A House of Gentlefolk · Chapter
Lavretsky's Hope and Lisa's Confession explained
Lavretsky, after learning of his wife's death, reflects on his feelings for Lisa and fears she may accept Panshin's proposal.
What happens
Lavretsky, after learning of his wife's death, reflects on his feelings for Lisa and fears she may accept Panshin's proposal. He visits the Kalitins, observes Panshin playing picquet with Marya Dmitrievna, then goes upstairs to Marfa Timofyevna. Lisa joins them and, at Marfa's suggestion, she and Lavretsky go to the piano room. There, Lisa reveals she has neither accepted nor refused Panshin, and they share a moment of emotional intimacy.
Themes in this chapter
Love and Marriage
Lisa's indecision about Panshin's proposal and her growing emotional bond with Lavretsky highlight the conflict between duty and personal feeling in marriage.
Duty and Morality
Lisa feels bound to obey her mother and societal expectations, yet her conscience draws her toward Lavretsky, creating moral tension.
Characters to notice
- Fedor Ivanitch Lavretsky
Struggles with newfound hope after his wife's death; feels drawn to Lisa and fears her answer to Panshin.
- Lisa Mihalovna
Confides in Lavretsky about her interview with Panshin; feels both trust and shame at sharing her secrets.
- Vladimir Nikolaitch Panshin
Plays picquet with Marya Dmitrievna, displaying a dignified and diplomatic demeanor; still present in the house.
- Marya Dmitrievna Kalitin
Plays picquet with Panshin; shows slight vexation at Lavretsky's arrival but continues the game.
- Marfa Timofyevna Pestov
Welcomes Lavretsky warmly, plays old maid with Nastasya Karpovna, and encourages Lisa to entertain him.
Key passages
“He felt that in the course of the last three days, he had come to look at her with different eyes; he remembered how after returning home when he thought of her in the silence of the night, he had said to himself, 'if only!'”
Lavretsky realizes his feelings for Lisa have deepened over the past three days, and he recalls hoping for a chance with her.
Shows Lavretsky's emotional awakening and his longing for a future with Lisa.
“I told him everything, everything I felt, and asked him to wait a little. Are you pleased with me?”
Lisa reveals she has been honest with Panshin about her feelings and asked for time, seeking Lavretsky's approval.
Highlights Lisa's trust in Lavretsky and her uncertainty about her romantic future.