joyful reflection, thinking of Lisa and his own feelings. The next day, while reading French newspapers, he discovers a report of his wife Varvara Pavlovna's sudden death.
Themes in this chapter
Love and Marriage
Lavretsky's growing affection for Lisa is contrasted with the false report of his wife's death, highlighting the complexities of love and marital bonds.
Nature and the Rural Idyll
The peaceful summer night, with its warmth, moonlight, and sounds of quails, mirrors Lavretsky's inner joy and sense of renewal.
Fate and Free Will
Lavretsky's reflection on his past and the sudden news of his wife's death suggest the unpredictable turns of fate that shape his choices.
Characters to notice
- Marya Dmitrievna Kalitin
Expresses desire to return home; falls asleep during the carriage ride.
- Lisa Mihalovna
Sits in the back seat of the coach; feels happy and shares a quiet moment with Lavretsky, affirming their friendship.
- Fedor Ivanitch Lavretsky
Escorts the guests on horseback; feels joyful and reflective during the ride; later discovers news of his wife's death in a newspaper.
- Christopher Theodor Gottlieb Lemm
Disappears after the angling; the next day he is scowling and silent.
- Anton
Slammed the coach doors with energy and called sharply to the coachman.
- M. Jules
Author of the newspaper article reporting Madame de Lavretsky's death.
Key passages
“And I have burnt all I adored, And now I adore all that I burnt.”
Lavretsky reflects on a reversal of his former beliefs and affections, now embracing what he once rejected.
Lavretsky quotes this line to himself during his ride home, indicating a personal transformation.
“the witchery of the summer night enfolded him; all around him seemed suddenly so strange—and at the same time so long known; so sweetly familiar.”
The enchanting summer night made everything feel both new and deeply familiar to Lavretsky.
Describes Lavretsky's heightened emotional state and connection to the natural world.